As more workplaces go smoke-free, many smokers have laid claim to doorways as a place to light up and shoot the breeze, but company policies, building rules and even local ordinances are forcing them to retreat farther away. The outdoor cigarette klatch, a ubiquitous sight in many cities, has become increasingly unwelcome, particularly at building entrances. Delivery people do not like maneuvering through crowds that gather during lunch hours and at break times.
Custodians resent having to pick up cigarette butts.
And some businesses, particularly health-care providers, just do not think it looks good for staffers to puff away in front of their buildings. As a result, companies and institutions are cracking down on smokers who use the doorway as the equivalent of the old water cooler. And so are landlords and local governments. More Incentive To Quit' Employers are also chasing smokers further from the doors. Some have provided special enclosed or partially enclosed structures, while others just ban smoking on the premises.