It is my lunch break, and it is a lovely day here in Greenville, so I decide to go sit on the porch outside the break room to enjoy the weather. I am the only one out there, with my choice of seven tables to sit at.
So, there I sit, reading my book, enjoying a cup of post-lunch coffee when three people come out of the building, choose the table I am at to sit down and light up their cigarettes. They did not ask if their smoke would bother me, they did not even acknowledge my presence. Not even when I stood up, gathered my stuff together and said "sorry for bothering you."
For those of you that have never actually met me in person, I do not smoke, I have never smoked and I can not imagine a good reason to smoke. For those of you that have met me and smoke, you may have noticed that I will not look at you while you are smoking. I find it so enormously unattractive that it would affect my image of you forever. But if you want to it is fine. If we are in your place, then feel free to light up. If we are in my space, there's the door, feel free to step outside and light up. But if we are on neutral turf, at least ask if I mind.
Maybe I am over reacting (I know I tend to do that at times) but to me the actions of those three people were inexcusably rude and insensitive.
/rant
For a start it's really weird to choose to join somebody at a table when there are empty tables around. Odd. Did you have the only table in the sun/shade?
But yeah, that would have annoyed me, too.
I don't smoke either and I think it smells horrible and it makes me cough. It was rude of them. I also hate when people come to blow the smoke in your face without as much as saying "Do you mind?" It happens all the time at the trainstation. And to get to the work, I have to dive thru a large smoke cloud in front of the door. (mostly security guards or men in suits). :pale:
I think you were very justified to be upset.
For many years I smoked (quit 13 years ago), but now I'm much more aware of it and how it affects me. I don't mind being around smoking friends, but I hate that the odor clings to my clothing if I've been with smokers.
One of my peeves is those who gather in front of or beside the doors of restaurants or other places that do not allow smoking, forcing patrons to pass through a cloud.
Quote from: "Vix"One of my peeves is those who gather in front of or beside the doors of restaurants or other places that do not allow smoking, forcing patrons to pass through a cloud.
One of the things I appreciate about Memphis Airport is that there are designated smoking areas no less that 25 feet from entrances. And they enforce that.
One is not supposed to smoke anywhere less than 20 feet from the doors at the University of North Texas. Of course, it's not a rule strictly enforced. Very annoying.
I'm allergic to smoke so I avoid it.