to think it is completely out of order for parents to smoke at the school gates?

[MarkStretch]

It's driving me mad!

Happens morning and afternoon. Parents standing at the school gate smoking.

I've spoken to the head about it and she sent out a letter asking people not to do it but they continue.

I am tempted to tell them myself.

Why can't they wait until they are down the road?

YANBU

Well I have no choice but to drive to school, it is 5 miles away, it isn't hard to wait 5 minutes for a bloody fag is it?
On the news this week a primary in Doncaster has had to ask parents to stop drinking tinnies at the school gates, on a farkin morning!

Fgs, do people not care what others think anymore? I would be bloody mortified if someone saw me with a fag and a can of Stella outside school.
Something to be said for keeping up appearances imo.

I think YABU, it is a bit of smoke that you walk through for under a second at the start and end of the school day not nuclear fallout!

Car fumes are far worse but I bet you don't make her wear a mask do you?

Yes it is smoke, yes it smells, blah blah.... seriously though it is not the end of anybodys world so I would strongly suggest you leave them alone unless you are prepared for the mouthful you may get!

(Oh and for the record I am a non-smoker)

our school has a problem with this too. not only that,but also dogs outside,both sides of the gate so no escape,and younger siblings scooting around unsupervised on scooters crashing into everyone...take your life in your hands at our school!!

BLEEP

I drive to school and smoke (not outside the school gates) and i havent started on the tinnies yet!

If you read my posts properly rather than jumping on one word you will see that I havent actually said my opinion on the smoking Bleep. My point is that if the head thinks it is important enough to send a letter about, then she should see it through and take more positive steps. Whatever the problem in a school is, the Head is ultimately the one who has the responsibility to sort it out

I am a secret smoker, I only do it in company of friends when pissed, so no one knows outside of a few discreet pals.
Therefore am able to maintain hyacinth bucket persona whilst still pleasuring myself wiht expensive wine and silk cuts.

We walk to school by the way.

I don't think I am overreacting, I find it so annoying. I have to bite my hand to stop myself from saying something!

I think what I'm trying to say is how small is the smallest behvaviour that people feel they are able to impose on other people? I'm not overweight cos I have to walk everywhere, but with the sausage roll eg, do you start criminalising fat people? Watching them on CCTV to make sure they don't go into Greggs? Not allowing them to buy food with too much sugar/fat in? Perhaps a three strikes and your out type of punishment?

As for the tinny thing, I would be asking why someone would feel they need everyone to know they need a can of beer in the daytime, obviously not for a relaxing drink at the end of the day. If you see alcoholism as a disease is there a difference between having a tinny and taking an asthma inhaler? Or is it just the propaganda spouted on alcohol at the min?

Lol - you bite your hand?

Nuff said!

I think I would be worried about my DD seeing you biting your hand MarkS, is self harming OK at the school gates?? ()

If they smoke outside the school gate, then YABU

I am a smoker and my dd knows (unlike a fellow mother whose children have no idea). I don't smoke outside her school gates because it is set in the middle of farmland and the farmer goes mental if he sees anyone with a naked flame (I don't blame him). I do think you are being U although I understand why.

Hahahaha at tinnies at school gate being compared to an inhaler
I do hope you're being funny BLEEP

morecrackthanharlem - at Hyancinth Bucket persona - at Hyacinth using 'morecrackthanharlem' as her online nickname!

Difference being inhaler is treatment for asthma, tinnies kinda the cause of alcholism, no?

Well i have asthma and a alcoholic father, i hope i never get the two confused!

Honestly if more people cared about what others were saying/thinking about them there would be no more threads asking aibu for hating smoking wth kids/ getting pissed on front doorstep kids/ screaming little bastard at kids/wearing pjs on school run.

We should all adopt a little Hyacinth imo

YANBU, it is rude but there is nothing you can do about it. It's not illegal and I think it's not even the schools job to try and force people to stop doing it. You can't force people to have manners and to live by your expectations.

Yes, I smoke, but not in front of children, not in the house and not when I'm in the company of others who don't smoke. I poison myself, not others around me but then I can't expect everyone else to behave that way too.

MoreCrack - what about all the threads on here where people are having a tough time because they're over-worried about what others think of them?

I have standards, lower than some, higher than others, but they're my standards, and unless I'm breaking the law (which it's increasingly hard not to do at the min) I don't like all the discrimination that's heaped on decent/law abiding parents. While other parents who are clearly physically/psychologically/sexually abusing their children are left alone by SS/neighbours to kill/maim their children. A refocusing of perspective is needed IMO.

Well those are not the people i'm talking about, are they? That's like saying don't talk about the problem of obesity when there are people with eating disorders who are obsessed by their weight.

And ime decent parents don't smoke fags and drink tinnies at school gates. Just being honest.

YANBU - it's minging, it's unhealthy and smoking should be comletely banned. and Beep - you could argue that people who subject kids to their filthy smoke ARE killing them - do you smoke in the same room as yours at home ?

"Outside the school gates" is presumably off the school property where the Headteacher has no jurisdiction - all she can do is ask, which is what she has done. She is not a police officer traffic warden / environmental health person and I have a lot of sympathy for teachers who as well as having responsibility for the education and care for the pupils in the school are required by society to start taking control of adults as well. Why should she have to go out make her request verbally? Parents who choose to disregard her written request are rude but also know there is nothing she can do - so arrogantly choose to ignore her.

Smoking at the school gates is bad manners and undermines the healthy lifestyle which undoubtedly the school is promoting - but it's just too bad unless the anti-smoking legislation introduces a "not within a certain distance of a school" which would be very hard to police.

A number of parents smoke on the residential street that my child's school is situated on. What really winds me up is that they choose to sit on the front garden walls of the houses running up to school as they puff away - what a cheek! If owned one of these properties I would certainly be asking them to move on.

Of course it's up to the individual if they choose to smoke or not - but a bit of sensitivity to where they light up is common sense. YANBU

I agree it isn't pleasant and doesn't set the right kind of example to children. They ought not have to walk through the cloud of cigarette smoke.

But if this is outside of the school grounds, then other than the letter I am not sure what else can be done.

I htae it in children's playgrounds at parks too.