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.

We were in a 'posh pub' garden and a woman asked my smoking dh to move as she and her kids was still eating

Good on that woman. It is exceptionally rude and bad manners to smoke where there are children and/or food nearby.

The fact that he nearly kicked off over it tells me everything I need to know about him.

It's a pub and it's outside! Surely people should expect people to be smoking there? It's not bad manners in that situation. I thought she was pretty rude tbh.

Smoking has been banned in public places in Oz where I live for ages.. I couldn't even imagine someone lighting up outside a cafe! You can't smoke withing 10m (I think) of a doorway.
I think it's pretty grim but ultimately it's still legal in UK
Needs to be up to the discretion of the cafe

Smoking has been banned in public places in Oz where I live for ages.. I couldn't even imagine someone lighting up outside a cafe! You can't smoke withing 10m (I think) of a doorway.
I think it's pretty grim but ultimately it's still legal in UK
Needs to be up to the discretion of the cafe

RedStripeIassie It's bad manners in every situation where there is food and/or children. No exceptions.

But OP the presence of dogs, reardless of their behaviour, revolts some people when they are eating. Are you going to stop imposing it on them?

5OBalesofHay You can avert your eyes from a dog if they offend you so much. You can't not inhale cancerous substances without moving away, and considering they were sat down and eating, that wasn't possible.

A waft of smoke outside isn't going to cause damage is it? I'm asthmatic and it doesn't get to me outside.
If you bring children out especially to a pub you just expect they're going to hear swearing, be near smokers and everything else people do at the pub. I'm not a defender of smoking but I can't see the harm and just thought she was being a bit precious and looking down her nose at us.

RedStripeIassie You don't know how much damage a cigarettes worth of smoke will do to someone else. I'd rather not risk it with myself or any children.

I can't speak for her, but I do look down my nose at smokers and I do judge them, because they are affecting my health whether they care to admit it or not.

I'm surprised you're asthmatic and your DH smokes. I'm asthmatic too and that would be a deal breaker for me.

If dogs revolt you so much, you're hardly likely to go and sit in an area obviously populated by dogs, with water bowls by the tables, so very clearly dog friendly. Whereas, there were no ashtrays marking it out as smoker friendly.

Your hypothetical dog haters could have used all the inside space, if you want to go down this route. If they happened to be smoking dog haters, same as smoking dog likers, they can go smoke where kids aren't eating their lunch.

YANBU I would never have smoked around children. I used to cross over rather than pass a kid with a cigarette on. But then, I also used to put it out as soon as I saw a vicar so there's a good chance I was an overly-guilty smoker.

These days I'm sensitive about it around my kids because I'm jealous. I'm like, well if I can't bloody smoke around my kids I'll be damned if you can!

I'm a smoker but I'd never light up a cigarette next to children, or even non smoking adults.
I always walk to a spot that isn't crowded.
I suppose the trouble is there were no signs saying no smoking.
Maybe cafes at family public places should say no smoking at the tables? It's hard to keep everyone happy.

I'm not a fan of either smoking or dogs but as it's ok to have either in many places, the problem is my own tough luck. And the smoking nearby would bother me far less than a dog would.

I'm a dog owner and I have to admit, a steamy breathed slobbery dog next to my panini is a stomach turner but there's no law against that.

Stop being so fuckin entitled and consider yourself lucky that smoking has been stopped in all indoor areas

So, people want to be able to be outside and not breathe in cigarette smoke, and we're the entitled ones?? As opposed to the smokers who seem to believe all outdoors everywhere is their domain?

That smoking has been banned indoors isn't lucky, it's progress. Honestly, in the future people will look back and wonder how on earth it was ever ok to force everyone within a few yards radius of you to breathe in cigarette smoke just because you want to. Smokers are the definition of entitled!!

Hang on a minute not all smokers do this.
There's a lot that people find offensive that is unhealthy, like people drinking alcohol and the drunkenness that follows..I don't want my kids to be around that either, but it's everywhere!
Fat guts spilling out, boobs drooping and flapping around parks, halitosis, swearing, unvaccinated children etc etc.
just because you're a non smoker doesn't make you perfect.

I haven't smoked for over 30 years. I smoked in the days when you could smoke absolutely anywhere. I almost feel sorry for smokers nowadays. And thank goodness I don't smoke anymore - the social pleasure of it no longer exists. There is nowhere you can smoke and not feel bad about it. But I guess that's the whole point and making people feel like social outcasts is how you get them to give up. Sorry - not helpful to the OP's argument. Just wanted to throw that into the mix.

The fact that it's offensive isn't the issue. Drunk people can be unpleasant, sure, but you can't passively drink alcohol. You won't go home from an evening in a pub garden stinking of cider because the person at the table next to you was drinking Aspall.

Yes but your children can be subjected to loud brash and unruly drunk adults, swearing and talking about sex. I don't particularly want my children thinking that it's acceptable to be drunk, but hey ho.

Unless they where sitting there blowing the smoke right in your face I don't really see the problem they where smoking outside which is legal abd allowed yes they probably should've moved away but for Gods sake we are banned from smoking indoors anywhere and now people are moaning about us smoking outside. We can't win we are seen as leppers.

Your hypothetical dog haters could have used all the inside space, if you want to go down this route. If they happened to be smoking dog haters, same as smoking dog likers, they can go smoke where kids aren't eating their lunch

So people who have a fear of dogs should be made to sit in doors while you sit outside with your dog that's a bit one rule for me another rule for someone else you can't expect people who are afraid of dogs to sit inside just like you can't expect smokers to go and sit somewhere else.

If dogs revolt you so much, you're hardly likely to go and sit in an area obviously populated by dogs, with water bowls by the tables, so very clearly dog friendly. Whereas, there were no ashtrays marking it out as smoker friendly.

There is no need for an area to be marked out as 'smoker-friendly'. Smoking is legal out of doors.

Save the NHS some money do you realise the amount of money that smokers contribute to the NHS is £12 billion whilst it's estimated that the cost to the NHS is £3-£6 billion

Oh gosh, I had no idea. So I should be grateful then, next time a smoker inflicts their foul, acrid nausea-inducing, eye-stinging stream of poison on me while I try to enjoy an al fresco lunch in the sunshine, because they are actually keeping the NHS afloat. Well that has changed my mind completely. I am so grateful to you all.

All those comparing the dogs being as antisocial as the smoking. Really? As far as I know, nobody ever dies of cancer from second-hand dog.

Funny that you get lots of cafes proclaiming 'we are dog friendly, bring your dog' and providing water and treats, but none proclaiming 'we are fag friendly, bring your cancer sticks' and handing out lighters......

How many kids get killed by dogs? A lot is the answer.
I was savaged by a dog when I was 3, jumped over our garden fence and tried to kill me.
I don't think a slight waft of cigarette smoke is going to kill a child, like others have mentioned, children are subjected daily and constantly to car fumes, so there's more chance of an asthmatic having an attack due to that and that's not mentioning the allergies that some children have to dogs.
That being said, as a smoker I opt to smoke out of the publics way, because I respect other people's lungs and sensitivities,
Can't say the same for all dog owners though.