In 1988 I inherited my father in law's Hyundai Pony the first car that Hyundai imported into Canada. They were dirt cheap, like $2k less than any competition. 1200 |CC engine matched with automatic tranny meant that you were not going anywhere fast. . My father in law died in his sleep the night before the Calgary winter olympics opened. As we sat waiting for the coroner to arrive the cop asked me to think about anything that may have contributed to his death and I pointed to the carton of ciggies on a shelf....I think a carton had about 20 packs of 20-25 cigarettes. One week of smokes for him.

Both of my inaws were heavy smokers...when they babysat our kids we would pick the boys up, bring them home, toss them in the shower and their clothes in the wash. When they slept over at our house at Xmas I let them smoke inside but I would Crack the powder room window, maybe the patio door as well. I turned on the stove hood fan and bathroom fans. I would still wake up, shower, grab my towel and just about puke from the cigarette smell that somehow had found its way into the deep crevices of my cotton towel.

Smokers. Just. Do. Not. Get. How. Much. They. And. Their. Habit. Stink.

The Hyundai, Robin's egg blue with the cheap perforated plastic seats, emitted nicotine for the next year until I dumped it. I would wash and wax it, then detail the interior but after an hour in the sun the windows would be coated inside again with a nicotine haze.

Here in Canada if you smoke in a rental car Hertz, Budget etc. will nail your credit card with a cleaning bill. I don't think they ever succeed. That car is ruined forever.