Non-smoking bus

Non-smoking bus

On Jan. 24, 1995 a friend and I traveled by bus from
Yogyakarta to Denpasar. When we purchased the tickets the manager
of the bus company assured us that the bus was air-conditioned
and non-smoking.

As we both have allergies to cigarette smoke a non-smoking
mode of transportation is a necessity. We hadn't even left the
bus station and people, including the three bus company
employees, were smoking on the bus. We asked them on two
occasions not to smoke, mentioning that it was a non-smoking bus
and that we were ill from the smoke. Our request fell on deaf
ears.

This is not the first time in Indonesia that we have
experienced this attitude of indifference towards the rights of
non-smokers. Malaysia and Thailand are only two examples of Asian
countries that have non-smoking buses, however the rule of no
smoking is respected by all passengers -- nationals and
foreigners.

I pity the bus owner as the air ducts, with continued
cigarette smoking, will eventually clog up and the air-
conditioning system will break down, leading to expensive
repairs.

The latest development in the travel industry is non-smoking
Trans-Atlantic flights by the major Airlines. If Indonesia wishes
to stay progressive in the travel industry, existing non-smoking
laws need to be enforced and new ones implemented that give non-
smokers areas in restaurants and other public spaces.

JENNIFER EASTER

Ontario, Canada