Smoking in the Boys Room

B was another interesting person I met at Ft. Riley.  She was a single secretary that worked on the second floor.-- that office right outside of Chief's office.  B was smart, very smart and probably working way under her potential.

Back in the day, the 80's day that is, the Army (and other institutions) were taking a serious look at smoking and the rights of non-smokers.  I remember back-back in the day, the 60's & 70's day, where smoking was not only widely accepted, it was almost expected in some circles.  I remember trips as a child, to my Dad's office were every desk had an ashtray and the reception area had a fancy free-standing ashtray that had a long pedestal.  Smoking was everywhere.  But fast forward back into the 80's, trying to accommodate both the smokers and non-smokers, businesses were designating smoking areas.

Enter B.

In our building, the hallway that lead down to my office, the very first office on the left was a designated smoking area.  It was just a room with couches and ashtrays and chairs and lots and lots of smoke.  So much smoke that at any time you walked by it and someone opened the door, a huge puff of smoke emitted from the room.  I'm not kidding you; when one time I peaked inside and it was as if a heavy fog descended onto the room.  You could only see the shapes of people and furniture, not any details or faces.  The room had no windows (that opened) and no ventilation.  I guess it wasn't a well thought-out designated smoking area and despite the fact that neither one of us smoked, this is where I met B.