Smoking outside cafés?

[PuntCuffin]

Took my boys out to a local country park this morning. Decided we would have lunch while we were there so got ourselves settled at an outside table at the park café. We had our dog with us (as did many other families) so could not have gone inside.

Halfway through our meal, another family sat at the neighbouring table and both adults proceeded to light up cigarettes. So, we ended up with smoke wafting across us. Both boys stopped eating pretty much immediately, and started saying they felt sick. (Yes, they are probably hypersensitive but, it was pretty grim.) I gave up on trying to convince them to finish their lunch and we left the area, as did another family who hadn't finished their meals either.

There were no ashtrays on the tables, so the café clearly don't endorse smoking there.

AIBU to think this is a) Fucking inconsiderate behaviour and b) to be amazed that it is legal to smoke round an area where people are eating, even if it is outside.

YADNBU it is gross.

OP was there first, enjoying her meal with her children outside along with another family. These other people showed up, sat down, didn't need to be in those seats as they weren't eating/drinking. They then proceeded to smoke making the air around them so unpleasant that one of the families left and OP's children felt sick. Is OP entitled? If you mean entitled to enjoy her meal without second hand smoke wafting around then yes, I think she is. How about if you were sitting outside a café enjoying a cigarette and a coffee. Someone sits down next to you, plays music that you can't stand on their phone that's loud enough to annoy. It's not against the law but it's pretty inconsiderate to play it without having thought of anyone else. Isn't it?

....thus restoring peace to the troubled cafe terrace. Good-o.

Entitled would have been if they had been there smoking first and I had demanded that they stop. Instead, we were the ones who left them to it.*

Except that now you are moaning about it. So yes, entitled.

I'd prefer not to sit neat your dog whilst I eat, nevermind the smokers! But we all have to compromise, eh?

MummaMinnie:

There are laws against excessive public noise.

Puntcuffin sorry to burst your bubble, I'm a smoker and I spend all my spare time out in the new forest, Brecon Beacons, Dorset country side etc, next time You're out for a nice long walk, il be the one with the cigarette

ilovechoc1987 - Are you sure your poor polluted lungs allow you to go walking?! I would have thought they would confine you to taking up tables in dog dwelling cafes and making people feel sick from meters away.

I did say it was excessive Trifle, just loud enough to annoy.

Wankingmonkey so far so good, I ran the marathon last year I kid you not

Ilovechoc I wasn't being entirely serious. TBH, on long walks, what I notice is that we rarely meet people more than about a mile from the nearest available parking. Whether they smoke or not, I have no idea. And nor do I care. Unless they decided to sit down right next to me and light up while we have our picnic. In which case, I reserve the right to start another thread.

didn't say

Puntcuffin sorry to burst your bubble, I'm a smoker and I spend all my spare time out in the new forest, Brecon Beacons, Dorset country side etc, next time You're out for a nice long walk, il be the one with the cigarette wink

I hope you take your fag butts with you and put them in a bin instead of littering our lovely countryside. ;)

Punt smoker with 7 dogs who walks longer every day and my poor polluted lungs allow me to do whatever I please unsure of my thoughts on smoking in the area you described though - on one hand if there were no signs and it's open air then it's their right BUT I personally wouldn't do it

*longer than four hours

Yeah I've noticed vaping has attracted a new breed of frothers

Yes and once they've banned vaping, the do-gooding frothers will turn their attention to the evils of alcohol.

Right, so you chose to become pregnant, you choose not to smoke, you also chose to rat lunch in a shop that had no indoor seating, you chose to sit in the smoking area.....and got pissed off.
You didn't ask politely you huffed and puffed and played the martyr....
Surely you can see you are in the wrong Phyllis

I'm not as repulsed by vaping, but it's better than tobacco. I still don't like inhaling/smelling stuff that has been in someone else's lungs/mouth/nose.

My husband was a smoker before we got married. I used to feel embarrassed when he would smoke in public. I would literally walk in front of him until he had stopped.

Yes and once they've banned vaping, the do-gooding frothers will turn their attention to the evils of alcohol.

Nah alcohol is safe I think. Always will be.

I don't get the fuss about vaping. I do think its getting banned in public places as its helping too many people to stop smoking though, hence the government is losing revenue. Slightly conspiracy theorist on that one

MummaMinnie:

Then I would be annoyed, but would tolerate it because it was within their rights.

I don't think I'm in the wrong at all. I am visibly pregnant and sat down at a table eating and drinking. Why would someone choose to smoke next to me? I'm baffled by that. Sorry!

I still don't like inhaling/smelling stuff that has been in someone else's lungs/mouth/nose.

Bad breath is the worst for this tbh. My pet hate. I know people whos breath actually smells just like shit. Not even an exaggeration.

Their poor polluted lungs tend not to allow them to get that far you're fucking kidding me? I walk miles every day as a smoker. And no, I never smoke in the street (because I don't like to smoke and walk and I rarely have time to stop and enjoy the coffee) but to grin and insinuate that smokers are all thick or selfish is reprehensible. I won't smoke around your children. Not because they are your special snowflakes but because, as a rule, I only smoke in pub gardens or outside my office or home. I consider others. But I will not have your patronising bullshit.

Pregnant means you get my seat on the tube, not the right to shut down the area where smoking is allowed. You should have waited for an indoor table or walked 30 ft further to a coffee shop with seats.....or.......just asked the smoker to stop, most would!

All I know is that since smoking in pubs was outlawed.. a hell of a lot of pubs have closed and many villages and communities no longer have a pub

Add in the fact that not so long ago, they started to allow children into the main part of the pub (whereas before ,you were banished to a room at the back if you had children and wanted to go in a pub)

So now you have pubs where people can't smoke and there are often screechy children running around.

Even well-behaved children spoil the atmosphere of a pub. imo. because adults find themselves having to watch and modulate their language.
All those things together kill the atmposphere.

It's no wonder a lot have closed and are continuing to close down.