Flying and Smoking

Many of us seniors are often accused of overplaying how wonderful life used to be as compared to today!

I am senior enough to vividly remember when a specific experience was not only horrible, it was downright dangerous to one's health. No, certainly not the good old days!

Back in the 1980s and 1990s my occupation required me to fly all over Australia. Perth to Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney and other ports of call. And I am certain thousands of Canadians will have suffered from what I'm going to describe!

I would checkin at the Qantas counter to receive my boarding pass. The counter person would tag my luggage and away that would go. Personal, friendly, stress free service!

Boarding time arrived. A hostess showed one to their seat. Placed hand luggage in the overhead luggage compartment. And ensured one's comfort. Up, up, and away we would go into the blue. The excitement of the power of the take off never left me. Exhilarating!

The seatbelt on sign would turn off. Time to relax and await the arrival of predinner drinks, in a wine glass, I must highlight, not in a paper cup. However, now the flight for many began to go downhill!

What was that sour, foul aroma. Cigarette smoke! Tragically from that point forward, the smell of cigarette smoke permeated the entire aircraft. Aircraft companies allocated several rows of seats, usually at the rear of the plane, as "Smoking Seats". For that reason I always booked a seat as far forward as possible.

Unfortunately, airflow ensured the smokers horrible smoke worked it's way into the lungs of every passenger and crew member. I had an allergy to cigarette smoke and was a non smoker. After 15 minutes or so my inflamed nostril regions rebelled. Sneezing ensued for the remainder of my flight.

I never discovered the logic behind allowing passengers to sit in the rear of a hermetically sealed aluminium tube and permitting people to light up a craven A fag, thereby ensuring the ruination of the flight for me and numerous others.

Eventually fairness and sanity prevailed. What a miraculous day it was when smoking was BANNED on all aircraft ! Although I dread to consider how much cigarette smoke I inhaled over those many years flying in smoke filled planes.

So here is a classic tale of when the good old days were dastardly horrible!

Cheers Ross