Requesting a smoker to smoke elsewhere?

vard

Excuse the ridged post, but this phone wasn't meant for typing with.

So I've sat down outside a coffee ship, its a beautiful day I'll about some fresh air.

Bear in mind there are no ash trays. Someone comes, sits right beside me and lights up a fag. The wind is blowing straight into my face carrying the smoke he is blowing out, naturally.

I was tempted to move, it was disgusting... Then I thought, why should I?
To me, what he was doing is the height of rudeness. He was the one affecting me every other person with his habit... Why should I move.

I was very tempted to confront him and remind him that he was blowing smokefulls of smoke and ash into my face.

I was afraid of course that this would go against the socially acceptable grain.

So my question is, would I be out of line to request that someone smoke elsewhere in a case such as this?

gymsoldier

Im a non-smoker too, so I get where youre coming from.

But my understanding is, once thier outside smoking, its a free country. I was once asked to turn down the radio down in my car because an old couple were trying to enjoy the sounds of the birds :eek: haha seriously!

srfc19

Not really sure why this is in health and fitness?

And yes you would be out of line. You can go sit inside, he doesn't have that option.

accensi0n

Sit somewhere else.

*I'm a non-smoker btw

CK2010

i see where you're coming from.

i used to get it at bus stops all the time when commuting and it used to bug me because people would hold their cigarette down at their side so it'd be blowing into my daughters pram. but most of the time i dont really care when its just myself.

at the end of the day they're entitled to do it (as rude as it may be) so id just move away since its me with the problem. but if it was raining and we were both in the shelter its really unfair that ive to move my daughter out in the rain to stop smoke blowing in her pram. its not too hard for them to move/hold it a certain way to ensure its not directly blowing in someones face, especially when its a child or baby.

in answer to your question its their right to smoke so id say they'd get annoyed, but you're also well within your rights to ask politely for them to stop. whether you do so or not is up to you. the worst that can happen is they get pissed off and say no and then you're both equally as annoyed at each other!

AntiVirus

Next time just ask if you could swap seats with him as the smoke is blowing into your face. A simple solution to a simple problem.

davyjose

I remember taking my week old, 5lb baby out of the main door of the Coombe into a cloud of smoke.

Some people are just mindless, selfish idiots. unfortunately we have to share a world with them.

The Davestator

Im all for telling people to stop smoking when they are in the wrong, but if they are smoking legally, I'll move myself so I'm not inhaling their smoke.

Parsley

davyjose wrote: »

I remember taking my week old, 5lb baby out of the main door of the Coombe into a cloud of smoke.

Some people are just mindless, selfish idiots. unfortunately we have to share a world with them.

yeah, those baby-obsessed parents. self-centered gowls not letting anyone have fun just cos they change when a kid comes along.

SanoVitae

davyjose wrote: »

I remember taking my week old, 5lb baby out of the main door of the Coombe into a cloud of smoke.

Some people are just mindless, selfish idiots. unfortunately we have to share a world with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3wEezWYWY

King of Kings

smokers have a right to smoke outside but you also have the right to sit outside and not have the smoke blown in your face.
I would have said something, in a reasonable manner.

uSmellLikeSoup

I assume it was a public area, so you should have moved really.

They probably didn't notice the way the smoke was blowing. If you had moved, they would have probably realised and apoligised.

polly78

You have no right whatsoever to say anything to the person smoking. They did no wrong in the eyes of the law, just because you didn't like it...I don't like a lot of things that I have to put up with in life.

How did you cope socially before the ban came in?

3DataModem

Move if you can.

Otherwise offer to swap seats.

Otherwise go somewhere else.

Yes of course you are entitled to 'ask' them to stop smoking... but it is rude.

pawrick

I don't know why people keep mentioning the law - it's a simple case of someone being inconsiderate, I'd guess the smoker didn't even notice so sometimes as another poster said the simple answer is either to move yourself or ask them to swap places.

Liamario

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect someone smoking to take into consideration other people around them. Regardless of the fact that they can't smoke inside, it doesn't suddenly mean that they own the outside and thus they can blow smoke wherever they want.
On saying that, it's probably unreasonable to ask someone to stop smoking when they aren't breaking any rules. All you can hope for is that the smoker tries to make an effort to be considerate and realise that to a lot of people smoking is disgusting and people don't want smoke blowing in their direction when they are eating. This reasoning also applies to farts

Mr Simpson

I would say you would be a bit out of line asking them to move. However, I detest people smoking at bus stops and directly outside doors, and as a smoker I would never do it, it's the height of rudeness

I think it's inconsiderate when people spark up and the smoke is in your face. I'm pretty sensitive to smoke when I inhale it so it does piss me off a bit.

However, if you're smoking 20 a day, you're not going to be completely aware of every person around you every time you have a smoke. In the majority of situations, the smoker doesn't realise that they're inconveniencing you. If it's someone I don't know, I'll move. If it's someone I know I'll say, here can I stand on the other side of you/could you hold you smoke a bit lower etc. It's not a big deal and usually they don't mind. As much as it pisses me off, I realise that they're not doing it on purpose and at the end of the day they can't be expected to keep the smoke away from everyone. I mean they can't control the wind...

Kev M

polly78 wrote: »

You have no right whatsoever to say anything to the person smoking. Why not? They did no wrong in the eyes of the law, just because you didn't like it...I don't like a lot of things that I have to put up with in life. So you put up with absolutely everything that isn't illegal? If you were in the cinema or at a play or whatever and someone sitting beside you talked so loud you couldn't hear the story, you wouldn't ask them to be quiet because what they're doing isn't illegal?

How did you cope socially before the ban came in? Completely irrelevant question, and the OP said something about wanting to enjoy the fresh air.

No problem asking them to stop blowing smoke in your face. Worst case scenario is they say no, and then kick the sh!t outta you . This just seems like a common sense thing to me, why the hell are people bringing the law into it, jeebus. I've seen people asking people to lower down their mp3 players on the bus, and that's not nearly as annoying as having smoke blown in your face.

polly78

Kev M wrote: »

No problem asking them to stop blowing smoke in your face. Worst case scenario is they say no, and then kick the sh!t outta you . This just seems like a common sense thing to me, why the hell are people bringing the law into it, jeebus. I've seen people asking people to lower down their mp3 players on the bus, and that's not nearly as annoying as having smoke blown in your face.

The smoker in question is probably already p*ssed off that he/she has had to leave to have the smoke. If someone asked me to move while I was smoking outside I'd be furious and would not budge. Before the ban I, as a smoker would have been very considerate toward non smokers, understandable in a confined space...but outdoors?...moving away from the smoker would have been easier than getting angry enough to start this thread.

HardyEustace

davyjose wrote: »

I remember taking my week old, 5lb baby out of the main door of the Coombe into a cloud of smoke.

Some people are just mindless, selfish idiots. unfortunately we have to share a world with them.

From what I hear from friends who have had babies in the Coombe, there's a fairly good chance that a fairly high percentage of those contributing to the cloud of smoke were new mothers themselves or in the about-to-be-new-mothers category...

Mellor

I always assume that outside seats = smoking area

gymsoldier

Mellor wrote: »

I always assume that outside seats = smoking area

Yeah, I think most area's outside cafe's and pubs are publicy recongnised as smoking areas. Even if the area is not designated as one.

pmcd22

as a former smoker id have to admit most times i be concentrating on enjoying the cigeratte rather then looking at the interest of someone else.

As the smoking laws came out strong then even outside i began to watch the direction of the wind and all that commen sense stuff.

Nowadays, if im outside i know there is a possibility of being in the same situation as the OP, i wouldn't say a word, if its bothering me, i will move.

TommyKnocker

I may be way off the mark here, but I thought that the smoking ban prohibited smoking in a work place to safe guard the non smoking employees and customers from inhaling second hand smoke?

As a non smoker I am not that familiar with the smoking laws, but wouldn't the outdoor seating provided by pubs, coffee shops etc if railed off constitute "the work place" for the waiters/waitresses? in which case surely it would not be ok to just sit down and smoke. And since the OP mentioned the absence of ashtrays, it would appear that this particular coffee shop did not designate the outdoor area as a smoking area.

gymsoldier

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I may be way off the mark here, but I thought that the smoking ban prohibited smoking in a work place to safe guard the non smoking employees and customers from inhaling second hand smoke?

As a non smoker I am not that familiar with the smoking laws, but wouldn't the outdoor seating provided by pubs, coffee shops etc if railed off constitute "the work place" for the waiters/waitresses? in which case surely it would not be ok to just sit down and smoke. And since the OP mentioned the absence of ashtrays, it would appear that this particular coffee shop did not designate the outdoor area as a smoking area.

I think the defination of that law is no smoking indoors kinda thing. Like, not having a smoke at your desk.

gavney1

I don't think you should have to move if you sat down first.

You'd have to be careful how you word it though, smokers can take it very personally.

Fair enough smokers can't smoke inside, but that shouldn't mean that non-smokers should be confined to sitting inside on a beautiful day.

At the same time, I've never personally been bothered by someone's smoke, although that might be cause I grew up in a family of smokers

gavney1

polly78 wrote: »

The smoker in question is probably already p*ssed off that he/she has had to leave to have the smoke. If someone asked me to move while I was smoking outside I'd be furious and would not budge. Before the ban I, as a smoker would have been very considerate toward non smokers, understandable in a confined space...but outdoors?...moving away from the smoker would have been easier than getting angry enough to start this thread.

there's a big difference between smoking outside a pub/ in a smoking area than smoking outside a coffee shop on a lovely day.

There's often only a handful of these seats available on a nice day, and lots of people prefer to enjoy their coffee outside on a nice day

Edwardius

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/health_and_safety/ban_on_smoking_in_the_workplace_in_ireland.html

"enclosed places of work"

I know someone who narks at people for smokin at bus stops. I'm surprised they're still alive.

Kadongy

It's against the law to smoke wihin 5m or something of an entrance.
I used to smoke, and I was always careful not to blow smoke in people's faces.
If someone sat down and did so to me I would tell them they were blowing smoke in my face in a very direct, straightforward manner and I'm certain they would stop.

d'Oracle

vard wrote: »

Excuse the ridged post, but this phone wasn't meant for typing with.

So I've sat down outside a coffee ship, its a beautiful day I'll about some fresh air.

Bear in mind there are no ash trays. Someone comes, sits right beside me and lights up a fag. The wind is blowing straight into my face carrying the smoke he is blowing out, naturally.

I was tempted to move, it was disgusting... Then I thought, why should I?
To me, what he was doing is the height of rudeness. He was the one affecting me every other person with his habit... Why should I move.

I was very tempted to confront him and remind him that he was blowing smokefulls of smoke and ash into my face.

I was afraid of course that this would go against the socially acceptable grain.

So my question is, would I be out of line to request that someone smoke elsewhere in a case such as this?

I detest being around smoking.
I hate the smell and its dirty.

So if I was in your situation, I would SIT INSIDE.
Seriously, the smoker doesn't have a problem with you not smoking and is obeying the law.

polly78

gavney1 wrote: »

there's a big difference between smoking outside a pub/ in a smoking area than smoking outside a coffee shop on a lovely day.

There's often only a handful of these seats available on a nice day, and lots of people prefer to enjoy their coffee outside on a nice day

The amount of seats available is irrelevent, a smoker is equally entitled to one. I don't know of any smokers who would blow smoke toward someone, any smoke carried with the wind would be negligible.

I think this is nitpicking.

TommyKnocker

I seen this sign in a fast food outlet years ago and thought it got the message across in a humorous way

I ask that you refrain from Smoking.
Cigarette smoke is the residue of your pleasure.
It contaminates the air, pollutes my hair and clothes,
not to mention my lungs.
All this takes place without my consent.

I also have a pleasure. I like a beer now and then.
The residue of my pleasure is urine.
Would you be annoyed if I stood on a chair and pissed
on your head and your clothes without your consent?

Maybe have some cards printed up with this on and simply hand one to the offender

rubadub

Liamario wrote: »

This reasoning also applies to farts

+1

polly78 wrote: »

You have no right whatsoever to say anything to the person smoking. They did no wrong in the eyes of the law, just because you didn't like it...I don't like a lot of things that I have to put up with in life.

As said it is very similar to farting or belching, sneezing etc, none are illegal but I would not agree you have "no right whatsover" to complain about a persons lack of decency/consideration. I smoke myself, only when drinking, and otherwise the smell sickens me when trying to eat food, so would farts or loud smelly belching.

3DataModem wrote: »

Yes of course you are entitled to 'ask' them to stop smoking... but it is rude.

Some would see the inconsiderate smoker as the ruder one.

Many "beer gardens" and smoking areas are illegal anyway.

(7) This section shall not apply to-
(d) an outdoor part of a place or premises covered by a fixed or movable roof, provided that not more than 50 per cent of the perimeter of that part is surrounded by one or more walls or similar structures (inclusive of windows, doors, gates or other means of access to or egress from that part),

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2004/en/act/pub/0006/print.html