Toto, we're not in Houston anymore

It's Saturday afternoon and the testosterone is flowing on table eight at the Palms. Seats 6 & 10 declare war, eventually getting all-in. The 10s tables his hand. The 6 seat does nothing.....then he looks at his cards. Then he looks at the 10s. I would have bet money that a slow roll was in progress and I was steeling myself for the aftermath of said slow roll. The 6s finally pushes his cards, face down, toward me a few inches. The 9s immediately says that he wants to see the 6s hand. I tap the cards on the muck, killing it, and turn them over. The 7s asks why I just exposed the cards. I stated that the 9s had requested it and since it was a called hand....Before I could finish, the 6s realizes what just happens. He joins the chorus of the 7s and commences to have a fit. I called the floor even though I knew that I had done the right thing. I don't necessarily like the rule, but it is the rule in any case. I almost said that I didn't think it was good etiquette to ask to see a hand, but I somehow stopped myself. Of course the floor backed me up. The 7s then quips that where he plays, no one has ever asked to see a hand nor would it be allowed. I later gathered that where he played was in a "private" card club in Houston. How did I come upon that information? The 1s was a quiet young man with plenty of chips in front of him. Most of those chips had previously resided in front of the 7s. The 7s tried repeatedly to dig at the 1s. On one hand the 1s calmly called an all-in from the 7s while the 1s was merely holding ace high. The 7s was amazed. "How could you call that??" The 1s, smooth as can be simply said "I can read you like a book" and left it at that. As fast as you can say re-buy the 7s was on major tilt. The 7s informed the 1s that at "his" club in Houston he would be a nobody, etc etc. The 1s just quietly stacked the chips. Unfortunately, or fortunately (you pick) I got pushed. I don't know how it ended. My guess would be another re-buy or two from the 7s.
When in Rome.......
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The Great Smoking Debate continues to rage at the Palms. Sunday, table two, a smoking table. One guy was chain smoking. The lady in the 2s was 9 months pregnant. Don't ask. Hell if I know. The conversation turned to, or rather continued to be, the smoking policy. The 5s, a smoker who was choosing NOT to smoke at the table asked the chain smoker if he could show some courtesy to the pregnant lady and the unborn child by refraining from smoking. Nope, he kept right on chain smoking. Granted, the pregnant lady kept right on playing, too. Like I said, don't ask. I don't have a clue.
Some of the dealers at the Palms are close to mutiny, or at least resignation, over the change in the policy. I'm not in that group. A casino certainly isn't a church. Well not the traditional church although I'm sure as much praying, or MORE, goes on in a casino. What is so different about a poker table as opposed to a pit table? Smoking is allowed in ALL seats in the pit. At least the 1s and the 10s at a poker table are still non-smoking seats even if smoking is allowed at the rest of the table.
In the not so distant future this issue may be addressed my the state legislature. What can't be resolved by civil discourse will be rammed down everyone's throats by the government. After all, Big Brother knows best.
As for me, I think I will smoke the last cigarette of the day and go to bed. Puff Puff