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AIBU?

I think I am probably BU. Staff smoking outside Tesco's

146 replies

quornqueen · 12/04/2013 23:53

I'm hormonal this week so the littlest thing has set me off. DP says Im being a teeny bit unreasonable but he may be saying that to save his face! This post has smoking and parent and baby spaces in it so I am prepared for you all to sigh deeply and eye roll at me!

Our tescos has a little smoking hut with chairs and a light, its right by the back entrance a little further down from the parent and baby spaces. I cant see whats wrong with it tbh, but the staff prefer to smoke right by the trolleys next to the parent and baby spaces. I don't always use these spaces because I just park where ever BUT I do always have to get a trolley so I have to walk through this impromptu and non authenticated smoking area. The floor is mangy with hundreds of old fag butts, it smells as we walk through because there are a regular group of about 8 of them and my toddler often wants to walk but I don't really want him getting near it all. They are all having a laugh and that's all nice etc but they swear sometimes too. Also, its hard to get trolleys past them.

I asked nicely at Customer Services if perhaps they could move down to the real Tesco staff smoking area... its only 25ft from the area they are in now (but its covered and has a fag butt bin) and the lady looked annoyed (she is one of them!!!) but said yes she would remind staff.

A week later and they remain. AIBU to write?

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MsBella · 12/04/2013 23:58

I personally think yabu... members of the public are well within their right to smoke anywhere in the car park so the staff are too

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IYoniWantToBeWithYou · 13/04/2013 00:00

Do you go shopping enough for this to be a real issue? I'm sure your toddler walks past people who smoke and swear all the time. For the once or twice a week you probably go I wouldn't bother making into a big deal tbh.

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quornqueen · 13/04/2013 00:02

That's what DP said. But the public don't smoke in the same spot regularly each day at each break time in groups of 8 making the mess on the floor and getting in the way of my trolley. The public are at large and hopefully using designated bins.

They are on the path btw. Not in the car park.

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WorraLiberty · 13/04/2013 00:03

Seriously?

How much of your life does this affect and how often?

I mean unless you go to the supermarket 3 or 4 times per day, does grabbing a trolley near some smokers really bother you enough to write a letter?

If it's hard to get a trolley past a couple of smokers (because there won't always be 8 of them every time you shop) then you say "Excuse me please"...just as you would if anyone else was in your way.

If you don't want your toddler walking on cigarette butts, how on earth do you cope with the park/dirt/mess in general?

As for the swearing, well I wouldn't be too happy either but how often does it really happen and how is it different to your toddler hearing members of the public swearing?

YABU with strangely high expectations imo.

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usualsuspect · 13/04/2013 00:04

FFS.

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MsBella · 13/04/2013 00:06

I understand you are concerned but unfortunately its probably something you'll have to put up with quornqueen (why didn't I think of that username for myself Hmm )

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Mammie81 · 13/04/2013 00:08

I'd be annoyed too actually. Dirty fag butts on the floor when theirs a bin for them provided? Customers shouldnt have to put up with dirty trolley areas just because staff cant be bothered to go down to there own smoking area. The swearing is bad too.

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Wallison · 13/04/2013 00:11

Well, I for one would be furious at people indulging in a legal activity while out in the open air where I have no chance at all of catching cancer from them.

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Elderflowergranita · 13/04/2013 00:12

It is a complete waste of your precious energy to get annoyed about this. Yes, I'm sure it's irritating, along with about 50 million other trivial things in life.

Build a bridge etc.

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quornqueen · 13/04/2013 00:12

The floor is rank because its basically a smoking hunt. Probably gets swept in the morning but when I get there after work its like the trolley area is the smoking area. I go there every two days roughly. I just think it makes the tesco frontage look dirty.

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WorraLiberty · 13/04/2013 00:16

But you're just pushing a trolley across the floor, not eating your dinner off it.

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Needavacation · 13/04/2013 00:17

Tesco staff should not be smoking in an area frequented by customers when they have a designated smoking area away from the trolleys. Our tesco trolley area is often filled with carrier bags and bits of rubbish. Cigarette ends are even worse.

YANBU

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IYoniWantToBeWithYou · 13/04/2013 00:19

It takes, at the most, about 2 minutes to get out of your car and grab a trolley. So you are causing yourself this much hassle for 6 minutes a week? Will those minutes dramatically improve the quality of your life?

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usualsuspect · 13/04/2013 00:19

Oh well,never mind.

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Dadthelion · 13/04/2013 00:26

I saw some Sainsbury's staff sitting on a bench smoking yesterday.
(The staff were smoking not the bench)

I had to walk passed them.

I never thought that perhaps they shouldn't be there

I'm annoyed now as I could have complained and made the world just a bit more miserable.

Needless to say I'll complain next time.

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quornqueen · 13/04/2013 00:26

Its the filthy floor that's really whats annoying (well and the swearing). I'm sure everyone would prefer their shopping area to not be an ashtray. Especially as they have an area with bins.

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WorraLiberty · 13/04/2013 00:28

Oh I didn't realise the floor was filthy in the shopping area...I thought you said it was outside on the path.

In that case YANBU...call environmental health and tell them the inside of the store is full of fag butts.

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IYoniWantToBeWithYou · 13/04/2013 00:29

Its not the shopping area, it the trolley area Confused

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 13/04/2013 00:30

YABU. Get your trolley and (never done this before) a grip while you're at it, and go and do your shopping.

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Needavacation · 13/04/2013 00:30

OP has said that this is not just one or two members of staff, and that it is regularly dirty. I would complain if I thought my supermarket was dirty. I do not think that unreasonable.

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WorraLiberty · 13/04/2013 00:31

It's some fag butts on the path outside....

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Needavacation · 13/04/2013 00:35

If all the staff are using it regularly then it probably isn't "just some fag butts". It's probably a lot.

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HoHoHoNoYouDont · 13/04/2013 00:36

Some companies have strict rules about not smoking whilst in uniform. Obviously not Tesco Grin

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Salmotrutta · 13/04/2013 00:38

"Floor" is a the noun used to describe the internal/ inside surface you walk on.

Ground is the noun you are looking for.

For that alone YABU.

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ravenAK · 13/04/2013 00:39

Maybe it's the unpaid workfare staff? They may not be all that fussed about maintaining a pristine trolley area...

Other than that, yes, I suppose it's mildly minging. Doubt I'd be irritated enough to complain, myself - there are fag butts everywhere.

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