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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think smoking while taking part in Race For Life is a bit........

73 replies

LifeIsButtercream · 16/05/2011 09:57

......... distasteful?

I did Race For Life over the weekend, I was walking it as I was taking part with my 2yr old and I don't claim to be fit enough to run it.

There was a lady taking part in the walkers group, and I would often find us walking near her (it was quite a 'tight' course so the groups were quite compacted) - everytime I saw her she was smoking, which was quite unpleasant as it was hard to move out of the way of the smoke within a group of people. I probably had my judgypants hoiked up a bit high but seriously, it takes an hour to walk the course at the pace we were all doing, couldn't she have waited till the end to have a fag?

I'm probably being over sensitive, but if I was a person taking part to raise money in memory of someone who had died of a smoking-related cancer I would have found this quite upsetting, maybe even disrespectful?

I understand that, if she was finding doing the walk stressful because it bought back memories of someone who she had lost then she might want to smoke, but the did she have to smoke round most of the course?

OP posts:

EmmaBemma · 16/05/2011 10:25

I'm not being "defensive", as I don't smoke.

QuickLookBusy · 16/05/2011 10:25

You don't know how the poor woman was feeling. My Dad died of cancer and my DDs wanted to do the race for him. I found the whole thing sodding traumatic. It brought back some awful memories.

If I was a smoker I would have puffed all the way round.

EricNorthmansMistress · 16/05/2011 10:32

YANBU
I used to be a smoker but I was always able to wait an hour until a more appropriate time to smoke. I would never just light up wherever I was without regard to the environment. That's shocking.

saffy85 · 16/05/2011 10:36

I can understand the judgement. I was sitting on the bus not long ago and as it crawled into the high street I spotted 4 chuggers wearing Cancer Research kagoule thingies all lighting up outside Poundland. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure guilt tripping total strangers into giving you their bank details in the middle of the street really takes it out of you, but the irony wasn't lost on me....

psisedriteoff · 16/05/2011 10:59

Im a fatty and a smoker, and doing the race for life in June [10 of us doing it]

I will not be smoking around the course, but shall be having a well earned smoke after it.

I will not be judging anyone who needs a cigarette

I shall be greeted at the end, by my fabulous terminally ill YOUNG, NON-SMOKER, NON-DRINKER aunt, who will no in anyway have her judgey pants on, when I do have a cigarette.

Im a big person [in the middle of dieting, well trying ]. Over weight people are at high risk of cancer too, because Im a fatty, does that mean I can not do the race?

"There's no such thing as passive fatness, fgs." agree there is not. But passive smoking is not just limited to the Race For Life, people smoke it the street, town, outside everywhere, bupcakesandcunting, your opinion is based on passive smoking in general, which has nothing to do with this thread at all

Yukana · 16/05/2011 12:32

I don't think the OP was bashing smokers per-say, but as someone on the first page said - I think there was a time and a place for this. Going an hour without a cigarette may be hard for some people, but I would respect a smoker highly if they didn't do so. I may not like smoking, or passive smoking, but I'd give them a pat on the back and say 'Well done, you should be proud of yourself'. That isn't meant to seem patronising.

That sort of event is in my opinion, not the place for smoking. And regarding the comments to if bigger people should race or not - I'd be proud of them too.

Hope my post makes sense. I can be bad at expressing my opinion correctly.

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 12:36

When I did the Race for Life, there was a sign at the entrance saying smoking was not permitted inside the venue.

YANBU

I'd have said something

JeremyKylesPetProject · 16/05/2011 12:36

"Look, trying to draw a correlation between fat people doing RFL versus smokers is a red herring. There's no such thing as passive fatness, fgs."

Completely agree. Leave us fatties out of it.

JeremyKylesPetProject · 16/05/2011 12:39

Passive smoking outside? Really? Maybe if it was a sponsored silence in a windowless room then ok. Smoking outside is allowed. For the record I hate walking behind smokers in the street. I just move away from them. No biggy.

HeidiKat · 16/05/2011 13:35

I did race for life a couple of years ago when I was still smoking and I managed to get round the course without a cigarette although I did guiltily have one after, trying to hide behind a tree in case anybody saw and judged!

Dontcallmepeanut how did they actually enforce that rule, I thought most of the races for life were held in public parks where anyone could turn up, I am curious as to how they managed to make the whole place smoke free for the day.

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 13:38

I'm not sure if they completely endorsed it, but on the way in, there's two gates, or whatever you call them which just mentioned that the race for life was a no smoking event at this venue. Was one of the eagle eyed kids with us that pointed it out to his mum.

IronOrchid · 16/05/2011 14:28

YANBU.

How anyone can smoke while surrounded by those messages of ill or lost loved-ones, and during during an event designed to help fight cancer, is boggling. Surely she could have waited an hour or so before lighting up? Nob.

beckibicker · 16/05/2011 14:36

maybe the fatties doing the Run for Life are trying to do something to be less fat

beckibicker · 16/05/2011 14:37

How anyone can smoke ... is boggling.

agree

nijinsky · 16/05/2011 15:15

Bit shocked at that OP. I've done a few Races for Life but always under 22 mins so no idea what happens further back. But its beyond my comprehension that anyone could not actually put their cigarettes away for the duration of doing it! I'd be pretty damned offended by the passive smoking too! Completely inappropriate behaviour.

aldiwhore · 16/05/2011 16:06

I'm a smoker and I don't the yabu... I'd have left the course and hidden behind a tree or something if I was really that desperate for a cig. Purely because its not very nice for other people. Given that its also raising money for a cancer charity, its a bit small minded and rude, especially if it was a tight course.

I'd have certainly had one at the end though, after people had dispersed a little!

squeakytoy · 16/05/2011 16:10

I am a smoker, but I wouldnt even dream of smoking while doing this.

K999 · 16/05/2011 16:20

I'm a smoker too and I wouldn't dream of doing this either. A cigarette is more enjoyable, sitting down and with a glass of wine.

SnuffleTurtle153 · 16/05/2011 16:25

Re the burger and chips thing... I can see Baribie's pont. I'm a veggie and smelling someone's burger would turn my stomach but the smoking wouldn't bother me (though I do see the difference in that inhaling someone's horrible burger smell doesn't have the potential to make me ill....)

SecondMrsDeWinter · 16/05/2011 16:34

I am in compete agreement! It is distasteful, I think I am quite entitled to put my judgeypants on as I race for lfe in celebration of me! 10 years since I was told I didn't have much chance & would never have children & thanks to Cancer research I am indeed still here & have 2 children. I walk it as I do it with friends and family & it's like a yearly milestone for us. I have been caught behind someone smoking & really think it's unpleasant, stop & stand to the side if you really are that desparate for a fag! I don't want to breathe it in. I also speak as an ex 20 a day smoker & even before my illness I wouldn't have DREAMED of smoking at such an event. Distasteful & disrespectful imo! so no I don't think YABU.

lubberlich · 16/05/2011 16:42

I'm a cancer patient - it doesn't bother me one iota.
I know plenty of women who have/have had cancer who smoke.
She's raising money - leave her alone.
Smoking plays a role in some cancers but certainly not all.

SardineQueen · 16/05/2011 17:00

I would have thought that people would be pleased to see as many people as possible joining in and raising money. It's a shame that some would like to see people like this woman not join in with the event.

DontCallMePeanut · 16/05/2011 18:22

Sardine, it's not that they wouldn't have wanted her joining in... The more people participating the better.

However, I do think the acceptable thing to do, would have been one before the race,, one after - if she was desperate for a smoke, that is

bigbuttons · 16/05/2011 18:30

I smoke and I think it's pretty odd to have to smoke on such a short course.

Of course it's far better she smokes and does the 'race' than not join in at all.'

I hate being near other people's smoke, it's really vile. I never smoke in public, nor in the house.

CoffeeDodger · 16/05/2011 18:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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