Rude's OK

As a smoker I've noticed a weird phenomenon. People feel just fine about being rude to me. I quit for a long time, and it is the '00s, so I get that it's important to take into account other people's sensibilities when I smoke in public.

I always make sure my smoke isn't going up anyone else's nose. And if there's even a chance it might bother someone I just don't smoke. Why not? It's a horrible habit and I'm not about to subject anyone else to me yucky addiction. I mean, I really try to be 110% considerate.

Sometimes, though, I fail. And when I do I immediately apologize and put my cigarette out or move. The thing which amazes me is how rude people are. Somehow because I have a bad habit I'm less than a person and they feel it's OK to say incredibly rude things. I'm just amazed.

This same sort of thinking - that I'm less of a citizen because I smoke - seems to have carried over to lawmaking. About a year ago the tax on individual cigarette packs when up a dollar. The tax encompassed at least 25% of the price. Now I see that an additional $1 tax has been imposed.

I get why taxes are important and I barely bitch. But this new $1 surcharge per pack strikes me as very similar to how rude people can be to smokers. "Hey, that guy's stupid for smoking. He's a 2nd class citizen. So let's tax the sh-- out of him."

I don't know if the money is earmarked for anything in particular. Hell, I didn't even know it had happened till it was fact. But then again, I'm a smoker so I deserve it.