To have a fag in my garden if I want to?

[WomanInChains]

I only smoke in my garden, never in the street or anywhere else. A footpath runs along the side of it adjoining a woodland area. Footpath is a short cut to supermarket, doctors, hairdressers. I smoke in the alleyway at the side of my garden which runs adjacent with the footpath.

I am getting sick of random people making loud comments when they pass by my fence like 'that stink is disgusting, ohh someone's smoking eurgghh' and etc.

WIBU to shout over to the next person to fuck off away from my fence if it bothers them rather than pausing and making comments?

My MIL has emphysema from working in pubs when she was younger. She’s never smoked in her life. She’ll die from it eventually. That’s the thing, it does actually effect others and I think that’s why they maybe feel free to comment 🤷🏻‍♀️. Sounds like you’re feeling a bit bullied though and that’s not nice. You could tell them to F off if you like but I’m not sure it’d help you?

I like how smokers make the world their litter bin.

But but but but.... where is the diagram?

Sorry, couldn't resist. I hate the smell of smoke but I do think that you should be able to smoke in your own garden.

Angelo, oh so developing lung cancer is okay as long as the cause was useful to someone else? Because it’s useful for lazy people drive for 5 minutes rather than walk for 15/20? Well then, smoking is very useful for me, it helps my anxiety and makes me happy. Now you don’t mind.

Actually, if you check out my comments on this thread you'll see that I find people who drive short distances just to save themselves a 20 minute walk to be both lazy and irresponsible. And there are plenty of other ways to combat anxiety that don't affect the health of anyone standing near you.

I guess being selfish and making yourself and other people sick isn't one of the things that you're anxious about.

You can smoke in your garden if you want, but they do smell and people are welcome to pass comment if they want to.

Angelo, no one has to stand near me. I smoke in three kinds of place, my doorstep, friend/family’s gardens (where I/other smokers have been given a “spot”) and pub smoking areas. Places everyone can avoid getting close to. Not so car exhausts.

Can I just ask Luv cos I’m nosey so you never ever go in a car?!

You can smoke in your garden if you want, nobodies business, it's private land. Maybe smoke away from the fence. As it's outside it will go more easily, inside the smoke will linger.

You are entitled to smoke in your garden and they are entitled to comment on their view of a nasty smell. Each to their own. Not worth getting het up about by either party.
Presumably it's not a nice smell or you'd be smoking in your own house so have some empathy for them. I'm sure they realise why you are doing out in the garden even if they don't like the way it impacts on them.

They are probably too stupid to realise that by allowing the discrimination and judgement of smokers, they are letting in a whole other lot of judgement about lifestyle and cancer risk- including concerning over-eating/being overweight and drinking alcohol. If they are refused hospital treatment in the future for rationing as they are overweight or obese, or drink more than 14 units a week, presumably they won't mind or indeed connect it

I'm not obese and I barely drink alcohol. Am I allowed to comment now?

waving their hands over a non-existent threat!

To be honest I don't care what a smoker does to their health - they're an adult, they've made a choice. I do care when they smell and I have to smell it, when I'm trying to eat and their smoke is wafting in my face and when I'm walking along the pavement or entering /exiting buildings into a cloud of second hand smoke.

I like how smokers make the world their litter bin

I saw an article on the news recently regarding cigarette butts being the biggest single pollutant in the sea.

Teddybearbaby, rarely, definitely less than once a week. Maybe I’ll cut down on the fags every day that I go in one.

Haha good idea and I’ll cut down driving! Winners 😁

I smoke in three kinds of place, my doorstep, friend/family’s gardens (where I/other smokers have been given a “spot”) and pub smoking areas. Places everyone can avoid getting close to.

Sadly, not all smokers are that considerate, I'd say you're in the very small minority. And just because you can avoid getting close to smokers, doesn't mean you can avoid getting close to smoke. I was walking a good 20 or so metres behind someone smoking a cigarette on the way to train station this morning but his smoke was coming right back at me, the only way to get away from it was to power walk until I was ahead of him.

I think it's like if someone was sitting in their garden doing incredibly stinky farts 💨 You can do what you want in your garden (within reason) but you can't stop people commenting when they smell something horrible.

Also, I don't think many smokers realise quite how bad it smells. DH used to smoke and got used to the smell but he gave it up about 10 years ago and now he really can't stand it.

Just clicked on the thread to make sure somebody has, yet again, compared smoking to driving a car and erroneously stated that this false comparison makes the discussion moot.

OP, people aren't saying stuff to you, they're making factual statements according to their comfort. Just ignore it

Are becoming an increasingly intolerant society do you think ? It can only be a matter of a few seconds of fleeting but harmless unpleasantness as people pass the OP.
When I come out of a restaurant in the evening I find groups of drunks on the street intimidating and much more likely than the occasional smoker to be a danger to my health. Most people would not dare complain out loud about them.
I expect we could all make a list of things that irritate us, but that we tolerate.

If you take away the word smelly you could say the same of alcohol. Shall we ban that too?

No you couldn't. Is alcohol filthy? No. Do people leave the ends of pints all over the street? Is it anti-social or is it actually very social? Alcohol has definite benefits.
Poor analogy, try again.

Your subject line is confusing.

You ask about your right to smoke in your garden. But you aren't! You say you are smoking in an alleyway next to a public footpath.

I smoke in the alleyway at the side of my garden which runs adjacent with the footpath You are NOT in your garden. If they are walking through a cloud of smoke on the verge of a public footpath then yes, they are right to complain.

who wants to stink of your smoke by the time they reach their destination?

@Stormstar
If you take away the word smelly you could say the same of alcohol. Shall we ban that too?

People can drink alcohol without being addicted. Tobacco companies know that if they can get someone to smoke 40 fags, they are usually addicted for life. Big difference. The addiction rate of fags v booze is very different.

You can smoke on your own land, good for you only smoking outdoors, that is commendable! People are far too picky, not their business what you do and it doesn't smell that bad. Plenty worse smells!

How bad can it smell in the open air, that loads of people walking past express their disgust? Seriously, how many people are we actually talking about here?

You can smoke in your garden as you please. They can dislike the smoke and say so. See how freedom works?

Pretty much this.

They're bothered about the smell and you're bothered about the comments. Lose-lose.

@WomaninChains Is the alleyway yours? Or is it a public right of way?
Is it shared with other houses?

I guess if you are so sensitive about what people think of your smoke MAYBE IT IS THE PERFECT TIME TO DITCH YOUR DISGUSTING HABIT?

Maybe you ought to ask about how to stop?

How can an alleyway be inside your garden I dont get it?!

To be honest I'm glad that smokers are starting to feel the hatred.

They couldn't police themselves in bars and public places (ie leave and smoke somewhere where they weren't bothering anyone, so a law had to be brought in) and they still don't seem to accept that the world is not their ashtray. Every day I see some idiot littering a cigarette butt.

Presumably the walkway between op’s house and her boundary fence?