To think smokers should not smoke next to a no smoking sign?

[PopMusic]

(My first aibu - am bracing myself)

Today, I was parked outside a hospital waiting for my parents to come out. Right outside the entrance of the hospital and for about 50 metres, there are numerous signs (I counted eight from where I could see) signs saying "please do not smoke here" and "no smoking". I was waiting for about ten minutes, and I saw lots of people (15) smoking around the whole no smoking zone inc. several people (6) actually smoking next to a no smoking sign. I was partly amused by the irony of it but I also thought there must be a reason why it's a no smoking area, so why are they smoking there? Why could they not walk a little way and smoke where there were no signs? Just to let you know, the whole entrance area inc. way beyond the signs is sheltered and it was not even snowing nor raining.

YABU.

The irony and the pleasantly defiant attitude of the smokers make up for it.

I agree Dione

So the NHS should provide an indoor smoking area? At who's expense?

Germyrabbit, no, just no.

where do you want them to smoke then? smokes have to smoke like it or not and how expensive is is really to provide an indoor area??

An indoor smoking area? In a hospital?

They can smoke in the smoking shelters provided away from the entrance to the hospital.

jeez they had them only a few years ago, it's not that shocking. i think it's pretty hard for people to be in hospital in the first place and if they are smokers (especially long term smokers) it's hard enough without treating them like lepers

Personally I would rather they didn't but if they must then just not under they NO SMOKING sign.

A few of years ago outside my local hospital, I saw a guy in his pajamas smoking with one hand on his throat. A couple of seconds later he removed his hand and exhaled through a hole in his throat.
I was a hardened smoker (until a couple of years ago) who would drag a drip stand outside, and that even shocked me.

(well obviously more than a few years ago)

Germyrabbit- so the already financially strapped NHS, which is cutting services and jobs , should now be spending funds on providing indoor smoking rooms- which would presumably be illegal anyway?

Dione -pleasantly defiant? Like the men described in Belle's post above? Or the smokers lighting up right next to people who have just come out of chemotherapy? I'd hate to hear your definition of unpleasant.

Germyrabbit- it's no picnic for all the non-smokers in hospital either. Especially when they are desperately ill themselves but have other people's smoking forced upon them because smokers believe their lifestyle choices override everyone else's health.

so the perfect answer is for them to smoke outdoors in the nearest area - there you are problem sorted

In the nearest area that doesn't have a no smoking sign.

Germyrabbit, having indoor smoking areas would be illegal. Smokers are not treated like lepers, they can smoke but away from the areas that say no smoking, just a few metres away where there are not lots of people coming and going into hospital.

not

maybe they should move the sign 50 meters or so away from the main entrance

Oh, I can't read this entire thread. I need to go and get my spare fags from upstairs.

I was ironically smoking next to the no smoking sign outside a hospital last week. It may have escaped non-smokers' notice, whose vision may have been obscured by red mist, but the metal ashtray thingies are situated next to the signs.

Perhaps you'd like us to stand under the tree in the car park, grinding our fag-ends into the patch of grass? Can do! [helpful]

If you are well enough to haul your arse out of a bed and get from the ward to the front door you are well enough to walk another minute to the appropriate place.

If you physically can't get that far then you ain't well enough to go for a smoke.

They can smoke in the smoking shelters provided away from the entrance to the hospital.

Yes, if there is one. If, like at my nearest hospital, smoking is not allowed anywhere on the grounds and there are no smoking signs all over the place, then they have to expect signs to be ignored.

Right or wrong, smokers will smoke. It makes more sense to provide somewhere that they can smoke rather than create a rule that you know is going to be broken.

No, not the nearest area - because that would be the entrance, which everyone else has to walk through.

Most sensible idea is a smoking shelter which is well away from the building, but I guess many hospitals have a blanket policy which bans smoking on hospital grounds. Perhaps this is a bit of the NHS that they could franchise out? Lease out small sections out of land to a facilities management company , they could charge for use of the shelter and then they could argue that smoking is not taking place on hospital grounds. After all, they do charge for parking and some hospitals franchise that out.

The little local hospital has a nice arbour area with shelter, benches and ashtrays. Probably a better idea. Suggest it to yours!

No garlic vision probably obscured by cigarette smoke. As long as under the tree in the car park isn't outside the main entrance that would be grand.

Maybe they should provide a shuttle bus service to an open field a few times a day to take smokers to and fro. Or, alternatively, the smokers CPUcould use their ill health as an incentive to stop smoking.