[Quinn01]

So Oldschool1982 gave me the idea to start up this topic on what everyone thinks about smoking and then being in this industry.

There are so many people out there, high in the bergaide and low, that smoke, and you cant help but say, isnt that killing your palate? Doesnt everything you put in your mouth have a faint taste of ash?

I mean sure its an excuse to be able to go take a 5 min. break outside before service starts but still.

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by Quinn01

So Oldschool1982 gave me the idea to start up this topic on what everyone thinks about smoking and then being in this industry.

Myyyyy Gaaawwwwwddddddd Quinn!

As if I didn't have enough of a "spite" following already.

Not helping my cause here but I never got to go out and take a 5 minute break before service??????? Maybe cause I didn't smoke. Several of us would joke that we should take it up so we coupld get that 5 minute break every 2-3hrs. Doohhh!!!!

[Quinn01]

Hey Im not going to take all the credit for an amazing idea thats going to get everyone all riled up.

My friend and I never smoked but we always used to tell the other guys who did smoke that we were going out to burn one but wed just sit on the table outside and watch the golfers at the driving range (I worked for a restaurant inside a country club). I dont think they ever figured it out becuase they always would let us but when the other kid tried it they told him no since he didnt smoke to begin with.

[chrose]

Aside from the health and taste bud aspects of smoking what smokers don't realize is how they smell after a smoke. As a former (non-militant about it) long time smoker to me I always smelled "toasty" after a smoke. It wasn't until I quit that I realized how bad it actually is. Even worse I imagine when I smoked Swisher Sweets!
I can't help but think that delicate foods will pick up the odors from your chef coats and hands even if you wash them.

That being said, I will say that I was quite surprised to see that pretty much all the contestants on Hells Kitchen were smoking. I am also surprised frankly that Gordon Ramsey would even allow a smoker in his kitchen, nitpicker that he is.

[elizabethbryce@]

PROS -- It is their body, not yours.
It is their money they spend for ciggies, not yours.

CONS -- They hurt themselves, not you.

I got friends who smokes. I do not agree that they should but they are great guys so it does not matter that they smoke...as long as they smoke upwind from me. And they always do...

[RAS1187]

5 minutes every 3 hours??? Try 20 minutes every 1-2 hours for some of my cooks & chefs.

I personally never had a desire to start, nor was I curious or experimental about it in my younger days. I am too old to start now as I have no valid reason to.

[chef.ESG.73]

Love smokes, could careless about anyones opinion of me smoking, how I smell, what the health risks are, and definetly dont care when people get upset about smoke breaks, I actualy enjoy when smoking bothers people mostly when I smoke my Cohiba Habanas(cigar)..I do get pissed when people smoke the wacky tabacky, danger to us all..

.:smok ing:: smoking::smoki ng::s moking:+

If you gottm smokem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shipscook]

Originally Posted by RAS1187

5 minutes every 3 hours??? Try 20 minutes every 1-2 hours for some of my cooks & chefs.

I personally never had a desire to start, nor was I curious or experimental about it in my younger days. I am too old to start now as I have no valid reason to.

Originally Posted by chef.ESG.73

Love smokes, could careless about anyones opinion of me smoking, how I smell, what the health risks are, and definetly dont care when people get upset about smoke breaks, I actualy enjoy when smoking bothers people mostly when I smoke my Cohiba Habanas(cigar)..I do get pissed when people smoke the wacky tabacky, danger to us all..

.:smok ing:: smoking::smoki ng::s moking:+

If you gottm smokem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First you guys rock, love your posts, but have to say, when I have been running for 10 hours with 4+ to go and almost haven't had time to pee, ate a snack on the fly, when a co worker is going for their another,"must effing have" smoke break, I get a bit testy!!!!
I was on one ship with a Captain who siad, if he was in charge of hiring, would not hire smokers, takes too much time!

But more than that, being one of the seniors here, have lost and am losing friends at an amazing rate from tobacco related cancers. That con wipes out any pros. Please don't do this to your friends and family.
(((((((hugs))))))
Nan

[Headless Chicken]

I have enough bad habits as it is, don't need to add smoking to it all. Lost my grandfather to lung cancer and he was a heavy smoker from his early teens till early 60s. I've never, though tempted being in this industry, stuck anything of as such in my mouth. Figuring there are better ways of screwing up my body...

But I do have to say, I hate when people who do smoke get 2x the break time I do and its usually left up to me to cover for the smokers. It the worse when 3 of them would want to go at the same time but only 1 of me to cover 3 stations/jobs.

[oldschool1982]

Smoke? Personally I do my best not to since that usually means that I've been on fire and that can't be a good thing.

Heck you don't even need to be a smoker to get lung issues. Not on pins and needles but I do worry some in the back of my mind from those many years my Mother smoked like a chimney and then I waited tables and bartended. Non-smoking policies came a bit late in for me in my opinion. I remember Buca had a employee non-smoking policy while I was there. I thought it was a great idea. Too bad it didn't work very well. Hard to enforce a policy when the FOH Mgrs smoked and always brought company with them. Most of my current indoor environment allergy issues could probably be attributed to second hand smoke.

Hey do what ya like makes no never mind to me. But when it affects me directly is when it becomes a nuisance. It's my non-smokers rights.

Now that leads me to "Smokers rights" I guess it's mostly the "militant ones" but one thing that gets my goat is the proclamation of them so very loud, clear and relentless. Funny how they are the only ones with rights.

All I ask is a little respect. 98of the time it's not a problem but every now and then.

[yorvo]

Smokers are like women going to the bathroom. They can't go by themselves. One goes they all go. And it's not just the smoke break that takes time out of the day it's the twenty minutes before that they are only half focused on their job because all they can think about is getting out for that smoke.

I had a guy working for me a few years back, great line cook. His first night was a Friday night and he had no idea what his chances for a smoke break would be. So he chewed. I'm surprised in all my years that's the first time I saw this. He knew how bad his habit was and knew better than to expect to get a break when he wanted.

chef.ESG.73-That wacky tabacky is no danger to you, unless we are talking about use at work. Then I'd agree. You burn me coz you're stoned and I'm taking out of your a.s.s.

[chef.ESG.73]

First let me say sorry about any loses of life do to smoking..

I hear a ton of people complaining about other people and their smoke breaks.. Who's running the kitchens. It is the chefs job to control all aspects of the kitchen, period. Don't get mad at those who you feel smoke to often, get mad at those who allow it.

Not to start a argument but im going to with those who use drugs. I feel my kitchen is in complete danger whether they use them in or off the job, FACT. Drug use is a danger to our profesion and life in general, it cause bad attitudes, lack of rest, bad accidents, and complete lazyness. Ive been in a kitchen for 23 years out of my 35 and have witnessed some G-d awfull burns, cuts, and falls because of drugs whether they used them before work or could not consintrate because they used them after work and was up all night.
DANGER WARNING:

Our kitchens are a reflection of ourselves.

Listen to Old Nancy Ragean, just say no...

[deltadoc]

Personally, I don't care what other people do to their own bodies, as long as I don't get involved (i.e. having to smell smokers).

Cons: There's one BIG reason why cigarettes cause cancer that no one ever brings up. Ever wonder why the cigarette, once lit, continues to burn unaided? Ever wonder why they used cigarettes as fuses (combined with a book of matches) during WWII?

Its because they're loaded with Potassium Nitrate. It provides oxygen to keep the tobacco burning. Nitrates turn into very carcinogenous nitrous amines, et al, during the burning process, and smokers are inhaling these carcinogens.

If the government would force BIG TOBACCO to remove the KNO3 from the cigarettes, how many smokers would continue if they had to re-light their cigarette every time they took a puff? That's one reason that pipe smokers have to re-light so many times. I believe that the KNO3 is in the cigarette paper. Processing wise, it would be easy to soak the raw paper in KNO3 and then let it dry.

doc

[yorvo]

chef.esg.73 I can totally agree with your stance and I don't want to turn this into a drug topic. But I want to make sure you include alcohol with those drugs.

[chef.ESG.73]

Alcohol: Lenny M. so drunk one shift he was making beer battered shrimp in fryolater as he was taking them out with a sloted spoon, he dropped the spoon in the grease. he was so out of his mind he put his hand in the fryolater to retreave spoon, burns so bad, we never seen him again.

Pot: Jenny L. so stoned and unaware while using plasticwrap sliced her wrist on the cutter hit artery blood squirted through out the kitchen, had to shut down kitchen completely at 730pm on Friday night. Never seen her again

Alcohol/Pot: Ron S. was lifting stock pot off stove filled with turkey stock. Was so lazy and figured instead of picking up sheet pan on the flood that was in his way, he would step over it. he ended up slipping on sheet pan spilled stock down the whole side of his body, we had to strip him of his cloths and lift him into ice machine. His left side of his body looked like pastrami. Never seen him again.