Smoke and Perfume

Most of us are quite capable of choosing a restaurant without the need for legislation dictated by the narrow-minded perspective of Councilman Marvin Braude and his no-smoking regime (Restaurant News, Nov. 28, and Letters, Dec. 12).

Furthermore, can letter writer Clarence Brauer be taken seriously? He’s actually asking the government to ban music in restaurants. This intolerant mind-set is becoming epidemic. The cure is simple, but read slowly anyway: If you don’t like the place, go somewhere else.

If Braude’s palate is satisfied and he feels he’s getting a value at the chains, so be it. Personally, I wouldn’t eat at most of his faves with a free coupon. I think choice is the key word here.

It takes real arrogance for Braude to pretend he knows the restaurant business more than the proprietors do. The fact that we are forced to submit to his restriction plus have our restaurants suffer is incomprehensible in a free society.

On a lighter note involving the power of the whine, I for one would welcome the return of scented perfume ads in the L.A. Times Magazine.

JANINE AUTOLITANO