Fuming at the flicks

Not missing smoking at the cinema

Sir, – I have many memories of watching movies through a haze of smoke which was emphasised and highlighted by the projection beam. Worse was the person who didn’t want the smoke of their cigarette to get into their own line of vision or of their date’s and held the cigarette up over their shoulder. The smoke was then going into the face of the person sitting directly behind them. Ashtrays were fitted to the back of seats which could rotate 180 degrees for emptying and cleaning purposes. Incidentally, asking politely the “over the shoulder” culprit to put out or move their cigarette to another position was met with indignation by the smoker. The intermission was a break for the non-smokers. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL ROONEY,

Knocknacarra,

Galway.