To ask colleague to stop smoking

[mude]

Would I be unreasonable to ask a colleague to put out a cigarette while travelling in their car to an external meeting during work hours?
They lit up without asking if it's ok with me, which I always assumed was common courtesy when in the car with someone else. (I am also 8 weeks pregnant but this is unknown to them obviously)

Not at all. If it is work then you are in a workspace and smoking there is illegal.

Can't be fun in that car anyway.

You can ask of course, but it's their car. Presumably you knew they smoked before accepting the lift?

How is public transport to the meeting, should you need to use it in future?

It's only a workplace if travelling with them is an expected requirement if your role. Can you get to the meeting independently?

My husband would do this and it's bloody rude!

If you feel awkward about it you could always say you've got a ticket cough coming and smoke sets it off. I would say something though or I would have offered to drive instead.

You said in their car.
Yes it's rude but it's their property.

I'd probably say nothing to be honest, if it was a one off or only very occasionally. It is rude of them though. Besides breathing in the smoke, your clothes will stink. Smokers are selfish though. I can say this myself as an ex one.

Make sure you passively aggressively wind your window down as far as possible though. Whilst coughing.

If there is no other way for you to get the meeting and you are being asked by your employer to travel by that method, then I would say the car counts as a workplace and it's illegal for your colleague to smoke while you're in the car.

If you're accepting a lift for convenience only and your employer would think it reasonable for you to drive yourself, take a cab or get public transport, then I don't think the car would count as a workplace and he can light up all he wants.

Travelling on business in the car makes it a workplace. Smoking is illegal.

If it's in their car, I don't see how you can ask.

Make your own way there if it bothers you.

I wouldn't have thought so as I'm assuming it's Mr X's car and he just offered OP a lift, and it is not a company car. I really hate smoking but wouldn't tell someone else in their car not to smoke esp as they were kind enough to offer a lift.

I don't think you ABU.

Nobody I know would smoke near me while I was pregnant, unless we were outside and then they would stand away from me and blown in direction of wind.

Do they know you are pregnant?

It's their personal car. It isn't a workplace. It isn't illegal.

It is inconsiderate but I suppose as per point 1, it's their car and their choice.

I'd probably just try and find another method of travel...

Yabu if it's their car and they are doing you a favour.

Yanbu if your colleague is driving you as part of their own job role.

Easy solution is for you to drive the colleague in your car next time, or use public transport.

If they are claiming mileage then it is a workplace. If they aren't, then it's a bit more of a grey area. Our policy at work is v clear that if you claim expenses and are transporting other members of staff, you must not smoke in the car.

It's the same reason they ask for my MOT, service records and insurance every year and won't pay expenses without that. When they pay expenses, it is treated as them providing equipment for your use and they have a duty of care to ensure that it is maintained and insured correctly.

If the travel is part of a working commitment she shouldn't be smoking with other people in the car anyway, it then counts as a workplace and is illegal. If she's doing you a favour unfortunately you have no right to ask her.

Good God YANBU at all! What a vile thing to do when you have people in your car. Basic manners I'd expect. I assume the person offered you a lift.Your poor thing.

And yes, if mileage being claimed from employer it makes it a workplace as you have to have insurance to cover you for business travel and so therefore illegal.

And those saying 'get public transport' 'their car their rules', really?? Given we've had a smoking ban in place for 10 years and it's rightly seen as a disgusting habit that makes it incredibly selfish and rude. God poor OP's clothes will stink.

mrs the smoking ban is public places, so not in a personal vehicle if it turns out this person was just doing op a favour.

So if it turns out it wasn't classed as a work place at the time, then it is their car their rules. I don't smoke in cars or any other enclosed space myself, but if I was doing a colleague a favour and they got in my car and objected to my choice of music, or if it stank of wet dog that day, or they didn't like the smell of whatever I was eating, or anything else I am perfectly entitled to do in my own vehicle, then I would quite happily suggest they made other arrangements for themselves. Just because smokers are currently public number one I don't see it as any different.

Well, I suppose the difference is that the other things you've mentioned don't lead to second-hand smoke inhalation? Unless you blow it with your head out the window.

I used to smoke but would never think of doing that with a non-smoker in the car. I don't see why people would do it with an adult non-smoker but wouldn't do it with a child in the car? The effects are the same.

I wouldn't make a fuss and just travel separately next time.

It depends whether you have to ride with him/her and it's a work commitment, or just a favour/privately arranged thing for your convenience.

will because with a child they don't have any other choices available to them, whereas an adult who is getting a lift does have choices. Despite smoking I wouldn't like it in an enclosed space like a car either, but in someone else's I'd accept it wasn't my choice.

But like I originally said if the colleague is doing it as part of their job role it isn't ok.

Thank you for your replies,
To answer a few questions-
I was aware the colleague in question used to be a smoker, I was under the impression they quit so was quite surprised when they lit up a cigarette.
Yes I technically could make my own way there, but company policy dictates that where possible we must lift share if we are going to and from the same place, or mileage expenses will not be paid for both employees. These are regular meeting sometimes up to an hours drive so I wouldn't want to miss out on mileage if I needlessly drive myself. Saying that, on the occasions that I drive myself, it is not an issue as I simply request no smoking in my car. I see the consensus is that as the car is their property it is a grey area as to whether I am within my rights to ask them not to smoke. No they do not know I am pregnant yet (even if I wasn't pregnant I wouldn't want to be in a car with someone smoking) but perhaps once I announce my pregnancy they will think twice before lighting up!

On the occasions that I am designated driver*

Solution = you drive.