State opts not to let new smoking ban cover vehicles waiting to board ferries

Beginning Thursday, all ferries and terminals will be smoke-free.

But the ferries have backed away from a more-onerous rule that would have prevented passengers from smoking in their cars while in ferry boarding lanes.

Originally, the state planned to ban smoking anywhere on ferry property but now says it's still trying to decide how tough to get.

"There's still a line where good public policy against smoking as voted by voters enters the question whether Big Brother has unduly entered into your lives," said Doug MacDonald, head of the state Department of Transportation.

By outlawing smoking in cars, "we feel that is a part of Big Brother coming into your lives and we are not comfortable with it," McDonald said.

The new smoking ban was approved by voters in November's election and will affect restaurants, bars and other buildings throughout the state.

Lloyd Brown, a spokesman for state ferries, said the holding lanes were initially added to the ban because of concern about secondhand-smoke exposure for ferry employees and State Patrol troopers who walk through the lanes with dogs looking for explosives.

The only place on the ferries where passengers had been allowed to smoke was on outdoor rear decks.

But MacDonald said the state is still struggling with how to deal with this secondhand smoke. "We will not create a smoking patrol," he said. "We have to have a chance to balance out all the issues."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com