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

[quornqueen]

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?

[ravenAK]

Well, I can't speak for Lucyellen, obviously, Wallison but secondhand fag smoke does give me asthma attacks, actually. Barbecues & open fires don't. No idea why.

& there's a woman who gets on my bus in the morning, stubbing her cigarette out just before she gets on, & if she sits in front of me I have to quietly move because she stinks & it makes me gip as well as wheeze.

I wouldn't dream of trying to stop her smoking outdoors - she has every legal right to do so, just as people have every right to douse themselves in Lynx/own large hairy dogs/invite me to stay & give me dampish feather pillows, any of which will also have me clawing for my inhaler.

But those of us who are affected by other people's smoke aren't generally just making it up to be a controlling arse for the sake of it. It's genuinely something we have to avoid or it does make us feel ill.

I'm both an ex-smoker & an ex-publican, so food handler, & I would definitely have seen it as good practice to wash my hands after having either a cig or a shit. I'd say that's fairly SOP!

[LayMizzRarb]

As for your children breathing in fumes, an occasional whiff of tobacco smoke is nothing compared to the poison they ingest if you push them in a buggy for 50 yards down your lcal high street. The exhaust fumes are emitted at buggy level too....

[cricketballs]

do you realise that there are more germs on the cashpoint buttons than there are in a toilet; the same goes for keyboards in a work place....I could go on, but there are many that have theorised that the obsession with cleaning and trying to keep children in a germ free world is actually doing them harm in the long term

[Wallison]

I would definitely believe that it got contaminated in that way, although 'long streams of snot' does sound a little exaggerated. But those factories are cold cold places - basically, you're working in a fridge. Unless you're in the frozen section where of course it is even colder. We all had thermal undies on beneath our clothes and overalls, but even so there was a lot of sneezing and coughing going on. Also, accidents happen - it's hard to properly take the skin off fish and fillet them etc when your hands are so cold they don't move properly, and people would very often cut themselves, but they didn't let you stop working outside of your allotted breaks.

[Lucyellensmum95]

I did hear a lovely story by one of my micribiology lecturers when he worked for the food agency or whoever it was. He was called toinspect a factory that produced coleslaw - it was contaminated with Staph.aureus (it usually lives up your nose) and he walked in to find all their hygeine precautions in place, and there was your man, with his big long gloves on, mixing the coleslaw, hair net in place etc - with big long streams of snot going into the mixture where it was so cold. I was not sure i beleived him.

[Wallison]

Yes, that's exactly what happens. I never wash my hands after having a jobbie.

I hope you do know about the hygiene credentials of everyone who has ever touched/packed/handled the food you buy. Having worked in food factories, I would say that someone smoking (outside!) and then going to stand behind a counter and cut off chunks of cheese for you is the least of your worries.

[baskingseals]

there's wee all over pub bowls of peanuts as well

[ivykaty44]

all pretty disgusting in your house then - hand to arse then hand to mouth - not really very nice poo all over your face yuk yuk yuk

[Wallison]

Is it just cigarette smoke in the open air that impinges on your life then, Lucyellensmum95? Not other kinds of smoke? Hmmmm.

[Lucyellensmum95]

Oh wallison, do fuck off - are you usually such an idiot? That was NOT what i was referring to, as well you know.

[Wallison]

And that included Marks & Spencer shrink-wrapped food - oh the horror.

[Wallison]

Nope never heard of it. Just as I've never heard of the custom of people putting their hands to their mouths and then patting down their uniforms (which then magically transfer germs onto your haslet).

Honestly, I used to work in factories preparing fresh food products. Everybody smoked, and we certainly didn't wash our hands after fag breaks, much less our overalls. BEWARE!

[ivykaty44]

Wallinson - you do not seem to be familiar with the custom of washing your hands after wiping your arse

[Wallison]

People wipe their arse with tissues using their hands as well, so you're likely better off not having anyone serve you your food, ivykaty44. Ah, but then, if you get it pre-packaged, you've got all of the oiks in factories putting things onto trays and using shrinkwraps ... and they might have smoked a fag before doing so! Oh no!

I think the only solution is for you to go totally self-sufficient before you die of bobby-germs.

lucyeleensmum, probably.

I am genuinely concerned for you, though. Barbeques must be hell, for example, ditto pubs with roaring fires, due to your sensitive condition.

[Lucyellensmum95]

Gosh Wallison - did you mean to be so rude?

[ivykaty44]

wallinson - no you don't catch cancer from food of the deli counter. The why is due to it being a source of bacteria, they put there hands to their mouth constantly and then to their uniform which imo isn't particularly hygienic and that is why I don't like to see it. Aside from that there clothes smell of smoke and it isn't pleasant being served food by someone smelling of smoke imo. There isn't much though I can do about it so I have to lump it or not go near it

[Wallison]

Do you actually vomit? Perhaps you could get yourself tested for allergies as it seems a rather extreme reaction to someone having a fag.

[Lucyellensmum95]

No, i don't give a fuck what anyone else does SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T AFFECT ME! If the smell makes me feel nauseous, it affects me doesn't it.

[Wallison]

^ I hate the fact that the staff are smoking in the clothes they are then serving food in behind the deli counter

Why? Are you going to catch cancer off their corned beef?

^Its not me being precious about health

At least you acknowledge that there is no risk to your health and admit that you just want to control what other people do.

[HazardLamps]

Lucyellensmum95, these modern comedians, I wish to fuck they'd stop the bloody language!

[Lucyellensmum95]

Hazardlumps - your post reminded me of my FIL, he once said "oh, i can't stand that Billy connolly, Cunt never stops fucking swearing" Honest to God!! Then he couldnt understand why i couldnt speak for laughing.

[montage]

I think you can still find the odd trolley floating in secluded canals around the UK Lucyellen.

There is a definite gap in the market though and personal trolley provision could be a blackmarket perfect business opportunity for some entrepeneur.

[HazardLamps]

"... swearing too. I just thought it was all a bit shit."

Do you want to re-read what you posted there, quornqueen? :D

You are being unreasonable though I think you know that now. :) The world won't go to hell in a handbasket just because you have to walk past people who are smoking or swearing or because it's hard to get trolleys past them occasionally.
Chill out and start practising those three little words,
"Excuse me please!".

[ivykaty44]

They're on minimum wage, doing a crappy job and have to put up with moany customers like you all day. Let them enjoy their fags

this comment is right - shop else where until tesco pay a living wage then go back and shop at tesco store and complain about the smoking - but until then let it drop it isn't worth the agro.

I hate the fact that the staff are smoking in the clothes they are then serving food in behind the deli counter - but they would still be doing the same out of sight any way, I buy food that is wrapped and don't venture to the deli counter unless I really really had to.

[Lucyellensmum95]

I would montage but i fell off it! (my trolley)