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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my neighbours not to smoke on their patio on lovely sunny days because I can smell it and it's HORRIBLE

110 replies

SoupDragon · 15/04/2007 12:35

Of course, I am being unreasonable and I have absolutely no intention of suggesting they don't do it but it doesn't stop me grumbling to myself every time I get a whiff of cigarette smoke on my patio of in through the open kitchen door. It's so foul! I have no idea why people smoke at all, it's completely beyond me. It has to be one of the most antisocial habits in the world

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 15/04/2007 18:24

I@m far too scared of confrontation to actually do anything about it like many of these suggestions

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 15/04/2007 18:23

I@ve never smoked and I can smell it from miles away too

Oh, Stripey, I wouldn't dream of telling them they can't smoke in their own garden or to smoke further away, I'm really not that unreasonable and they don't flick butts over the fence or anything. It's just one of those niggles that tells me I really ought to live in a huge detatched house with no neighbours. The other side have an irritating yapping rat of a dog and that irritates me too. I want to bark back and snarl at it

OP posts:
Kbear · 15/04/2007 18:23

Bob your head up over the wall, spray air freshener over (a nice forest pine one) and slam your back door hard.

She might take the hint or but at least she won't speak to you any more either

brimfull · 15/04/2007 18:20

Our neighbours behind us had a party the other night and the smoke smell was really strong ,could even smell it inside with the windows shut.
I am ex smoker so can smell it a mile off,dh has never smoked and he's useless,couldn't smell it if it as under his nose.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 15/04/2007 18:17

She maybe doesn't realise its upsetting you. I used to smoke and stand by my backdoor and smoke, which was 3ft away from my neighbour's backdoor. If they'd come out and asked me to move further away I'd have done so straight away. I'm so dim it never crossed my mind that they may smell it. But maybe people aren't all as reasonable as me and she may clout you one instead!

obimomkanobi · 15/04/2007 18:11

Yes it's a terrible thing an adult engaging in a perfectly legal activity on her own patio in her own garden.

I'm off out into my garden now to have a fag. I do hope that some sensitive wee mumsnetter with the nasal capabilities of a sniffer dog doesn't catch a whiff of it.

amess · 15/04/2007 17:32

Sorry SoupDragon for your situation apart from bushy bush which would take time to grow wonder if the candle suggestion would help but then again why should you have to go to the expense and danger of unattended candle?

TenaLady · 15/04/2007 17:30

Oh yes raaatheeer In my dreams!

amess · 15/04/2007 17:30

Agree people should only be allowed to smoke INSIDE their own homes. On the street it is really bad sometimes and have seen little ones far too close to someones hand with a cigarette in it. Can't go to a local beauty spot anymore with the children as the office lot have to smoke outside and so they have taken over the area the children loved to play on the bridge throwing sticks into the river.

TenaLady · 15/04/2007 17:29

Hatrick, similar here. Weirdo Son of next door had been flicking his nasty substance fag butts on to our patio. I was furious cos ds was only 2yrs and I had visions of him picking them up and eating them.

Dh picked them all up and put them in a bag and posted it through next doors letterbox.

Never happened again!

AitchTwoOh · 15/04/2007 17:27

your villagers? are you the Lady of the Tena manor?

TenaLady · 15/04/2007 17:27

I like the Kimi suggestion of the sprinkler.

Our villagers wait for a nice day to start a nice smokey bonfire. What on earth possesses these people!

Londonmamma · 15/04/2007 17:26

I loved Expat's one about not being allowed to smoke in your home if being visited by an NHS employee. Nurses are notorious for smoking!!

Washersaurus · 15/04/2007 17:24

Hatrick - I hope you chucked them back over?

Katy44 · 15/04/2007 17:19

We have this - as soon as our neighbours open their back door you can smell the smoke in our garden!
I don't live very far from Frosterley - might have to give that pub a try!

hatrick · 15/04/2007 17:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mumfor1standfinaltime · 15/04/2007 17:17

Hate dog ends. Especially when ds picks them up on the drive. We have put up some temporary fencing for the summer (live in a ha house and aren't allowed to erect fencing)which stops some of the litter.

Have smoking ban at work now so everyone sits outside and there is litter everywhere!

Fillyjonk · 15/04/2007 17:14

we have smoking ban in wales

its not THAT great

you can still smoke anywhere outside

so coffee shops with gardens helpfully leave their doors open so we can all get a whiff

(ok i'm lying, its feckin great)

expatinscotland · 15/04/2007 17:13

yes, i agree, aitch. i think we should move in that direction, too .

AitchTwoOh · 15/04/2007 17:13

i have NEVER understood how smokers don't think a cigarette dowd is litter. even when i smoked i stubbed them out and put them in the bin.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 15/04/2007 17:11

I have an older woman who lives alone a few doors up who stands outside and smokes.
We don't have a garden, just a driveway at the rear of the house with no fencing. As we are the end terrace we end up with dog ends all over our drive - hmm lovely.

And I know when she is smoking as I can smell it even if I just have my window open.

AitchTwoOh · 15/04/2007 17:10

it's cos you live in a tourist centre, expat. edinburgh caters more to the adult tourist than glasgow. you should move here .

hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 17:08

It is foul, gross, foul, gross, foul, gross and foul.

And, apparently, you can't chuck rocks at them for doing it in their garden

expatinscotland · 15/04/2007 17:08

then why is that so many pubs in Scotland don't allow children at all?

they seem to have different licensing laws and not be very family-friendly.

i gotta be honest, i find England way more family-friendly as far as pub life goes - more places seem to have gardens and welcome children in them.

AitchTwoOh · 15/04/2007 17:06

yep, zippi. if jockoland is anything to go by. but a lot of people gave up too. overall it's a win for non-smokers, though, if you compare the amount of sunny days in this country to cold ones. i'd rather know that more pubs/cafes etc were suddenly child-friendly in winter than summer iykwim? it's been great up here, really made businesses focus on becoming family-friendly during the day.