Was I The Victim Of Discrimination?

To the OP: This is probably why you were refused.
a reply to: xDeadcowx

I'm an ex-smoker and my sense of smell is greatly heightened. I can tell if a smoker has been in the vicinity. I don't mind, but I'm sure some people would pitch a fit to rent a non-smoking room and then smell the remnants of a smoker.

originally posted by: xDeadcowx
The currently protected classes are groups of people that have no control over what they are (with the possible exception to creed, but that's a different story).

This is not true, however. Choice has nothing to do with it. Religion is a protected class and they have a choice. You were more accurate to say that some classes are protected because they are the ones being unfairly discriminated against. As of yet, I don't see smokers being unfairly discriminated against. It's fair to not let a smoker into a non-smoking room because of the possibility of smoke smell left behind for other non-smoking guests.

I have rental property and I won't rent to smokers. I pay the mortgage, the insurance, upkeep on the place and property taxes.

Discrimination? Tough! Buy your own damn place!

Please just take some responsibility for your own actions and quit playing the victim!!

originally posted by: jude11
a reply to: Bone75

No you were not a victim.

Peace

Could you please explain how you came to that conclusion?

originally posted by: Bone75

originally posted by: xDeadcowx

All and all though, discrimination or not, smokers are not a protected class, and its the right of the business to decide who to rent their rooms to.

Shouldn't we ALL be a protected class? Isn't that the foundation of equality?

Well yes, you are correct. However, the progressives believe in "protected classes"--that is how they pander for votes.

originally posted by: Bone75
Shouldn't we ALL be a protected class? Isn't that the foundation of equality?

Ideally, there would be no protected classes and discrimination would not exist. But that's not the world we live in.

Unless there's a law, people will discriminate against others based on things they disapprove of (one's religion, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, race, etc). These protected classes cover just about everyone (If you have a gender, you're in a protected class).

Smokers isn't in there. But being a smoker has an effect on others. None of the others do. Declining a smoker a non-smoking room is the same as denying a shoeless person a table in a restaurant. It has a possible effect on other patrons as regards a clean environment.

As a former smoker myself, and a former employee in the tourism industry, I can say without a doubt... No, you weren't discriminated against. It's up to the establishment what the rental criteria are, be it whether you're a smoker looking for a room, or someone with pets looking for one.
What we did where I used to work was pretty relaxed, pets were welcome with a pet fee, even though the smell from dogs hung around as long as cig stink did. We had smoking rooms, about 1/3 of them were. However, if they happened to be filled, and a smoker came in needing a room, we tacked on a what we called a "deodorizer fee" to the room cost if they agreed to a non-smoking room under a signed room rental agreement stipulation that under no circumstances were they to smoke inside. If it was found that they smoked in the room, they were barred from renting from us again. We never really had any problems with that set-up, it worked for us just fine. Only a few people thought they could outsmart us & get away with smoking in the non-smoking rooms over the years.

Other places we were in competition with had much harsher rules than that, and some refused to rent to smokers at all due to how much effort it takes to deodorize & clean a smoking room -- nicotine residue sticks to EVERYTHING. Cleaning a non-smoking room where a smoker stayed isn't as hard, but it did take longer to deodorize it, so I can understand where those businesses were coming from -- I was a smoker, the smell clung to me and everything I touched, and I know that. Those same businesses also refused to rent rooms to people with pets. Hey, we had a great niche there, come to us & we'll welcome smokers and animals for a couple extra bucks to cover the ensuing extra cleaning & deodorizing efforts.

So yeah, IMO, you weren't discriminated against. It's up to the owners to decide just how much extra cleaning is worth the room rental, because extra cleaning = additional expenses, and even possible clientele loss.

The costs of deep cleaning a Non Smoking Room after someone smokes in it are substantial. As someone else stated, if you rent a non smoking room and smell that a smoker has been there, it's bad for the business. They can't take your word that you won't smoke, at least without prepaying the deep cleaning cost in advance.

To give you an example, back in the day, when I was a Restaurant General Manager, I tried to flip flop the smoking and non smoking sections to open up more seating for nonsmokers. It failed. I had to remove all the upholstery and repaint that whole section and even that didn't get the stench of the smoke out of that section. Smokers tend to be immune to how much they smell .

a reply to: Bone75

Yes, I think you were discriminated against. If a smoker agrees to not smoke in a non-smoking room that should be the end of it. I don't really buy the whole "lingering" smoke from the smoker themselves as a reasonable reason to not rent the room to a smoker who doesn't smoke in the room. Perhaps the smell could linger in the bed linens , but since they are washed and changed after each guest that really makes no sense either.

When I was on the road, traveling for work, I ran into the same sort of problem. I actually would request a smoking room, yeah, yeah, I know many may think that is gross, but if I want a smoke late at night I don't wanna have to get dressed and go outside, especially if my room wasn't on the 1st floor.

Countless times I was told smoking rooms weren't available and all booked up, at which point I would request a room with a balcony or a room on the 1st floor at least. The hotels were always very nice and tried to accommodate me. The thing I always thought was that if so many people were requesting smoking rooms and they seemed to so often be booked already, why didn't they have more of them?

I think the guy was very rude to you and I suspect the hotel policy is not to refuse a non-smoking room to a smoker who agrees not to smoke in it. I have been told that if I did smoke in a non-smoking room I would be charged extra for cleaning and removing the smoke smell which I thought was reasonable, although never was an issue for me personally.

originally posted by: pavil
To give you an example, back in the day, when I was a Restaurant General Manager, I tried to flip flop the smoking and non smoking sections to open up more seating for nonsmokers. It failed. I had to remove all the upholstery and repaint that whole section and even that didn't get the stench of the smoke out of that section. Smokers tend to be immune to how much they smell .

Pretty much. We repainted the smoking rooms yearly, and deep cleaned the carpets monthly. The upholstery was vinyl/pleather, so it was substantially easier to deodorize than the fabric upholstery in the non-smoking rooms. The carpet cleaning became burdensome & costly enough to eventually yank the carpets and have tile installed instead, which in the long run was quite cost effective. Cleaning a non-smoking room after someone was smoking in it required thoroughly cleaning all the furniture & curtains/drapes, as well as washing walls, the ceiling, and even the room's A/C unit before it could be rented as legitimately non-smoking again. That room would be unrentable for most of the day while it aired out & dried out. Thankfully, people breaking the agreement didn't happen often, it was such a huge PITA for housekeeping.

Yes it is, however no state civil rights commission I know of considers smokers a protected class. a reply to: Bone75

Very interesting responses so far.

I honestly think the smell lingering on my clothes excuse is just a cop-out. The guy refused to rent me a non-smoking room because he thought I would smoke in the room regardless of the rules. If the smell of my clothes was a factor, then they would also have separate rooms for blue-collar and white-collar workers. I guarantee you the smell of my work boots is worse than any brand of cigarettes. lol (for the record, I also keep those outside as well)

If anything, this conversation proves that there is such a thing as acceptable and fair discrimination. I
WAS discriminated against for being a smoker, and as a result, I had to go find a room somewhere else. But even though I was inconvenienced by someone who is obviously bigoted towards smokers, I don't feel like I deserve thousands of dollars and that the guy's motel should be shut down.

a reply to: Bone75

Yes, it was discrimination. Having said that, they have the right to rent their rooms, or not rent their rooms, to whomever they want, unless smokers are somehow covered under the civil rights act, which last time I looked they are not, but give it a few years... the way this country is headed pretty soon smokers will be a protected class, and if your a gay smoker, then you will make out like a bandit.

originally posted by: Bone75
If anything, this conversation proves that there is such a thing as acceptable and fair discrimination.

Of course there is and you're right you were discriminated against, in the layman definition of the word. You weren't a victim of illegal discrimination, however. A person who doesn't have shoes or shirt can be legally discriminated against. A loud, obnoxious, drunk person can be legally discriminated against. It's a matter of weighing the rights of the other people in society against your rights. The question is, does a smoker's rights outweigh the rights of the other patrons to have a clean smelling room? I know you don't buy the argument that's been made here, but it's true.

And if a hotel rents to a smoker who promises not to smoke in the room, and then he smokes in the room, it costs the hotel a lot to clean up after it and make it suitable for other patrons. To get a reimbursement from you, they'd have to sue you, encountering legal fees. It's not worth it to them to take the chance.

I don't feel like I deserve thousands of dollars and that the guy's motel should be shut down.

Good. Because you don't.