Smoke in your nose

Smoke in your nose

From Jayakarta

Non-smokers are rightfully upset by the cigarette smoke in crowded public places and city buses. Recently I witnessed a very unpleasant incident on a bus leaving from the Kampung Rambutan terminal to Pasar Baru, Jakarta.

Next to a young lady sat a young man. The bus began picking up passengers and quite soon it was too crowded to even breathe.

Then the young man lit up a clove cigarette, totally indifferent to his surroundings. Upset by the smoke, the lady began waving a tissue in front of her nose. The man, apparently annoyed by her actions, reacted angrily and said: "If you don't like sitting next to me, then you can move!"

The lady replied: "It's not because I don't like you, brother, but I feel like I'm being choked by your cigarette smoke."

"For convenience's sake, take a taxi," he retorted while continuing to puff away calmly.

I said to myself: What kind of society are we in now? None of the other passengers (especially the men) seem to care about defending the poor woman. As a woman myself, I was disgusted by the scene.

RINI

Jakarta