smoking

The Norwegians smoke like chimneys, and very unself-consciously. There's no smoking in the workplace, though, so there are often clusters of people standing outside building entrances doing it. That annoys some people, so some businesses have constructed smoking booths outside for these people, so that they don't have to stand out in the cold but they're also not cluttering the entrance.

My lab placed its booth out in a corner of the parking lot. The booth is about 4' x 5', smaller than a garden shed, and made of clear plastic. The only object inside it is an ashtray on a pedestal.

The booth is somewhat amusing because the one or two people standing inside it -- silently smoking, standing in place and looking out the clear plastic walls -- look as if they're an exhibit. Or like they've been given a time out.