to think that smoking in a children's playground is just not on!

[macdoodle]

First sunny day, packed park, mum (with dad and toddler) puffing away without a care!
Now she wasn't stood away from the children, she was stood watching her child right next to the toddler's frame and slide, it was full of children going up and down (including my 2yr old DD2)!
I was stood a bit further away and was getting a good old whiff of smoke, so am sure the toddlers were too!

Now I know its open air, and blah blah blah, but come on, could she not wait till they left the park, or go and stand away from the children!

So AIBU????

Would not argue that point, not the best place.

Just feel its a bit petty in the grander scheme of things and that some will not be happy until we are all clones.

There must be some maternal equivalent of Stepford Wives...hopefully these threads attract the most rabid intolerants and in real life, people are a bit more forgiving of other people's foibles. Shocking to find out what is going on in other people's heads in what seem like perfectly normal social settings!

"rabid intolerants"

Yes wanting a woman to move a few paces away from the children playing on the slide while she has a cigarette is just militantly opposed isn't it? What do you read when I type that statement? I'm asking for a little consideration towards the comfort of others, you're hearing 'the woman must sit in an airtight bubble for the duration of her cigarette, wash in bleach and disinfect her lungs before being allowed back in the general park vicinity'.

Clones? Stepford Wives? Where in the argument about there being more appropriate places for a fag break do you hear a call for mass cloning?

I think we're arguing different points here. I want people to have some consideration for others (and huzzah, many smokers on here actually agree that the woman was being a bit rude and wouldn't dream of doing it themselves), you seem to think we're talking about 1984 and mass control.

why the heck are you sitting watching if your child has such a severe reaction?? to prove a point or something?....screechy as hell

It's not Big Brother, it's Pathetically Righteous Mummy. Just take your kid to another piece of play equipment if they are so vulnerable to the slightest whiff of smoke. Surely taking them out in the cold air carries its own risks.

No, you just move your child. In the same way you would if they were severely allergic to peanuts and someone was eating a Snickers next to her. Commonsense responsible parenting surely? No need to get all silly about it.

JGOWI, this is a pointless and circular argument because it's not just about risk, vulnerability or health although this is relevant, like it or not. It's plain manners otherwise. Fortunately, we don't live in a society where we can all do what we want, when we want and where we want and sod everybody else. Most of us consider those around us, especially the children around us and what might be appropriate in their company. And thank God for the reasonable majority.

Agreed, it wasnt the best place to smoke.

I am all for not smoking inside pubs etc. All this smoking outside within a certain distant, I worry its less about health and more about power.

Commonsense responsible being an adult and a reasonably human being surely means the adult moving away from the slide whilst having a cigarette.

I can list myriad reasons why she shouldn't smoke near a climbing frame full of children. The only reason why she should is because she wants to and believes her need for a cigarette takes precedent over everybody else's comfort.

In what world should a child who is happily playing on a piece of children's equipment have to move over a woman smoking a cigarette?

It's perfectly reasonable to want to move your child, just not reasonable to be pissed off with the other mother for smoking in the first place in an open space.

YABU

Smoking is perfectly legal in outside areas. You were outside. It's not going to harm anybody other than her and if she wants to poison her lungs and cough her guts up all over the playground then let her get on with it.

In a world where we don't over-react to imaginary, unknowable or extremely unlikely harms?

JGOWI, I'm taking my pathetic righteousness elsewhere because quite apart from it being harmful and that being pointed out to you, you ignore any other argument whatsoever about manners and appropriateness and respect for others. Carry on arguing your single point, that's fine, I'm off out to tut at everybody I meet just in case they smoke near slides.

Pixie, remove the stick from your ass, you uptight, precious automaton.

Well my ds has a food phobia and will have a panic attack (and cant breath) if anyone elses food goes near him.

Perhaps i should ask anyone eating near him to take a few steps away from him, rather than moving him away.

Don't get wedged in...

Justgeton....do you seriously believe that about a dozen toddlers and parents should have moved away because the rights of one obnoxious stinking smoker overrides their's
Totally utterly bizarre, all the other arguments aside, do you not for one second consider what she did bad manners??