So, I live in California, where smoking is banned in public places. Generally, you can’t smoke within twenty feet of the entrance to most public buildings. I work from home and often go to a cafe near my house. I guess this cafe doesn’t have air conditioning, because both the back door and the front doors are constantly open (with the screen doors shut). There are tables right outside the front door. The tables have ashtrays. Customers often smoke sitting at these tables, which are perhaps five feet at most from the entrance. Employees on break often smoke right next to the backdoor. Consequently, lots of smoke blows in through the doors. Sometimes I go to another cafe, but this is the closest and most convenient cafe. So the smoking is making me sick to my stomach, plus I’m pregnant. I had a devious thought…what if in the dead of night I posted signs outside that said “Smoking is prohibited within twenty feet of the entrance of public places,” or whatever, listed the ordinance, and the penalties for violation? What would happen? Is this a terrible idea? I could do it without defacing the building or anything…when the customers get mad about it, I wonder what the owner would do? Deny that the smoking ordinance exists? What if he tore them down and I came the next night and put them up again? Has anyone else ever thought of doing this?
I already called the county hotline to complain about smoking ordinance violations…I left a message that I suspect will be addressed sometime in the next century.
(I know I could complain to the owner directly, and I will when I see the guy who I think is the owner, but I have the feeling it won’t do any good. I think everyone who works there smokes…I think they will probably roll their eyes and “whatever” me…)
Then let the state deal with it. You’ve filed a complaint, you’ve done your part. It’s *also * unlawful to alter someone else’s property to your liking.
Well if you don’t think the owner is going to listen to the requests of a paying customer then I doubt they will be swayed by some anonymous flyers. If you feel he needs to be educated on local laws then print out the info and drop it off for him to read, I don’t see any reason to post this on the door of his business. If you are hoping that these flyers will be confused for official government postings, well, I doubt that will work and either way it seems a little shady.
If it’s such an important issue to you then I think you should be willing to travel a little further to the next cafe. By all means let the owner know why you decided to take your business elsewhere.
Sorry, perhaps either I missed something and they are breaking a law or your wishing that they would abide by the spirit of the law and curtail smoking within so many feet of an entrance , even if its a private establishment.
There are countless local enhancements to this law. My office building has signs at the sidewalk that say something like “In accordance with San Francisco Ordinance XYZ, smoking is prohibited within ## feet of building entrance.”
Man, how did people ever survive back in the awful, horrible days when there weren’t laws prohibiting people from smoking outdoors. How the fuck did America ever win two world wars with cigarette smoke wafting through the breeze at California cafes?
Because tobacco typically doesn’t kill you until after the military’s done with you ? And, it’s not likely to make much of a difference considering we went to some effort to hook our soldiers on tobacco. Basically using them up two ways; either fed to the military meat grinder or the corporate one. Or one, then the other.
I’m a non-smoker who avoids cigarette smoke and supports indoor public smoking bans.
That said, one thing I’ve learned is that you get a lot more out of life when you don’t get worked up about stuff. Sometimes life is going to hand you small adversities- bad smells, long waits, annoying people. You have a choice. You can sit there stewing and getting all worked up about it or you can say “well, sometimes things aren’t great” and get on with your life.
The second kind of person is a funner person to hang out with, a happier person and probably a more productive person. You really want to be the second kind. Being unflappable is a trait that needs to be cultivated and is not always easy, but it’s one that pays off.
Now, now I know you get sick to your stomach. I did too. I probably still do if I’m shut in a car on a hot day with someone smoking. But a waft of smoke through the air? Turns out that was all because I was getting so angry and upset about things. Nowdays I’m find sitting at a table where people are smoking- especially if it is outdoors. It’s really not that big of a deal unless you want it to be.
I think this is a silly idea. Silly and petty and largely pointless. And if you think the owner would “whatever” you if you talked to him about it, what do you think would happen if you were caught putting up your notices? How silly would you feel?
You’ve done your civic duty by reporting the place. Now, as is the case with every other complaint you could possibly have about a business (be it awful food, bad service, dirty bathrooms, etc.) your only option now is to put up with it or don’t patronize it.
Going any further will not get you what you want; you’ll look really petty at best, and crazy at worst.
Please. Different people are affected to different degrees, and you can’t just magically control your sensitivity by sheer will. Some people seem to barely notice; others are badly affected ( and that’s leaving out people with asthma ). If my nose and throat are burning from the stuff, I can’t just make the burning vanish by an effort of will. Nor am I going to be anything but “upset” until I can get someplace I can breathe easily. Just because you can shrug it off doesn’t mean everyone can.
