RANT – Classic Barbershop as smoky as a Las Vegas casino

[cjboffoli]

I went in for a badly needed haircut this morning at Classic Barbershop in the Junction. I had been going here for about a year and only had good experiences. Julie Dodson, who I think is the shop’s owner, always did a good job with my hair and the shop’s mascot bulldog ‘Nemo’ was always friendly. But after today I won’t be going back.

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I walked in around 11:30 and the place reeked of cigarette smoke. Someone had clearly just been smoking cigarettes in there. I said something to Julie as I sat in the chair and her tepid response was “Oh really? Well maybe someone was smoking outside.” But the door was closed. No one was smoking outside and the amount of smoke in the shop was strong. As she was cutting my hair I could clearly smell smoke on Julie. When I left my clothes stank of cigarette smoke.

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I’ve always been a good tipper but Julie didn’t get a tip today and I will not be going back. I’m really disappointed that she’d disregard the health of her customers and would lie on top of it.

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I honestly don’t care if people choose to smoke. But I don’t want to breathe smoke. I’ve lost two grandparents to lung cancer from smoking (and they died young) and the health effects of being exposed to second-hand smoke are well documented.

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So I suppose this is a warning to folks who care about their health to stay away from this place. And to those who don’t care and who miss that authentic 1970’s vibe of ubiquitous cigarette smoke, Classic Barbershop is the place for all of your haircut needs. As this shop will be going away when that whole corner of the Junction is torn down for the large condo project that is apparently coming sometime soon, I suggest you act quickly.

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[Diane]

aside from all the other good points you made

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it’s also a violation of the smoke-free law

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maybe they figure their business will be lost to new development soon and don’t care?

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[villagegreen]

Had she smoked a whole pack in the store? I can’t believe one cigarette would justify the ‘Las Vegas Casino’ comparison. Once the smoking ban went into effect I think people have become really sensitive to smoke (I know I have). It didn’t used to really bother me at all. Now just a hint of smoke and I’m looking around for the culprit.

I’d cut someone some slack for one cigarette, though. Maybe she was just having a really bad day.

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[Irukandji]

Thank you for your report cjb. It sure makes a difference to me. I don’t go into Freshy’s up near Admiral on California because of the number of smokers that hang out just outside. I’ve skipped Charleston Cafe because it seems whenever I see the waitresses around town in their uniforms they are nearly always smoking and I wouldn’t want that odor with my lunch.

Kudos to Bakery Nouveau, whose workers will close doors and ask people to move along if they’ve stopped for a smoke in front of the shop.

I empathize with smokers: I was lucky to have quit decades ago and watch my parents struggle with their addiction. Please, though, take ’em where we don’t have to share. Keep ’em in your car, in your home, in well ventilated areas where the smoke and ash don’t come my way. Thanks!

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[cjboffoli]

It’s not like she didn’t know I was coming. I had an appointment. All she had to do was step out into the alley or something. I would have waited five minutes while she went and smoked a cig.

I’m disappointed with myself for sitting there for a half hour as opposed to just walking out. It’s easy to blow it off as “just one cigarette” but the Surgeon General has said that “no amount of exposure to second-hand smoke is safe.” They say that more than 40,000 annual non-smoker deaths nationwide can be attributed to exposure to cigarette smoke. So I think the era of minimizing the dangers is probably past us.

Like I said though, if you want to smoke then knock yourself out. Who am I to tell you that you can’t. But in this situation she was breaking the law, selfishly disregarding the health and comfort of her customers and lying to someone who had been a loyal customer and generous tipper. I wish her the best but I’m not going back there.

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[Hormel]

cjboffoli,

Are you sure that Julie was smoking inside before you came in? It is possible that she was correct and not lying as you say.

I have been going to there for over 7 years. The Classic Barber Shop is just that, a grubbly little shop with little character whose barbers smoke when they do not have customers. They light up outside, the shop sometime reeks, and the smell lingers on them for sure, if you have been going there as long as you say you know this already. Not a favorite habit of mine but I have not seen anyone smoke in the shop for a while now, probably since the law was enacted. I hope that you return and tell Julie in person why you are choosing not to return as it would probably be much more effective than questioning her honesty here.

Obviously you will need a new shop, I would suggest Illusions, as they pass the sniff test of the WSB.

Diane,

I won’t suggesting that the Classic Barber Shop is totally in compliance with the smoking law. No doubt someone else will come along to admonish her for stepping out onto the street or alley to smoke, which happens. And, yes they will soon be gone, but to suggest they don’t care is unfair. They are good folks who support the community, stop in sometime and ask. There are not many small shops left and I doubt they will be able to afford a new space in the junction when there time is soon up.

I usually don’t read these rants because it just seems to be sport to rank on local businesses which may not meet peoples anticipated level of service. Such as the recent ranking on Aaron’s and Alki Lumber. Yes, they are not Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle or McLendons Hardware but they have their own unique niche in our community.

The rest of you haters can go to Supercuts for your mullets and up-do’s.

Hormel

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[Diane]

I just posed a question, “maybe?”

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pretty sure “The rest of you haters” is against the wsblog name calling rule

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to be honest, when I first heard mention of this barbershop, I was surprised; having lived in West Seattle 10 yrs near the junction and never noticed it; now I’m curious and will stop in there sometime to check it out

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I go to the cheapest hair salon in the city; my bathroom; cut my own hair; it’s free; I don’t have to make an appt; I don’t have to worry if the barber/stylist understands what I want; and I sure don’t have to worry about any cigarette smoke or any other noxious salon fumes

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[cjboffoli]

Hormel: As someone who is old enough to remember working in an office where people could smoke at their desks, I know the difference between a faint whiff of smoke that blew in from outside and the thickness of stale smoke in a confined space after someone has smoked there. If Ms. Dodson doesn’t have the respect to tell me the truth and spare me the ill effects of her bad habits, then I owe her nothing and certainly don’t feel the need to tell her why I won’t be going back there. But maybe what will be most “effective” is dropping a dime to the folks who enforce the State’s anti-smoking laws in King County.

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[transplantella]

^^^^

Good idea! Let’s tattle on people’s behaviors in their own business space. It’s our civic duty to call the police for any infringement of the law, no matter how inane.

Do-gooders unite. Notify the authorities! Off with their heads.

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[Trick]

I’m with you Transplantella.

Spend your dollars on businesses you want to support.

What have we become on reporting to the Health Department on a “Barbershop” that serves no food?

Lets flood them with complaints of nicotine smells instead of letting them testing food conditions in the backs of kitchens.

It feels like I’m back in grade school.

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[JanS]

christopher…I don’t know what they charged you at Classic Barber, but if you’re looking for an altenative, try Westside Barber..usually aobut 20 bucks a haircut..good place..call ahead for an appointment…

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[cjboffoli]

transplantella and Trick: It’s really too bad the Legislature didn’t have your opinions at hand when they made it against the law to smoke inside a place that is open for public business. Seems to me that it could have saved taxpayers a lot of money. And while we’re at it maybe you can get in touch with the Surgeon General and alert them to the fact that despite mountains of science to the contrary you feel that because the ill effects of cigarette smoke are largely unseen to the naked eye that they must not exist.

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[Anonymous]

cjboffoli – I suggest you do a little more research (and not just the stuff you are SUPPOSED to see).

Second hand smoke is a HUGE argument. There are very conflicting sides to whether it causes damage or not (of course, we aren’t supposed to know that – or question it).

What transplantella said!!!! Hear hear!!

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[angelescrest]

OMG–You’re not suggesting that second-hand smoke is SAFE, are you? Is it, “Let’s find the statistics” time, to disprove the fact that walking into smoke is somehow just fine for one’s health? The conflict here seems to be whether or not to let the smoker smoke on–or to bring it to her attention…

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[angelescrest]

Or, wait…it doth feel like politics has crept into the pot.

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[Anonymous]

This study followed participants for 39 years. One group were spouses of smokers. Other group was not exposed.

“Participants 118,094 adults enrolled in late 1959 in the American Cancer Society cancer prevention study (CPS I), who were followed until 1998. Particular focus is on the 35,561 never smokers who had a spouse in the study with known smoking habits.”

“Conclusion No significant associations were found for current or former exposure to environmental tobacco smoke before or after adjusting for seven confounders and before or after excluding participants with pre-existing disease.”

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7398/1057

BTW, liberal, democrat, non-smoker

“Or, wait…it doth feel like politics has crept into the pot. “

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[JoB]

I have to say.. i lived with a smoker who thoughtfully smoked outside for years.

He quit over a year ago and slowly but surely i have managed to get the smell of second hand smoke out of every bit of fabric we own… but it took over a year.

smokers don’t have a clue what they leave behind even when they thoughtfully smoke outside.

you are right Cjboffoli.. you should have simply told her how sorry you were and walked back out the door.

however, like you, i would have sat through the haircut… a commitment is a commitment:(

the law aside… it’s is her business…

but it’s your health… and mine if i do business there.

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[Diane]

re: “transplantella and Trick: It’s really too bad the Legislature didn’t have your opinions at hand when they made it against the law to smoke inside a place that is open for public business”

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Actually, unfortunately, the Legislature did have the same opinions as transplantella and Trick, and they did not pass the law; hundreds of us went down to Olympia year after year testifying in hearings, lobbying legislators with the mountain of evidence re harm to the public of second hand smoke; and the Legislature wouldn’t even allow the bills to get out of committee for a vote

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which is why we finally took it to the people, through our initiative process, and the people (not the Legislature) voted overwhelmingly to pass the smoke-free law

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[bt23]

The smoking issue aside, and yes I don’t think it is good for anyone to inhale smoke, why don’t you say something to her instead of yelling about it on line. It just seems a little cowardly that you have such strong opinions, but lack the strength to actually tell the one person that could make a difference. If you had done that, and the owner had blown you off, then I think you can rant about it, but have just a bit of common decency in these situations.

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[cjboffoli]

angelscrest: Is is politics or just a bunch of self-serving smokers?

I’m satisfied that the science on smoking is voluminous and ironclad, despite the lengths to which smokers cling to the pathetic hope that the dangers are overblown. It is an exercise in futility to try to reason with addicts who are indentured to massive tobacco conglomerates that profit from their time release suicide.

Diane: Thanks for the clarification on the genesis of our smoking laws.

bt23: I disagree with your characterization. I said something to Ms. Dodson immediately and she chose to lie to me about it. This would be a great world if we could be honest and direct with each other about the things that trouble us. But too many of us are selfish, have a lack of consideration for others, and simply choose to lie or make excuses. Moreover, it is hardly cowardly to put your opinions out into a public forum where people who don’t know you make sport out of sharpshooting perfect strangers.

JoB: Thanks for the support. With the benefit of hindsight, turning around and leaving is what I should have done.

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[Anonymous]

Why did you dismiss the link to a 39 year study with over one hundred thousand participants? Is the American Cancer Society not a valid resource? Or the British Medical Journal which published the research (participants from California).

I am not an addict seeking to justify my habit, as I do not smoke and your characterization of those who disagree with you is mildly offensive.

This is a pretty extensive study that confirms smokers are at a higher risk for many diseases, but finds NO correlation for second hand smoke.

I can understand being annoyed by the smoke and smell, but being opposed to reading an alternate view and considering it’s validity doesn’t strike me as a rational informed decision.

The researchers are from the School of Public Health, University of California and the Department of Preventive Medicine, State University of New York. At the very least, it’s an interesting paper.

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[Anonymous]

Thanks, JT, for actually LOOKING into something.

To suggest that my mention of inconclusive proof on a controversial issue is indicative that I am an addict and have a personal agenda is naive and shows a lack of research.

There are just as many studies (if not more) that show that there is NO correlation between second-hand smoke and health risks. I was merely pointing that out.

Note how I used the term, “….what they want you to see….”. Seems it has worked. People will blindly make charges, or protest, simply because they have been told something, without doing proper research for themselves.

JT – I’m glad that you looked into it because you now can understand the immense contradictions. It’s pretty shocking, isn’t it?

Anyways, if we are gonna get technical, I guess this topic would require it’s very own thread (and we ARE being monitored…. believe me). As far as the barber shop smelling like smoke, yeah, I agree that you probably should have just walked out.

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[Trick]

I’m glad Diane pointed out how the initiative was passed by the people and not the legislature.

Secondly, the Tribal Casino’s were by far the single largest contributor to the non-smoking initiative because they knew that smokers would increase their business which it has.

So be it.

I just like having choice on where I spend my dollars whether it be allowing smoke in a barbershop, or the use of fish eating away a persons dead skin.

I’m not a big fan of initiatives mainly because it’s shown people will make contradictory decisions on the same bill depending on how it’s worded. (ie; Poll results on the same subject, varying just by the way it is presented)

I never would go eat at a restaraunt that allowed smoking ( which rarely there were any before the initiative) but I didn’t mind going to a bar with smokers having a cocktail.

I just don’t believe in tattle telling on a person who has a business that chooses to smoke in the back room or alley outside THEIR back door.

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[JoB]

JT..

There have been a lot of studies and to choose one that supports your position while ignoring many others that do not.. such as the study in New Zealand witch actually counts deaths per year from second hand smoke…

is misrepresenting the body of research…

as editing the conclusions of that particular research misrepresented it’s full conclusions.

I read the research you cited.

and you left out the part where it said that while the percentage was not large enough to be significant, there did appear to be a lessor risk..

which was higher for women than for men.

In fact the final line of the conclusion said that the incidence of death by second hand smoke may be overestimated…..

not that it didn’t exist.

I did look for an analysis of all current research into second hand smoke and didn’t easily find one…

Someone must have done one. It’s a good way for a doctor to make a name for himself in the medical community without doing protocol driven research.

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[Julie]

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm

Follow the bibliography database link on that page to find abstracts of about 900 reports.

The tobacco industry is well-known for its strategy of casting doubt on scientific consensus:

“In 1992, a major EPA report warned of the medical harm from second hand smoke. In response, Philip Morris hired the PR firm APCO to create a supposedly independent group, The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), to promote scientists who’d dispute this harm. Enlisting enough other corporate supporters so the effort didn’t seem just a tobacco industry creation, TASSC’s mission echoed the phrase from a memo of fellow tobacco company Brown and Williamson, “Doubt is our product.””

(From Paul Loeb’s article, “TARGET GLOBAL WARMING, TARGET EXXON”, available here:

http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/Exxon.html)

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