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The Day the Music Died
"Yeah, uh, it sucks. I don't know what to do," said Eric Pagan, a bouncer at the Raven. "I think I'll light up more cigarettes, f*ck Bloomberg." But as March 29 became March 30, the day New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's smoking ban went into effect, smokers at the Raven could breath easy. "I don't even think the inspectors are out tonight, to tell you the truth… I'm just going to take the risk for tonight alone and say that they are probably not going to enforce it until tomorrow, till Sunday." said Harold Kramer, owner of the Raven Café on Avenue A at 12th Street. "I think I can just let everyone continue smoking until 4 a.m." Kramer, a long-time activist against the ban, said he gambled that night because he was afraid of losing business, which had motivated his fight against the ban for months. But, as it turned out, the stakes were not that high because in the final hours, the City invoked a 30-day grace period under which they will hand out warnings rather than fines. "It wasn't fair that everything was put on the shoulders of the bar owners," Kramer said. "We have to educate the customers, we have to enforce the law and then we get hit with the fine if somebody is caught smoking in a bar." But, despite the stay, come Sunday, Kramer said he will enforce the ban. He will remove all ashtrays and put up City-mandated "no smoking" signs. At the "Smoke-Out Party," the disk jockey spun classic rock songs featuring smoke-friendly themes and the smokers sucked down free cigarettes distributed by a major tobacco company. Raven workers and patrons, including non-smokers, voiced their feelings about the impending ban. Below are some excerpts from what they said: Jamie Chosak, 21: "I think it's totally ridiculous, I don't think it's going to benefit anyone. I think it's going to decrease the amount people coming out to bars. I think the bar owners are going to lose a lot of money… …I don't think something like this will push me to quit…. …If I can't smoke in a place I won't go there. I'll go out drinking with my friends, stay home, get some beers there. I mean I think if they have, um, I don't understand why they can't have sort of an alcohol license where certain bars can have smoking. I don't understand why the ban has to be for everybody… …I think if you work in a bar you have to assume that people around you are going to smoke. So I think that you are putting yourself in an environment where you know that second-hand smoke is going to be there. So I think that, y'know, you have to make a choice about where you are going to be employed and understand the risks of it. But, I think that drinking and smoking go hand in hand, I don't think you can really do one without the other." Felecia Williams, 31: "I think the smoking ban - it's about time they put it into effect. I'm actually originally from California and I was there when they put that one into effect too. And I just think for health reasons, it's just been proven that smoking has all these bad implications, including second-hand smoke. And I think it's about time they kind of did a public service and had people not be exposed to that. I think it's fine if people choose to smoke but I don't choose to smoke and I don't think I should be exposed to that in a public place when I choose to go somewhere, like a bar or restaurant. So, I think it's about time…. …I probably would not go to a bar if they still smoked there. What happened in L.A., actually, when they passed the smoking ban is there were some bars that were known not to enforce it and people would just go there and it was just sort of a known fact. So I think that might happen [here] as well and, y'know, we still went to those bars and it wasn't much of a problem. It just wasn't as prevalent as before…. …I don't think it will be enforced fully. I think there will be certain places where it will just be sort of understood that people smoke. It's just hard to enforce, it's not like I would turn to someone and tell them not to smoke… I'd probably get my ass kicked…." Harold Kramer, owner, Raven Cafe: "They'll be giving written warnings, um, they're not going to be giving any monetary fines until May 1… …Most of them [patrons] will probably go outside for a smoke… …A commanding officer at the 9th Precinct… said he felt sorry for all us bar owners and he wasn't exactly sure how to answer my question which was how they were going to enforce, uh, the streets, the quality of life complaints that people might be calling in if there's crowds of loud smokers on the sidewalk. He said it might just have to do with what areas I, as a bar owner, was responsible for. So, ah, the police, that's the only aspect they'll be dealing with. Um, I went to the City Department of Health hearing on March 7, and um, I think, I hate to blow my own horn but because of my testimony, that's the reason they are going to have the 30-day grace period because I was up there complaining that it wasn't fair that everything was put on the shoulders of the bar owners. That we have to educate the customers, we have to enforce the law and then we get hit with the fine if somebody is caught smoking in a bar… …Yeah, they've [patrons] been complaining for quite a while, of course most of them haven't written letters to City Hall, most of them haven't gone down to the hearings to testify. So y'know, they can complain all they want, they had their chance. I put up signs all around the place, let City Hall know, I've sent out emails. A handful of my customers sent letters to City Hall, I don't think very many did. And, uh, y'know, that's what it's about, they should have spoke up then. I get so many of my customers asking me, so what about the smoking ban, what are you going to do? Well, uh, what do you think I'm going to do… there's no smoking. You had your chance to say something. I don't smoke, so I'm not going to be missing anything. I got a lot of people also saying they can't wait for ban to start. Y'know because they're, uh, affected by the smoke in bars… …If it's a quality of life disaster, like people like me have predicted, then maybe it will be repealed…it all depends on how much pressure is brought to bear on the City Council…and now it's a State-wide thing too so they would have to repeal the State law… …Tonight is just our acknowledgement here that this is the last night of smoking. We wanted to do something to acknowledge that, so we have our Smoke-Out Party where we have the people from Camel cigarettes giving out freebees, we're playing quote unquote smoking rock and roll and uh, y'know, just letting people this is their last opportunity to smoke in bars… Raymond, disc jockey, Raven Cafe: "It's supposed to be a rock and roll party, a smoking rock and roll night. So I played a lot of rock and roll songs. I played a lot of smoking songs earlier, but I kind of ran out of them. Let's see, I played 'Smokin' in the Boy's Room,' by Motley Crue, 'Smokin'' by Boston, I played 'Gin and Juice' by Snoop Dog, I played a whole bunch of songs… …I don't want to say anything that will get anyone in trouble, but, I don't know, it seemed like in California it kinda worked itself out, but actually, all the bars are like, underground smoking bars, I guess, know what I'm sayin'?… …I think it will be enforced initially, but I think the novelty will wear off and then it will just be a little bit lighter. What are they going to do? Send out squadrons of police officers to all the bars in New York City? It doesn't really make sense… …I was like thinking of really long songs to play [when he spins so he can go outside and smoke]… I don't know, it's gonna be really hard for me… I spend a lot of time in Europe so I'm used to smoking whenever and wherever I want." Sebastien Farhi: "I think it's going to be an experience, something new. We shall see how people are going to react to that. I think people are going to start smoking in bathrooms even more than now and we're going to see much more people outside in front of the restaurants, which I don't think is very good for security. We shall see… …There are many more important things to talk about. It's good, maybe I'll smoke less. Maybe I'll go out less… JP Gournail: "Well, it's sad because I'm a smoker but I'm sure that people are going to get used to it and in a couple months nobody's going to think about it. Look at California, nobody smoke there, y'know. So, I don't know, it makes a good night tonight because everyone is going to celebrate… …[in France] you can smoke everywhere, there are no non-smoking rules like there are here. But uh, I'm sure within a few years, it's going to come… …I think the whole Social Security deal, well, it makes sense, you smoke you get sick and you cost a lot to the society. It's not fun, but as Sebastian was saying, it's not such a big deal if you think about it. If you are at the office, you can't smoke there, so ah, I think that every smoker is already used to freeze his ass outside for a smoke, so uh, nothing new there… …The smoking ban is a great chance for New Jersey." Paul, 30, manager, Raven Cafe: "I'm moving back to Europe, the smoking ban is a nice catalyst. I'm waiting for Prohibition to come now. It's Nazi capitalism if you want to get sociological about it. Small places [like us], we can get away with it. It's the big clubs, there's no re-entry, that can't get away with it." Bob Smith, from Syracuse, New York: "I don't know, it will sort of change the aspect of being in a bar. I go into bars now that have like seven foot ceilings and it gets so smoky and I can't breath after I come out of there, I smoke myself and I can't breath after I come out of a bar. If you really need a cigarette, you can go outside. But I think it's going to be a little more discrete, but I think people are still going to smoke in bars… …Sometimes I feel bad when I'm around them [non-smokers] because I know they don't enjoy that, but y'know, they tolerate it as well. And uh, they make comments when it is too smoky out there… …I really don't think it's the government's role to make this law because if you really don't want to go to a smoky bar then don't go there. The government has no say in it. Lately I've been taking a very anti-government feeling with the current events in the world and I just feel like America is just trying to control everything, not just smoking in bars but everything else as well. I don't know, it's just too bad, it's like just authoritarian. There's always other options, like with the smoking in bars law, there's always other alternatives, you can always go to other bars, just depends on what you feel like… …they're [the government] going to regulate what beer you can drink or what hours you can drive on the road, I don't know…" Jason Tanner, 28, actor: "Smokers are hearty, smokers are going to smoke wherever and whenever they want. This is not going to stop people from smoking outside when they want anyway…. It's a social thing. I think outside will become more of a social thing… Amy Kitts: "I'm secretly excited about it but don't want any of my smoker friends to know that. Because if I go to a bar with too much cigarette smoke it makes my throat hurt a lot. Most smokers hold their cigarette in my face, I don't like that, but Stephanie March, my friend, is a very considerate smoker… now I don't have to smell all that cigarette smoke. Also, how can you stand when your clothes smell? Right? I went home the other night from being in a bar where there was smoke and I had to like throw everything out… …Let's think about all the people that are going to lose business, the bodegas, the dry cleaners, the bars… house parties, there's going to be house parties… …Let me tell you something, when I was in college we smoked in our classes, I went to a very progressive school… but, then next year they ban smoking in studios so no one could smoke any more and people adjusted, you know? They adjusted, that's the fact of the matter, if you are not allowed to smoke you are going to adjust. You'll drink more to take the edge off of not being able to smoke… …I don't think it's the government's place to do a lot of things that the government does, but by in large, people are pretty stupid about a lot of things… Stephanie March, 28, actress: "Nothing as trivial as this can seriously impact you going out and meeting friends. If you lived life like that you'd stay inside. Will I be surprised when I go to a place like Austin, Boston, New Orleans where I can sit down and have a cigarette in a bar, yeah I'm going to think that's great. Am I going to stop going to a bar with a friend? No… …You're definitely going to smoke less, I mean if you can't smoke in a public place in front of other people you're going to be forced to smoke less. But quitting I think is an extremely personal decision. Some people are ready and some people are not, I don't think that this sort of thing can force you to quit… …I think that people in New York will observe this law. I think that creative establishments will finds ways to get around it. I don't mean get around it illegally but I mean ways that will make it easier for smokers to visit their establishments. But that will be, y'know, nine percent of the places you could smoke before. Those places, I will try to go to, I will enjoy my cigarette when I'm having a cocktail. Otherwise, what can you do? …I don't think they [government] is telling me I can't smoke as much as they are telling me I can't inflict my smoke upon other people. Which is probably right, I hate to admit it but it's probably true…" Eric Pagan, bouncer, Raven Cafe: "Yeah, uh, it sucks. I don't know what to do, I think I'll light up more cigarettes, f*ck Bloomberg, that's the way I feel. I don't know, I mean, am I supposed to stop smoking? I mean he can't tell me, stop my habits or, y'know, I don't know, I'm gonna do what I gotta do. I'll still smoke, I mean, I'll take it outside the bar… …We don't want no tickets, y'know, so. I think pretty much the people are going to understand and try to cooperate. But, uh, I don't know if I'm going to make the same money because, y'know, I don't think we're going to have the same amount of customers coming in. So, uh, yeah, it's gonna, it's gonna suck for a little while but, I don't know, we'll see what happens." And so far, we have seen. Some bar and club owners are taking advantage of the grace period and even encouraging patrons to smoke. Bar 119, a grungy neighborhood tavern on the corner of 15th Street and Irving Place, put a sign on its door Monday night, which read: "C'mon in and smoke." The bartender there, Brian Burke, 23, said that on Sunday night he tried to enforce the ban but he immediately lost business, as his customers got up and left when told to extinguish their smokes. "I'm a smoker myself, but I don't care about the ban personally," Burke said. "I'm just upset because I know this will affect my business." As for Kramer, so far he's getting along fine. On Sunday, everyone complied, though regular smokers were not happy, but they still didn't leave. He noted that he does not wish to incur any warnings because it may cause the inspectors to just come back after the grace period ends. "It's better to fly under the radar,"
Kramer said. "We put pretzel sticks out on the bar and also
put a bench outside with a bucket for butts. I think it's best just
to start complying and get people used to it." -30- |
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Photo essay... coming soon
Cold
turkey was served at the stroke of midnight in Manhattan bars and
restaurants Saturday night. But most patrons at the Raven Café
had no appetite. Gathering for a "Smoke-Out Party," they
watched the clock anxiously, their heads caught in a cloud of smoke
and disbelief, and they worried that the fog would soon clear.