To complain to neighbours smoking in the garden?

[Quickncjust4this]

Our neighbours have recently installed a canvas covered parabola thing in their garden, with one side (the side pointing towards our garden) left open.

They are now using this as an all seasons smoking shelter. Many times through the day and most evenings they are sat out there puffing away.

The problem is it is completely stinking out my house. The whole of our top floor now stinks of smoke. I've shut the windows be it is still coming in through the vents. I've bought new air fresheners which help but it's still awful.

As non smokers it's really unbearable for us I'm also worried about young children and the health effect to them.

Would I be unreasonable to ask them to stop, or at least to add a 4th panel to their shelter to reduce what reaches our home?

@BoulangerieBabs

What's a parabola?

y = x^2, it's also the path followed when a ball is thrown into the air and comes down further away! Maybe it should have been pagoda, although that wouldn't fit the description either!

You can’t complain about someone smoking in their own garden, it’s disgusting to have the smell in your house but nothing you can really do, I wouldn’t want to run the risk of a massive feud between my neighbours

I would politely raise it with my neighbours. The smell of cigarettes is revolting and I can’t believe it’s still legal to smoke. Should be made illegal. Second hand smoke is unhealthy and I wouldn’t want it in my bedroom or my kids.

Hopefully they will move their smoking pad!! 🤞🏽 You’ve got my sympathy.

Regardless of your boasting about your degree you sound like a pain in the arse. They are smoking, not murdering someone

As non smokers it's really unbearable for us I'm also worried about young children and the health effect to them

If that's your definition of "unbearable" you've lived a very sheltered life. And I highly doubt that people smoking occasionally several metres away in the open air poses any risk to your children whatsoever unless they're offering your PFBs a drag through the fence

@SomewhereEast

What’s wrong with living a sheltered life and not wanting children to breathe in smoke?

Can’t see how any one is having a go at OP
For not wanting to smell a ming dirty smell and inhale cancerous second hand smoke. Should be outlawed!

@OverTheRainbow88

Oh give over. They're not "breathing in smoke". I grew up in a household where the adults smoked so heavily that the you could barely see the hand in front of your face in the kitchen of an evening and the 'white' walls were actually yellow. THAT'S breathing in smoke . I would actually have a sliver of sympathy for the OP if her language wasn't so hyperbolic - I mean living in a war zone is "really unbearable", not smelling some smoke

Sparkl fairy as someone with a master's degree in physics and a PhD in a related field, I can tell you it does not defy the rules of physics. What a silly comment.

I know you have a PhD but do you mean a pergola instead of a parabola?
And "definitely "... just do you know for your next PHD

Can't believe people are foolish and selfish enough to still smoke.

@Quickncjust4this

Sparkl fairy as someone with a master's degree in physics and a PhD in a related field, I can tell you it does not defy the rules of physics. What a silly comment.

And you still can't spell definitely

You have my sympathy. Our neighbour smokes in the back garden. Within seconds I can smell it throughout our upstairs. It comes in the air vents. He also seems to time his morning fag when I am in the shower with the window open. The smell is vile. It's so anti-social.

Apologies for my spelling error to the pp's with an issue with it. I'm also sorry you feel the need the come and be mean to people you don't know on the internet.
I could try and make some observation about what it says about you as a person but let's just call a spade a spade and say you like to try and make someone feel small , I won't make assumptions why but I won't make a pretence that it isn't a nasty thing to do either.

Somewhereeast I also grew up in a house with a constant fog of cigarette smoke. Both my parents died of cancer in their 50's. It's not really a competition on how much smoke our bodies can tolerate is it?
I can't stand the smell of it, and it makes me really anxious as to the harm it's doing to my children. But hey, you survived a smokers house so the rest of us should put up with anything that's not quite so bad huh?!

Thanks to everyone who offered sensible advice, either advising reasonable or unreasonable.
Bumped into neighbours on the drive about an hour ago. They were brilliantly understanding have closed the 4th side of the whatever it's called gazebo thing. We are greatful and dropped them a bottle of wine as a thanks.
Thank goodness Mumsnet and the real world and different !

@BoulangerieBabs

Right so we've ascertaineddespite Op ignoring me that it's a pergola.

Do pergolas have sides these days? Wouldn't that be a gazebo?

@snowplop a pagoda ina suburban back garden would've been awesome

I think Pergolas by definition are an open structure. So I’m picturing more of a gazebo.

OP they probably have no idea of the effect it’s having on yiu / your house. I would mention it and maybe they can direct the opening away from your house. You have my sympathies it must be horrid.

Ah I see you’ve already spoken to them - fantastic- pleased it’s sorted.

@Quickncjust4this

Apologies for my spelling error to the pp's with an issue with it. I'm also sorry you feel the need the come and be mean to people you don't know on the internet. I could try and make some observation about what it says about you as a person but let's just call a spade a spade and say you like to try and make someone feel small , I won't make assumptions why but I won't make a pretence that it isn't a nasty thing to do either.

Even though you tried to make people feel small for making "silly comments" by spouting off your qualifications? Let's call a spade a spade....

Ballsdeep keep digging if you will. I called out some ridulous (and frankly mean) comments
I'm sure you aren't nasty to people in real life. I'm glad Mumsnet provides you an outlet but perhaps address your real issues?

You can't mention on Mumsnet if you have a PhD, it makes people super insecure and they go on the attack for some reason.

That's good they were understanding. It's horrible when you can smell smoke in your own home. Next doors son was smoking outside and I used to shut my window every time as it was summer obviously I'd have the windows open. He actually noticed I was shutting the windows and apologised and moved further down. Not everyone is assholes

Huge sympathy re the smoke but find it difficult to take a physics expert seriously who doesn’t know the difference between parabola and pergola, sorry.

You’d be getting my mortgage account number if you thought you had a say in what I do in my back garden.

Pergola's are closer to saddles

Bootikin - another one who has to take out their insecurities on strangers on the internet. You have my sympathies.

Greeneyes fortunately I have more considerate neighbours