Where to sit at the races to avoid the cigarette smoke?

[beaujolais]

Where do you sit at the races to avoid the cigarette smoke?

We went to Aqueduct today and it was a great time, minus the all present cigarette smoke.

I feel so very sick around cigarette smokers.

We tried many levels, areas, moved around lots - still impossible to get away from.

I wanted to go near the finish line & winners circle but Did Not Attempt due to so many smokers.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Slewdledo]

That can really put a damper on your enjoyment. Our state outlawed smoking in public places a few years back and it has been SO NICE to sit up in the grandstand and be able to breathe. The track has a few designated smoking areas, but that’s it. Sorry that that was your experience.

[Angelico]

If it isn’t raining, outside is your best bet (or the backside if you can get in, haha) .

I guess in a way I’m lucky, it has never really bothered me, of course I grew up around smokers and went to the racetrack frequently as a kid (still do) so I’m practically a smoker myself… But most normal humans aren’t comfortable around the smoke.

Good luck!

[beaujolais]

Thanks Slew & Angelico.

Slew, what state, if you don’t mind? (pm, if you wish) Now, that is Awesome ! My kind of thinkers, they are.

Listen, I hope I do not offend any smokers. I’m coming at it from the point that it truly makes me feel sick. It’s a bunch of hours now, since we got home and I’ve got a headache from it, feel bad all together and well, contaminated.

I respect that you want to do your thing and have a nice time. I’m just trying to find a way to manage it for me.

[Linny]

Smoking INSIDE the building at NYRA tracks is outlawed. In fact if security sees you smoking in the outside boxes they will ask you to put it out. Smoking is only permitted out on the apron.
That can make outside areas less than ideal for those who cannot stand smoke. Usually there is so much wind at AQU that the smoke is out over JKF before you knew it was there. Not sure, but I don’t think smoking is permitted IN the paddock or upstairs near the upper winners circle area.

[beaujolais]

Thanks Linny. Inside, there is no smoking but the people are so, so smoky that it is basically the same. I don’t think you can see much in there, anyway, so that wasn’t good. Anywhere we went outside, any type of seat, didn’t work. Wind certainly didn’t blow it away enough.

Do you think Belmont is a less smoky atmosphere?

Next time I go to Aqueduct, we are going to go to the restaurant and stay there the whole time. (I asked already and they said that is fine.)

I’m just starting to recover from it and it’s been two days. Yeah, I get really sick around smoke.

Thanks, all.

[Andrew]

That’s almost impossible like going to WalMart and avoiding fat people!!!

[QUOTE=sonomacounty;5983493]
Where do you sit at the races to avoid the cigarette smoke?

We went to Aqueduct today and it was a great time, minus the all present cigarette smoke.

I feel so very sick around cigarette smokers.

We tried many levels, areas, moved around lots - still impossible to get away from.

I wanted to go near the finish line & winners circle but Did Not Attempt due to so many smokers.

Any ideas?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]

[CVPeg]

I feel exactly the same way. The worst thing about the track. Especially the cigars! Guys, they do not make you look like anything except, well, I’m too nice to say…

Smoking not allowed in the grandstand at Saratoga, but still step sitters in front suck on those things something fierce, and they waft right up and into the seats. I’ve often thought about bringing some large spray bottle of obnoxious cologne and giving them a taste of their own…although that makes me nauseous, too. :lol:

We’ve pretty much stayed indoors at Aqueduct & Belmont.

Was on the rail at the finish this spring for the Bluegrass at Keeneland, and the smokers were everywhere despite the rain & freezing cold! (At least a couple were more polite about moving away…):sigh:

[beaujolais]

Peg:

We’ve pretty much stayed indoors at Aqueduct & Belmont.

What part of the indoors? I’m thinking the only place we could go and be OK is the restaurant. (There might be less smoking types in there.) The rest of the indoors, while “non-smoking” was so filled with people who were smoke infused that it was nearly the same thing.

Do you think Belmont might be less smoky than Aqueduct?

Thanks so much,
Sonoma

(I did call the Aqueduct restaurant, since then, explained how the smoke makes me sick and they said we could stay in the restaurant for the whole card.)

But, you know, if you can’t get near the rail and the winner’s circle sometimes, what’s the point? Might as well stay home and watch on television. Many smokers don’t realize how they Ruin things for lots of us.