To think this should be banned?

[SpareChangeDownTheSofa]

NC for privacy reasons.

Now I work at a drive thru at a certain fast food restaurant and it is common place for people to be smoking in their cars at the window so the cigarettes are right in our face and the smoke blows right at us. Sometimes people even blow it out of the window/their mouths and right at you (though not on purpose I don't think).

AIBU to think that smoking while in a drive thru should be banned? I mean its awful working there when someone comes in and rolls down a window so a load of smoke comes at you or they're busy blowing it in your direction while you're trying to serve them and have to lean out of the window to take their money etc.

I get this op and I do smoke myself.
I worked at a certain drive thru window myself ( McDonald's ) on an over night shift and this happened a lot, especially those who came through in taxi's drunk at 3/4am.

Knowing the company as I do, unless it's a company owned restaurant, the franchise ones would really struggle to implement this unless it became illegal as they would not want to rock the boat with customers and the one I worked at was of the view that "the customer is always right" even if said customer had told us to piss off ot threw something at us which happened a lot

Where exactly should people smoke?

Not the problem of non-smokers.

have asked the boss but they say the same thing about being able to police it.

That's easy enough, isn't it? You refuse to serve them till they stop smoking.

Banning smoking is as realistic as banning drinking. And Prohibition was such a success, wasn't it?

as I said where I live there are bylaws regarding smoking within certain sites (public buildings food service establishments, children's playgrounds) people become aware and people comply. it's not a big deal.

It's been banned here (NSW) and nobody has an issue with it.
I too live in NSW.

I was having a cup of coffee at seating outside a cafe, in the open air, just after this ban came in. A woman walked past, and when she noticed the new, no smoking sign, almost did a little dance, shrieking "Thank goodness."

I stopped smoking several years ago, but still felt like punching her in the face for her smug witch hunting propensity. Or maybe I'm just angry because I still miss that smoke with my coffee. (Can't work out how to add Smiley)

Banning smoking is nothing like prohibition. Alcohol can easily be brewed from readily available ingredients and the Canadian land border made smuggling easy.
Banning tobacco is easier due the volume smokers require make smuggling much less profitable than other illegal drugs and it is very expensive to grow indoors in the UK.

Don't you get a lot of car fumes at drive thru's?

caroldecker Organised crime will find a way. Believe me.

Oh yes, the Canadian border:

Four and twenty Yankees, feeing very dry
Came across the border to get a drink of rye.
As the rye was opened the Yanks began to sing
God bless America, but God Save the King!

That's easy enough, isn't it? You refuse to serve them till they stop smoking.

Can see that going down well with OPs boss !

Yanbu as one of the main reasons for the smoking ban was to protect employees from passive smoke in their workplaces

Plus it's bloody ignorant to blow smoke in someone's face

Yanbu. That's gross.

Caroldecker... I can assure you that 20% of the defence budget is far higher than £9bn. So take your bollocks pro-smoking propaganda somewhere else.

Wheredoes thisgo
UK defence budget is £35.1bn. 20% of that is £7bn.
Not sure where you get your numbers from.

I normally speak up for smokers on these threads (which always turn into bun fights) but the main reason the smoking ban was introduced was to protect non smokers in their place of work so you should be afforded the same protection OP. You and your colleagues need to lobby your HR department to make the drive through a no-smoking area however be prepared for there to be a lot of resistance to it

My issue with this is that you are serving food. Their smoke is all over you and then you go and handle food afterwards. It is disgusting.

That's what I think luckylucky, I would hate the thought of people cooking food who stink of smoke. If the staff want to smoke they have to completely cover their uniform and do it way off of the premises where they won't be seen.

My dramatic coughing seems to work sometimes though

A no smoking sign should be put in view of the drive through, maybe with a word or two about breathing smoke in the restaurant's windows and how it won't be tolerated. Pretty sure it wouldn't be that difficult to enforce, most people would abide by the request surely.