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.

You're missing the point Punt

Whether there were 89 dogs, or just the one, someone may not have wanted to sit near one, or felt too intimidated to sit outside near one to eat. You didn't consider anyone else when you plonked yourselves down with your dog and nor should you have to. It's all about compromise.

Maybe the offending smokers would have watched your dog for you while you ate inside.

You're not being unreasonable. A few weekends ago, after my weekly shop at Waitrose, I felt light headed so decided to go to Costa for some food and a drink. There were no seats inside the Costa so I had to go outside. I sat down with my panini and a coffee, then someone started smoking right next to me. I'm pregnant and it was pretty clear that I had a bump from what I was wearing. I felt so sick that I had to get up and head for the car. It is completely inconsiderate.

I'm a smoker and a dog owner. I wouldn't have lit up in those circumstances as people were eating. However, I reserve the perfectly legal right to do so should I wish.

It doesn't matter how many dogs there were - there were no "no smoking" signs up and it is legal to smoke outside, so they were just as entitled to be there as you were.

I look forward to the glorious, fresh day when smoking is entirely banned in public places. Idyllic.

Phyllis, i suspect the offending person's smoke will have done absolutely no harm to your unborn child.

YABVU
I can't stand smoking but I wouldn't dream of asking a smoker sitting outside to stop! Plenty fresh air to blow it away. They already have to go outside in the p'ing rain - what more do you need?

At no point have I said 'going to be sick'. I said felt sick. I agree they were probably being over dramatic but at no point did I encourage them. I can't feel their nausea for them, if they say they felt it, who am I to say they didn't. What I have said is that I am not going to encourage them to get used to cigarette smoke.

Leaving aside whether this family were specifically inconsiderate, I am genuinely surprised that it is still legal to smoke where food is being served. I don't eat out often, and probably don't have the dog with us on most occasions when we do, this was impromptu, so this hasn't happened to us before.
I am not just a stroppy arse bitch who thinks the world should revolve around me and my snowflakes, or I would probably have asked them to stop. I actually came home and Googled it, expecting to find that smoking in eating areas was illegal. I was obviously wrong.

it should be banned outside completely?

thats ridiculous-its outside u cant ban it everyewhere

the op situatio though that seemed rude i never use to smoke around kids on purpose i would have say somewhere else

So what does "felt sick" mean if it doesn't mean felt nauseous and as if they were going to be sick?

I would find dogs more offensive than smokers if I was eating

sat*

usernumbernine It's very easy to actually feel sick but know you're not going to be sick. I've had that several times.

saturday as I said in a previous post earlier in the thread, I am a non smoker, I have never smoked, I find smoking disgusting

But that doesn't mean I think OP is right

Personally I would find it more disgusting to be eating near someone else's dog.

what more do you need?

Banned completely. Make it illegal to smoke. If it just affected the person smoking, fine, their choice to stink and inhale cancer, but since it affects others around them, it should be illegal.

I use nauseous or queasy for that.

Feeling sick means about to barf to me.

still confused.

Smokers dont bother me but I cant stand dogs while im eating

SpreadYourHappiness

Alcohol can harm people around, dog can, cats can, certain food can

I suppose we ban all that also?

If the dog is well behaved and it isn't jumping up at people, then I don't see the issue. The dog isn't going to sit there, light up and exhale fumes that could affect your children.

YANBU,
I would want to eat my meal with smoke wafting in my face. It's disgusting and inconsiderate.

Not everyone wants to stink of an ashtray when they are trying to enjoy the nice weather. Why should I have to eat inside just because people are incapable of not smoking whilst they have a meal.

usernumbernine What exactly is confusing you now? People use different words for the same thing. Once you realise this, there's nothing to be confused over anymore.

Go indoors? Where all the non smokers are? If you're that sensitive or worried about your children then stay inside. It's not like you don't know where they'll be!

Make smoking illegal?

Of course that'll happen .