Neighbours and their smoking

[TonyMammoth]

We live in a square and one of the neighbours has an ashtray on the porch, it's at the front of the house. The guy stands in the porch and smokes and leaves all the stubs in this ash tray. Can you still buy ashtrays? This isn't a proper one, it looks like an old saucer. Anyway the result is that all the fagends blow all over the square and into other people's front gardens etc making a mess. It's not just ordinary cigarettes either, it's both them and rollups. I've never smelled weed but you never know.

Anyway I'm sick of picking them up. Is it reasonable to say anything or ask them to do it round the back where their garden is fenced?

If it was weed, you’d definitely know as it has a very unique smell. As for the fag ends, you could ask but be prepared to be told to shove it 🤷🏼‍♀️ unless they’re smoking directly outside your home / window, I don’t think you’re reasonable to police what people do by their own home.

That's why I don't think it is weed. I can smell it when out and about. They rent the house so maybe he does it outside because the landlord stipulated no smoking.

Honestly, I can't BELEIVE Mumsnet sometimes 😂
Do people truly have these opinions or do they just not read posts?

Essentially, the OP is asking if she's being unreasonable for not wanting a neighbour to let his rubbish blow off his property so that others have to pick it up

She's not saying he shouldn't be allowed to smoke and actually the fact that the rubbish is fag ends is irrelevant.

Of course you are not being unreasonable OP.

I've seen in pub gardens where they have an upturned terracotta flower pot over a saucer as an ashtray and it prevents the cigarette ends from blowing away. You shouldn't have to provide this but I suspect the ignorant smoke couldn't care less.

Tell him. He probably hasn't even thought about it. You can still buy ash trays, so he might invest in a deep one that'll stop the butts blowing out.

Have you considered going and speaking to him?

Just tell him? He maybe doesn’t even realise. Do you have any reason to think he’ll be unreasonable other than he’s a smoker and rents his house?

Why don't you buy him a better ashtray which they won't blow out of as a gift? It's a nice neighbourly way of fixing the issue without conflict. Maybe a bit passive aggressive but could also just be a nice thing? Depends on how well you know them I guess?

Of course you can still buy ashtrays 😂 get him a push down spinning one, they are easy to use and foolproof in terms of things blowing away. We used them back when we were still smoking and went camping, boating, etc.

This is the one you want

https://ebay.us/m/ZkvwE6

I doubt that many people who smoke roll ups are going to be receptive to such a request.

Empty the thing yourself or leave it.

Re @Geneticsbunny idea. You can get ashtrays like a small beaker with a lid. The lid has a hole in it, it’s sloped, for the ash and fag ends. Very cheap. I’d be tempted to ‘treat’ the neighbour.
Recently, fags ends were appearing around the top of mine and my neighbours drive and neighbour was fed up of sweeping them up. A woman had been seen at night smoking there. None of the neighbours round here smoke.
Anyway, saw a woman smoking at the top of the drive, texted neighbour and then saw woman chuck fag end down. Went out to speak to her and neighbour was doing so. Woman denied being the fag end litterer. No fag ends have appeared since.
We are in a cul de sac and no idea who this woman is.
Fag ends are smelly and toxic to the environment so should be disposed of carefully and not blowing around the street/square.

If he seems a reasonable sort, have a word, and point out what's happening. If he stands there in a string vest shouting obscenities at passers by while running a 'patriotic' flag up the lampost, gather them up and shove them through his letter box.

What a strange comment. I don’t smoke anymore, but when I did, I’d have been mortified if my neighbour had told me that butts were blowing into their garden - I would’ve happily complied with their request!

What a judgy post. My 70yo MIL smokes roll ups as cigarette prices have rocketed beyond belief since she started smoking in the 60s. She has always been receptive to any requests around smoking that I have made, especially regarding smoking near grandchildren.

I’m not sure what your perception of people that smoke roll ups, is but I don’t think it’s accurate anymore.

I work in a school, and vape, I know a dozen or so people smoke roll ups off site. I have worked in a university, I would often see lecturers smoking roll ups and rolling them on site. My mother works in a senior position at a company and smokes roll ups, it’s a stressful workplace and their smoking shelter is always full of people- a lot of them smoking roll ups.

All very well educated people, with very reasonable personalities! 😂 It’s cheaper than tailor made and still has good menthol options.

Ha ha no he's not like that. He's about 30 and a grunge/emo type.

I bought my (ex) neighbour a pot to chuck dog ends in

My dad smoked roll ups at 86. Whats your point?

He needs something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcing-map-Cigarette-Stainless-Windproof/dp/B0D5B92RM8/ref=dp_prsubs_d_sccl_3/259-3495237-2828309?pd_rd_w=8xAB5&content-id=amzn1.sym.8bacdf7d-e645-4acd-a955-1ad16556e1bf&pf_rd_p=8bacdf7d-e645-4acd-a955-1ad16556e1bf&pf_rd_r=8JPTRKG01374EXH3VADH&pd_rd_wg=gJwPz&pd_rd_r=24410d9a-0da3-4ddd-a22f-523d57c5cd3c&pd_rd_i=B0D5B92RM8&th=1

Suggest he uses a bucket of earth or sand.

Wtf does this mean?!

He needs to use a tin, that’s what my Mum does. Buy him one and leave it by his door with a note ‘I’ve bought this so you don’t have to keep picking up your tab ends.’ You shouldn’t have to of course but I would find that far easier than approaching him personally.

I use an old tobacco tin (with a lid) as an 'ashtray' - you can buy them very cheap from junk shops. You can get new ones but they're mostly decorated with pictures of cannabis leaves and the like 😄

You can still buy actual ashtrays - markets are your best bet for this or, again, junk/antique shops - but a traditional ashtray wouldn't be any more effective than a saucer in stopping the dog ends blowing away.

You can outside ashtrays from Amazon.

But my neighbour opposite uses a tiny bucket of earth.

The sort of little bucket they keep cutlery in, in cafes.