To think that smoking in a cafe garden is selfish?

[cupkakesandkittens]

I was in a cafe for lunch earlier, beautiful weather so sat in the garden at the back to eat, and there were a few people smoking as they ate/drank.
I understand that it's an outdoor space, and it's legal, but to smoke in such close proximity to other people who are enjoying a meal, is just selfish.
I also understand that I could have sat inside, but I didn't want to sit inside on such a nice day.
It just really irritates me, can they not last 30 mins or an hour without a fag?

I've just gone to the smoking area at work and people are sunning themselves and complaining. Grr.

there are v few non smoking outside areas for summer that's problem.

in winter both smokers and non can go out and carry on with their choices just inflicting on themselves.

Come summer smokers get carry on as normal. Non smokers get to stay inside or go home. Not exactly same choice.

This thread is really interesting, it is so recent that people stopped smoking in pubs/restaurants, I never smoked and yes, I'm now used to not having to smell smoke it seems to stand out more on the odd occasion I do have to smell smoke. Not enough to get wound up about it, but wouldn't object to a ban on smoking where food is served outside.

Most non-smokers wouldn't push for a ban on smoking outside cafes, but most non-smokers wouldn't care if such a ban was brought in and there's not enough smokers left for fears of upsetting them to matter.

Smokers are a disappearing tribe - 20 years ago the idea that smoking would be totally banned seemed unlikely, but now it does feel like it's just a matter of time, only questions around how long do they give the current smokers before just banning it outright. I think it'll take until smokers are less than 10% of the population, but the way smoking rates are falling (and new smokers aren't replacing those giving up or dying), I can't see that taking very long.

On an equally serious note, there is no evidence that outdoor passive smoking does any harm. Least none that I've seen in any large, useful study.
^ this
Passive smoking may be unpleasant for some, but not actually harmful for most.
If passive smoking causes cancer, all those x-smokers might as well spark up again!!

Smoker here, in Spain so allowed pretty much everyehere. Witness it regularly on school pick up, outside doctors surgery etc Nobody really seems to mind. Although most places are non smoking indoors, cafe/bar owners have told us this is mainly for the tourist trade, and that the locals were not really bothered by indoor smoke.

In the UK those outdoor smoking areas would not be there if the business owners hadnt weighed up the cost of excluding smokers. It woukd be bad business to cater for 'fair weather' garden users. These people arnt stupid, they are wll aware many people only go to the pub/cafe garden on a couple of nice days out of the year.

On a completely different note. Vaping is weird. Cant get my head around it, its like a Barbarella-esque futuristic vision of smoking...
real smoking is much cooler. Its one if the few things im naturally really good at :)

I was behind two people vaping last week. I was getting covered in billows of smoke

I do wonder why, if folk are going to moan, they don't at least think what they're actually moaning about ... don't they worry that these constant references to vape "smoke" make them sound a bit silly?

Not as silly as paying a fortune to put a stick in your mouth that is bad for your health and makes you smelly, unpleasant to be near and look ridiculous.

YANBU

We went to Thorpe park at the weekend where smoking is permitted throughout the site. People were smoking in the queues also which I found rude as it was so packed. There were also butts all over the green spaces and we struggled to find a clear area to sit and picnic.

I don't mind the smell of smoke but as other nearby theme parks have banned smoking other than permitted areas, not only was it more noticeable but it will be a deciding factor on which one we use in future.

do wonder why, if folk are going to moan, they don't at least think what they're actually moaning about ... don't they worry that these constant references to vape "smoke" make them sound a bit silly?

I did say the were vaping so of course it wasn't actual smoke. My point was if you are getting billows of smoke if that's just steam or whatever your natural reaction when it hits you in the face is to hold your breath and close your eyes. It was far worse than any cigarette smoking. I didn't care it was just harmless vapour having it in your face while you go down the road was not fun. Why is that such hard concept?

Pubs and cafes are much busier round here if they have a garden, even in the November rain. Many have come up with creative solutions, all sorts of new roof-top or ex-bin shed gardens have sprung up since the ban.

It would be a daft business decision to ban smoking in the gardens for the 15 days/year when some body who minds wants to sit in the garden. The smoking costumers are there too on those 15 days and also the other 350 days of the year.

They have nowhere left to smoke

In the privacy of their own home. Where they don't inflict it on anyone else

Well there was a trial in 2005 when Weatherspoons voluntarily banned smoking in a number of pubs, then changed the decision due to lower profits.
The truth is that smokers tend to spend more in pubs and cafes than non-smokers, so places are reluctant to discourage them.

not round 'ere Derek
Cheap as chips to look cool ;)

It was far worse than any cigarette smoking

Genuinely interested to know why you feel that's so? I do see what you mean about instinctively closing your eyes if a cloud of something comes towards you, and I completely get that folk might not like the particular flavour being used ... not quite sure, though, how water vapour and flavouring can actually be worse than all the stuff kicked out by a cigarette?

I meant if someone in front of you walking down street is smoking you may get smell but smoke tends to blow up. These people were about 20 metres in front of me and smoke/vapour was still smoke when hit me in face. Was glad it wasn't smelling smoke but yuk!

you may get smell but smoke tends to blow up

Not according to the more vociferous posters here

You're right though, cigarette smoke ^does* rise, and for exactly the same reason that water vapour would have done the same - because they're both less dense than the surrounding air. Hard to see how this particular cloud of vapour could have remained intact enough to cause such an impact from 60+ feet away, but of course I wasn't there ...

CarolDecker - but the % of the population who smoked was higher in 2005 than now, and to put it nicely, Weatherspoons does seem to target a demographic that are more likely to contain smokers.

Puzzled - I suppose it depends on the way the wind is blowing and the strength of wind, it was quite blustery in the SE this weekend. Being downwind from a smoker or vaper isn't nice for a non-smoker.

Sooner we have a 100% smoking ban in public the better.

Wow, there are still people that think smoking looks cool?! Are you still wearing a shell suit too?

I know what you mean Akire. Cigarette smoke seems to disperse more quickly than vapour, especially when vapers are doing the thing where they get a massive cloud of vapour it seems to move in one mass towards you.

Lol, everytime you drive your car you are poisoning everyone else.

Having your kids sat in a traffic jam for 15 minutes is the equivalent of them smoking 20 fags.

I don't even smoke anymore, I'd have one next to you just to piss you off though fatandold. (and I'd laugh at you if you fared to tell me to stop)

Wow, fat, hope you feel better now. You really need to get a life, and I say that as a non-smoker. It must be horrible to harbour so much anger, utterly energy-zapping, too. It's a shame you can channel that anger into something more positive.

brand what a load of Tosh. And how do you know I have a car, etc?

Drawing comparisons is a diversionary tactic. It does not validate the selfish dangerous behaviour you seek to defend.

expat I have a life thanks. I'd prefer it to be one where others don't give me cancer, so I can live a bit longer and see my kids grow up.