Why can't our neighbours go to the back of their garden to smoke?

[shadypines]

They have a large garden and could easily walk away from the house to light up so that the smoke doesn't all blow into our windows. It's horrible and in this sweltering weather it means we either boil in 'fresh' air or have some cooler smoky air. Great. Just great.

Have you asked them? They might not realise....

Same here ....

I have the same it's revolting. Mine seem to be chain smokers too. Very selfish habit that affects others quality of life.

I smoke on my doorstep at the back. Next door have children prone to screeching and a cat that likes to shit in my garden.

What can you do?

I think the important words there are 'their garden'. Not your decision to make, I'm afraid.

I don't smoke anymore but when I did, as I was stood at the back door smoking I heard noise from next door. Glanced over (because I knew they were at work) and spotted some guy attempting to force open a window that was on the latch.

If I'd have gone further down the garden I would have neither seen or heard the burglar. As it was, I scared him away with a shout and phoned the police.

There are some silverlinings.

I was once told on MN that I was unreasonable for being pissed off at a neighbour smoking in my garden when he was trimming his hedge.

I don't fancy your chances of being told you are reasonable with your complaint.

I sometimes smoke in my garden. It wouldn't have occurred to me. Make them aware of how it makes you feel and they might oblige. They can't read your mind!

Their garden, they can smoke wherever they want in it. I find it hard to believe that it causes you so much distress though, yes it stinks but unless they are getting through a couple of hundred fags a day, 5 mins of smell every hour? Does it really bother you that much?

Tahts life I'm afraid. Im a non smoker. I would prefer if people wouldnt smoke around me but they are on their own property.

You cant stop other people doing what you dont like. Unless they are sitting on your windowsill, then blame the air for sending the smoke your way!

We have this issue, we have just taken to putting all sorts of junk in the gap ( that we own) between our balcony and our neighbors balcony, old garden furniture and broken toys and that sort of thing.

I'm considering putting some rotting fish or some old nappies in with the junk, ofcourse I would be completly reasonable as it's my balcony and I can do as I please on it despite the possible effects on other people.

One of my neighbours has started smoking weed in their garden. I should be outraged but I quite like it!

How does leaving junk in the gap stop them smoking on their balcony ikea ?

theyre smoking outside, in the open air. The air is a big big place. It wont be doing you any harm whatsoever. It might not be the best smell in the world but such a strong aversion to it even when its outdoors is purely psychological

why don't people smoke in their houses though? they don't want their house to smell of fags but theyre quite happy to inflict it on neighbours?

You could easily shut your windows.

We had the teenager next door smoking weed regularly at the FRONT of our apartments. I'd either shut the window or if hot, redirect the fan towards the window to keep it out.

Buy a little chiminea and burn logs and bunches of eucalyptus in it

houses are not as big as the air rafanderpants. The smoke lingers. Its generally accepted that its better to smoke outside, hence all the laws in indoor public places

I occasionally have a ciggy outside but go round to the other side of the building away from their doors/windows (and ours). We're semi detached. They are non smokers with a young baby. I enjoy the odd smoke but don't want them having second hand fumes.

Where will it all end? Maybe those people driving big cars belching fumes all over the place should NOT park them anywhere near houses?

After all car drivers pollute the whole planet in a far wider sense.

Yes tobacco smoke is not a health cure and a bit of consideration never goes amiss but expecting to control where people stand in their gardens to smoke is a bit much. What next? A windsock to determine whether smoke from the bottom of the garden will drift back up?

I've just had the designated smoking area at work moved from below my office window, because otherwise I can never have the window open. Am I being unreasonable in that?

I don't think smokers realise quite how intrusive smoke is.

Scholes

Having smoke pouring in all day when you cannot get away and the site below the window is a designated smoking place below (so you get higher concentrations of smoke and smokers) is a different thing altogether.

Those are public areas whereas a home is private.

I have been both smoker and non so I see both sides BUT dictating what and where folks can stand to do particular things in their own gardens is a very risky precedent to take. OP who knows what your neighbours might start asking you to do ;)

I am one of those really annoying 'holier than thou' ex smokers and I actually think yabu!
It's their garden. You can say something to them but it's up to them. I would always smoke just out the back of my house, I didn't feel the need to walk any further.

"Why don't people smoke in their houses though?"

Possibly because smoking outside doesn't inflict the passive smoke onto their children/pets and other family members, and because the smoke dissipates into the air and doesn't harm anyone apart from the smoker. I smoke at my front door in houses that are quite neatly packed together, my neighbour chooses to leave his open for his dogs who bark alot through the day and at night, neither of us is doing the other any harm, even if it is annoying but sometimes you have to live and let live.

if it is really bothering you or causing you harm (doubtful) you could try asking them, just because they smoke doesn't mean they are inconsiderate twunts.

Oor but many (not all) smoke in their cars full of kids.

its a genuine question btw, not a dig (Im an ex-smoker myself).

I had a friend come round and without asking she took herself to the back door and lit up. all the smoke blew back into the house by the breeze. after I had a bit of a go for not asking if she could smoke on my premises she took herself further down the garden and the wind STILL blew it all into the house.