No and no. I think your requests were quite reasonable. Once again, though, I have to ask–how often do these types of things happen to you? We all run into assholes every now and then. And it sucks. But if these people are rare in your experience of smokers, then it may be that your problem isn’t with smokers, but with assholes.
Agreed. I think unreasonable people come in all stripes, and I understand that smokers are tired of being treated like pariahs. I am polite when I make requests of them, but hey, doesn’t always work. I guess you and I are basically on the same page. It’s nice when that happens, esp. in the Pit.
The question was–restated–how often does someone bitch you out when you’re smoking where you were allowed to? When was the last time? For me, it was probably more than 5 years ago. (With two minor exceptions. Last year, I had a doctor wag his index finger at me. And last week, I got the fake cough from a passerby who was 20 feet away and upwind.)
Yep. That’s why I asked my “how often” question. Because I’d bet that we’re all pretty much in agreement on these issues, but we keep hitting each other with extreme examples.
Smoker or not, an asshole is an asshole. That, death, taxes, and lost socks are the immutable laws of the universe.
Does this include concerts? Every time I go to a rock concert in a non-smoking venue I get caught in haze of mainly tobacco smoke. Next time I’m bringing a small squirt gun filled with some random material from the lab. Maybe acetic acid or triethylamine…
I don’t think anyone has actually “bitched me out” over smoking since I was about 14, and that would have been my parents. So, I guess we can say I have never been bitched out for smoking where I am allowed to. As I said though, any area NOT designated as a non-smoking area is a free for all. But I have never denied a polite and reasonable request for me to put out my cigarette no matter where I was. I have gotten the “snooty looks” and “fake coughs” but I don’t consider those bitching, nor do I consider that a hint to put out my smoke. If someone wants me to extinguish my cigarette then all they have to do is ask. I don’t try to guess.
My continuation of my last post that included the “bitching out” segment was more directed at adhemar than in response to your question. Sorry for not making that clear.
Intresting. I’ve never heard of a rock concert in a non-smoking venue. Is this a regional thing perhaps?
Now you’re just making me feel old. Back in the day when I went to rock concerts, it wasn’t tobacco smoke that you’d get caught in a (purple) haze of.
I’ve been to more than a few non-smoking shows, anything in an indoor arena is pretty much guaranteed to be non. So, between acts you get the stampede out to the 2nd floor deck or designated wherever. I do sorta chuckle when a non-smoker accompanies someone out there and acts shocked and dismayed at all the smoke.
I can only think of one outdoor venue that allows smoking, unless you’re referring to smaller clubs and bars, Greathouse?
My (vastly limited) experience is that an indoor venue allows smoking only if the guitars plug into anything. Spandex is also an indicator.
Rude anti-smoker story, for your amusement: Several years ago my girlfriend and I were going to fly to Virginia after work. The winds were so strong that day that we had serious concerns about our safety, so we decided to cancel our trip. I’m guessing the winds were a good 40 knots.
After making the decision to cancel, I decided to go downstairs for a smoke. There was a little sheltered area next to the entrance, with an ashtray/trash barrel thing. Soon after I lit up, a woman exited the building. She looked around and said “Damn smokers, always polluting by throwing their butts on the ground!” I looked around, and indeed, the ground was littered with butts. The ashtray was empty. It was also quite shallow.
“I think the wind blew them out of the ashtray”, I hypothesized.
“The wind?!?” she exploded, “The wind can’t do that! It’s the damned inconsiderate smokers! They have no respect! Phht. The wind. Yeah, right!” She then walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk. She opened her umbrella, which was then turned inside-out then shredded. She walked away, indignant at the lying smoker.
Well, the All State Arena says it’s non-smoking on the way in and it was smoke filed for a Motley Crue concert then smoke free for my graduation a few weeks later. Same with a club I was at in Sacramento after the big statewide smoking ban took effect. I don’t mind so much in an outdoor venue, but it’s ungodly in an enclosed arena.
Every single concert I have ever been to regardless of if it was at the ampitheater, the local stadium(s), arena(s), the TMSW, or in a bar or club has been a smoking event. I am just amazed that they have concerts where you can’t smoke. Oh well, not that it would be a deal breaker. I wouldn’t have a problem at all with stepping outside between sets to fire up or to smoke a cigarette.
I have never been to a concert where smoking was allowed- indoor or out.
We went to one here in town (outdoor) that a lot of families were at, but this guy was sitting in the middle of a PACKED crowd (we were literally crammed into each other’s backs) lighting up every few minutes. I heard grumbling growing louder and louder from the people around him and the lady next to me asked, “Do you know if this event is non smoking?” I looked at my ticket and sure enough, the even was non smoking.
So some of the larger men around calmly (I was shocked how nice they were, really…drunk hillbillies can be scary) asked the smoker to put it out, as smoking was banned from this show and there were a lot of children around who were coughing from his haze. "FUCK YOU! I CAN DO WHAT I FUCKING WANT! Blah blah blah… " waving his cig in the air the entire time.
The lady next to me got on her cell phone and called the radio station promoting the concert, on air, and complained. Not two minutes later, three huge guards came out on stage, jumped in the crowed, and escorted the guy out.
See- THAT is a rude smoker. Not all smokers are like that (hell MOST smokers aren’t like that), but idiots like that exist. Not only was it a non smoking event, but he was told that the children around were having trouble breathing from his smoke-- he freaked out.
But there you go: a non smoking concert and a time when a smoker was clearly smoking somewhere he shouldn’t have been.
DiosaBellissima, that guy was, without a doubt, a grade A cockbiter. There is no excuse for acting like that at all.
But I am glad that you recognize the fact that most smokers are not like that.
I’d also like to point out that there have been times that I have been out with my friends to no smoking places and they have lit up. I then (politely) pointed out to them that we were in a no smoking place. Not only did they not complain about it, but almost hurt themselves in such a rush to put it out.
Not only because it was a non-smoking venue, but even if smoking was allowed, it’s rude and possibly dangerous to light up in such a crowded place. And refusing to put it out after numerous requests? And answering them with “Fuck you”? No doubt about his cock biting abilities, on the order of grade A.
You mean not including this thread? I don’t recall any offhand.
Ah, now I see how it is a repugnant view – you misread what I wrote. Fair enough. So it would have been more accurate to say “Also know that my repugnant misinterpretation of Ellis Dee’s views do not reflect my own.”
Carrying through the “not good enough” theme… (I doubt that it will ever be “good enough”…)
A New Jersey legislator is apparently introducing a bill to ban smoking in automobiles – that’s right, your personally-owned vehicle. The rationale being that, like cell-phone use, it distracts the driver and leads to more accidents.
Next on the agenda: eating/drinking in your car and adjusting controls on the stereo and/or air-conditioning.
The nanny-state shall triumph at all costs!
Sorry, no one in this thread.
Well, most of the people again, b]in this thread** are not talking about you then, but those who do do the things we’re complaining about. And those that we ARE complaining about are plentiful enough to cause the reactions you see from nonsmokers.
Probably a badly written one, I insist upon posting late at night. At any rate, once again. Then you’re NOT the ones who are creating the problem, your fellow smokers who DO behave in the ways that we nonsmokers in the thread are complaning about, are the ones creating the problem.
The ones I’m talking about don’t have ashtrays in front at all. People just hang out there and smoke, and dump their cigs on the ground when they’re done.
Well, my post was really to binary drone, but my point is not for polite smokers to “DO” something. But for them to realize that the anger and the complaints have a legitimate basis. Just because you and your friends are polite smokers, that has no bearing on what your fellow smokers do.
There are way too many of them who behave in not only rude ways while smoking, but aggressively hostile ways as well. If you see someone complaining about “smokers”, that’s who they mean. If you’re not that person, then you’re NOT the one we’re talking about, no need to defend yourself if you’re not behaving that way.
Same here, sellers must disclose, if radon is above regulatory contaminant levels he/she must remediate.
My apartment managers provide a new radon/Carbon monoxide detector and review its working ability on a regular basis.
Where are you when the nice guys need you to post this exact paragraph in the “women only date assholes” threads?