To wish smokers would only smoke behind closed doors?

[mamabellasworld]

I know this is going to be a rant and that my fellow mumsneters are probably going to have a go at me but anyway:
I am so fed up with people smoking outside/in the garden/on the balcony etc.
We live in a lovely block of flats with a huge garden which in summer would be brilliant for DD to play in. If only it wasn't for the fact that whenever I spend more than 10 minutes in the garden playing with DD, someone somewhere is certain to light up. There seems to be a perpetual smell of cigarettes in the air and I just detest that.
Even when I just want to open our windows, especially in summer, I could not just leave them open and do other stuff- or I'll come back to a room smelling of other peoples smoke.
I know they are legally entitled to smoke where they want as long as it is their garden or balcony, but it really annoys me. I find it strange that someone would got outside to smoke because they don't want the smell in their house and I get it in mine instead...

Are you an ex smoker OP?

I'm 7 weeks quit and it seems I am now really sensitive to the smell of smoke.
I'm like that old advert with the bloke with the twitchy nose sniffing out something that smells nice!

This hot weather has really tested me.

But yes YABU but you already know that don't you!

Oop, see my thread about offending my neighbours in Chat.

I am having a real problem at the moment, as I cannot smoke in my garden due to neighbours complaining.

I don't see why OP deserves a flaming . She only wishes they smoked behind closed doors, she's not marching round there demanding that they put their cigarette out is she? For that she would be VVVU. Instead, she's having a little rant on here. She knows she is BU, you can't dictate to someone where they smoke but it annoys her. We all get annoyed and need a little moan sometimes!

Unfortunately people smoke. They should be able to smoke it their garden or balcony.

I knew a couple that moved into the country side and then complained at every given opportunity about the manure smell and the constant bonfires from the village farm.

You'll be hard pressed to find somewhere that doesn't have some kind of offesive smell at some point.

It's not strange to smoke outside, maybe they have children!

I agree with the op. Wholeheartedly. I can't believe anyone is defending a smokers right to pollute.

I am pretty surprised by the tolerance here of most posters of smokers. I am a smoker and it is pretty difficult to defend ones right to smoke given how much it impinges on others. If I am in a park then I will not smoke near children and i completely agree with sarahbumbearer that it is obviously wrong to smoke in a play area. I am however typing this, fag in hand in my garden. There is no one around in neighbouring gardens but then that is probably because they are sitting in stuffy rooms with the doors shut to avoid my smoke. I don't think YABU but then I would be one of the smokers in your block so that probably makes me worse.....

mixedberrymilkshake - It's a communal garden so she has a point about taking DC there. I just don't see why someone "deserves" a flaming. Can't she have an opinion?

The balconies are different, but really, I don't think it's entirely unreasonable.

As long as you keep it to just wishing that things went your way that's fine. You'd be VU if you were to try and take it further though.

Don't mind the flaming at all , and did not want to start a fight. I'm merely interested in your (different?) opinions. That's all.
As someone said, I do not propose draconian measures, I just stated how I feel.

YaNbu

SarahBumBarer Regarding the ruination of pub beer gardens, the solution would be to allow the smokers to smoke inside

We had this, sitting in a beer garden, smoking. A woman sat on the next table doing the over dramatic hand gesture of wafting hardly existent smoke away. After a few minutes of this, accompanied by various tuts, she said "I can't believe how inconsiderate you're being, smoking on the table next to me, as a non smoker"

Ummm, you chose the table next to us and where else are we supposed to indulge in a perfectly legal habit? No problem though, to keep the peace we'll smoke inside....oh wait.

I don't think that it will be too long before smoking will be illegal in all communal and public places.

Shakey, "Well move then" would be a perfectly acceptable response. (Though I do find the alternative, a cold stare and utter silence for a few seconds, possibly adding a look before resuming cheerful chat with the rest of your group to be great fun in situations like this. [wnk] ).

I think you must be exaggerating and/or having a bad day!

You say there is a big garden, so if I am a couple of meters away from a smoker then I can't really smell it.

It might be annoying if someone smokes on the next balcony and the wind happens to blow the smoke directly into your flat - this might occur once in a while though, and if the window is open it will blow through quickly?

Otherwise, chill out.

I remember having had a bad day and getting very annoyed with a person walking along the street smoking, when I walked behind him/her and the smoke blew into my face.

I understand you not liking the smell of other peoples smoke. I smoke in my garden and wonder if it pisses off my neighbours if it blows across to them. I'm noting to stop doing it though. Same as I wouldn't expect my neighbour to stop having conversations and laughing in her garden because she has the most irritating voice and an even worse laugh that I dont want to have to listen to.

If we don't want to put up with other peoples habits then we have to earn enough to be able to move two a house with land all around it. If we can't do that, then it's time to put up and shut up.

I don't think that it will be too long before smoking will be illegal in all communal and public places.

Where will people smoke then?

Or will it be illegal?

Thats the thing with pubs, smokers have been pushed out of them into garden to smoke but as soon as the weather gets nice the non smokers want to swap.

You cant have it both ways and you wanted to ban smoking in pubs and you have got that but you now cant change and want the garden too.

why do people say it is a choice to smoke? its an addiction. i dont know ONE smoker who wouldnt love to give them up for their health and financial reasons. its not a choice once your hooked!

Some respect both ways always work in these situations. I would never sit next to someone smoking when out and about, especially if with Ds who is asthmatic and smoke is a trigger. By the same reckoning surely smokers should (and a lot do) not start smoking when they are around other peoples children, or say "you don't mind do you?"

There is plenty of space for smokers and non smokers if everyone uses some common sense and manners

smoking will never be illegal as it raises millons in revenue for the government. Revenue that is then spent on things non smokers want.

I'm a non-smoker, and I think it's a horrible habit. However I am pretty fed up with the constant demonising of smoking. If people want to smoke, let them and accept that it's their choice.

YANBU. The smell of cigarette smoke is vile.

Mind you (old gimmer alert) I can remember when smokers were allowed to smoke everywhere, and did: pubs, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, trains, aeroplanes. It was horrible. A lot of them had no qualms about lighting up in your house and leaving it stinking of smoke or sitting across you at a table in a restaurant and puffing smoke in your face.

So it could be worse.

I've just got one of those e cigs thingies and you can almost guarentee that whenever I have a puff of it in a busy public place (ie. a bus stop or beer garden) at least one person will start coughing and spluttering or sucking on an inhaler.

Which would be fine, were it not for the fact that all I exhale is water vapour aka steam

I is having much fun with it [evilgrin]

D0oin