Out and about I decided to stop off at a cafe for a breather and a cuppa. There were a few tables and chairs outside on the pavement so decided to sit there if only to enjoy a fag.
It wasn't long before a waitress approach and asked me, very politely, to stop smoking. I queried her request as I was outside but she said they owned that part of the area in which I was sitting.
Now I realise the cafe had the right to ask me, but the question remains, should they? Does the fact that we can mean that we should? Standing a foot or two to my right I'd have been free to smoke but some landlord and tenant act enabled them to enforce their own beliefs on others.
I consider myself a very considerate smoker, not even smoking in my own house if doing so would cause offence to visitors, but I draw a line when out in the fresh air.
LewPaper Tue 22/07/08 23:52
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I agree Lewpaper, PC gone to far.
But how can they own the pavement, was it in a road or street?
Most pubs and cafes have a smoking area that has to have 3 open sides.
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If the tables and chairs were outside, they must either own that bit of pavement or have the right to use it.
It's not 'fresh air' if the person next to you is smoking. They are not enforcing their beliefs on you - they are not telling you not to smoke at all, just not on their property.
Somebody has to clean the mess up - and it isn't usually the smokers.
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Question Author
Hiya Rtaxron. I wasn't prepared to argue the toss. They said they owned that part where I was sitting and I'm not one to make mountains . . .
Ethel. Your first two lines - isn't that what I said? The air's as fresh next to a smoker as it is anywhere else, especially in an area of high traffic use; smoke does rise y'know. I take it you don't drive then. Not telling me not to smoke - just not on their property? Fraid you've lost me there, and you make such incredible sweeping statements. So smokers leave a trail of debris wherever they go then? Yet non-smokers have to clean it up. Ye Gods.
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Well I certainly wouldn't go to that cafe again if I were you LewPaper. My friend and I went to cafe with a few tables outside last week, and all the outside tables had ashtrays on them. I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to complain that I was smoking sat there, as it is on the main road and has tons of cars and buses on the road, sometimes the traffic builds up all the way back to the cafe. The fumes from the traffic must be much worse than one or two cigarettes.
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Question Author
Thanks spudqueen. Yes it was a bit OTT. It was one of those new 'trendy' cafes. As it happens, even without this cigarette incident I wish I'd gone somewhere else because the cheese sandwich I'd ordered plus the cuppa cost more than a meal would've in another cafe a few doors down.
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Occupiers of commercial properties are subject to minimum £2k fine for allowing smoking by their staff/customers within the grounds of their premises, or trade licence withdrawn.
Received notification of such from Council this year!
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Question Author
Well, that explains it. Thanks for that terambulan. Don't feel quite so bad now.
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To quote you LewPaper "So smokers leave a trail of debris wherever they go then? Yet non-smokers have to clean it up. Ye Gods. "
Actually yes, that's right. The biggest litter louts are smokers. They think nothing of throwing ciggy butts wherever they want and I've seen a few of them empty car shtrays on the road.
This might seem like a generalisation, but throwing butts on the floor is so widespread it has become a habit , which smokers think they have a divine right to carry on doing.
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Question Author
I don't think I've ever read a bigger load of tosh.
Are these sweeping statements based on statistics, investigation or informed opinion or, as I fervently believe, ill-informed prejudice? With the inclusion of ashtrays in the vast majority, if not all, cars there's little need to throw them out of the windows, not to say this never happens, but very few of them have burger-wrapper trays, apple-core trays, used paper/plastic-bag trays.
You say that throwing buts on the floor is so widespread . . . I think you'll find the numbers of smokers is dropping and dropping dramatically, suggesting I think quite the opposite. But even if you were correct compare if you will the amount of cigarette buts on the floor to the amount of vomit regularly spread within walking distances of pubs all over the country. I know which I'd prefer to come across.
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