End of the Affair

[drg]

2007.01.02 (February 1, 2007) marks the end of an era in France. Public smoking bans begin today across the country. In a nation so connected with tobacco visually, a small tribute from the BBC seems only in order. The link contains several classic photographic images from Magnum, Getty, and AFP.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/h...air/html/1.stm

[Asylum Steve]

Fun photos, but it didn't include one of my all time favorites...

This classic image from Le Tour de France seriously depicts racers puffing on cigarettes before heading into the mountains, as it was once thought smoking in small amounts helped clear the lungs for more strenuous tasks.. :thumbsup:

BTW, obviously an old photo. Don't think Lance Armstrong ever subscribed to that theory...

[Photo-John]

This classic image from Le Tour de France seriously depicts racers puffing on cigarettes before heading into the mountains, as it was once thought smoking in small amounts helped clear the lungs for more strenuous tasks.. :thumbsup:

I love that Tour photo. You can buy posters of that one. It's a great symbol of how our world has changed

[JSPhoto]

Darn French are ALWAYS surrendering! Well there is one country I won't be visiting again!

JS

[photophorous]

Steve, I have a poster of a different Tour photo where everyone is drinking instead of smoking. Seems like they had their priorities straight back then.

I went to Paris in Oct for the first time, and I couldn't help but notice how many people were smoking. I think our guide book said 1 out 3 people smoke there. It's hard to imagine it being any different. But, I couldn't imagine 6th Street bars in Austin without smoke until it happened. Times they are a-changin'.

Paul

[Asylum Steve]

I think our guide book said 1 out 3 people smoke there. It's hard to imagine it being any different...

Robin Williams had a great bit mocking the French and their attitude towards Americans. I can't remember it exactly, so I know I'll probably butcher it, but it went something like this:

"Yes, I am smoking, so what?!?..."

"Look! The baby smokes, and there's NOTHING you can do about it!..."

[drg]

That's quite a photo. I don't think I've ever seen this one before! Love the spare tires they are wearing. Knew a guy once upon a time who always did that. Notice the wing nuts on the wheels! No QR standard yet.

One of my favorite photos (I don't whether I can find it) is Daniel Morelon and Eddy Merckyx sitting in the stands at the World Track Championships with a cloud of smoke around them. They were both 'retired' at the point in time. The Belgians are/were almost as bad as the French with tobacco.

[Mr Yuck]

sweet! I hate the smell of tobbaco and pot smoke. I wish they'd do that here, sure there's huge amounts of photographic opportunities, but to me it aint worth the smell.

some art must be sacrificed

[OBie]

Steve, what a great photo! I'm a long time Tour fan but have never seen that photo. Reminds me of looking through my parent's old photo albums and seeing pictures from dinner parties they used to have and all of the smokers - it looks so out of place. (My parents are non-smokers).

Living in the middle of tobacco country here - we'll most likely be one of the last bastions of "smoke 'em if you got 'em". There are a few places, businesses mostly, with designated smoking areas, and restaraunts are starting to join in. But a statewide ban such as the one in CA? Haha! Not in my lifetime!

[Lena G]

Yes, the majority of the French are now in favour of the smoking ban. I have felt just as guilty about smoking since I moved to France as I used to do in England - pleased to say that I have finally kicked it. Eight days and counting!

But thanks for some wonderfully atmospheric photos, and for giving me a chance to swoon over my all time greatest sex symbol, Yves Montand. I was only ten when I fell for him in 1959 and I never really recovered.

[ravenmore]

I have that tour poster of the smoking cyclist and have seen the one of them stopping for a beer also. As a cyclist (on a local race team) I can say alcohol and cycling probably aren't the safest combination but it is fun as h3ll....

Always have disliked smoking though.

[snaphappy]

one of my teammates recently got a BUI (bicycling while intoxicated) while riding around on campus. Apparently he ran right into a cop. I didn't even know they had those!
Earlier in the evening he fell over and broke the shifter on my team bike... the fool. Alcohol and moving faster than walking pace... not a good idea.

Anything that will get us closer to smoking going away forever is fine by me. Talk about instant turnoff... a girl with a ciggy is probably the most unatractive thing I can imagine. Plus it makes you and everyone around you smell awful.

[another view]

Classic shots - lots of James Dean with a smoke too.

Not cycling but sailboat racing - back in '83 when the Italians first competed in the America's cup, people said they knew when they were going to tack (change direction) because the they would throw their cigarettes overboard. That was actually sort of a joke because these guys (well, in general) train as hard as top level cyclists. They've come a long ways and are one of the top teams out there.