You may THINK you are Don... but don't kid yerself... yer sh!t stinks... just like everyone else....

But you are right in that...

"Many, many times I've seen people pull out a cigarette... only to be totally ignored as the clouds of smoke began to billow"

Is a very rude thing to do... I guess it's a matter of where... if it's someones home say... (say yours) and you ask me not to smoke... I'd be an a$$ to light up anyway... and it'd be your right to toss me out on my ear....

But in an "open to the public" space (A pub... or a club say), where smoking is permitted, all one can do is ask... And in asking, one of the possible answers is NO... you must be prepared for that... If you don't like it, the onus is on you to go... and to tell the 'owner' of that space why you are leaving and taking you $$ with you...   He'll either care or not.... depending on his goals as a business man...