Smokers - aaarghhh

[Dinosaur]

Had a couple of dear friends over for curry and drinkies last night. Love em to bits but they smoke (a lot). Our one and only ashtray is located quite rightly outside the house at the pool-bar, so that is where we must drink after dinner - out in the sweaty night air (hottest month of the year) instead of the nice cool air-con indoors.

Mr PK, who has some on and off sinus problems, rightly positions himself behind the bar in front/below the fan, so he's okay. I'm getting a real face-full and this morning, as well as the inevitable hangover, I feel like I've smoked a pack of ciggies - aaarghhhh. And just had to empty and clean out the ashtray - oh yukk, disgusting stuff. Why do people do it?

[Burbage]

Wear a mask and snorkel until they get the POINT!

[baloo]

Not sure why you had to go outside. Stay inside and let them walk outside to have a smoke when they felt the urge,

[Satellite]

I'll just tell people no smoking in my house!

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Agree with Baloo. They can go out then come back in when they're finished.

[Morrolan]

ditto...

[slinky]

Yep, my dad used to go outside his own house to smoke.

[Dinosaur]

Not sure why you had to go outside. Stay inside and let them walk outside to have a smoke when they felt the urge,

If I was still in Singapore or UK or had visitors from either country, that would be the acceptable way but it's not really the thing here, but anyhow we have a pool-bar area which is meant for drinking so hey-ho. Though if we're here on our own, we stick to indoors in the evening at this time of the year (hot evenings). Not sure we'll be having them round again anyway. Gotta find some non-smoking friends here

It is, in any case, a problem here (for us) as there are so many smokers and, as most bars and restaurants are open air, you can't get away from it, though we ALWAYS pick bars/restaurants with appropriately placed fans

[baloo]

Done thing ? Sorry, I can't relate. In my house my guests are expected to respect the guidelines we have. As a smoker myself, I have no qualms in asking smokers go outside for a smoke. Most smokers I know, and there are quite a few, would have no hesitation in moving outdoors for a quick smoke and wouldn't in the slightest be fazed if asked to do so.

[Dinosaur]

Sorry Baloo I've no idea which country you live in. UK and Singapore, sure, it's the accepted thing. Anyhow, it doesn't address the bar/restaurant issue where you cannot get away from smokers.

[baloo]

Australia, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland I have experience with. Seen the same behaviour in many different nationalities.

Your original moan was about smokers in your house. I have no idea what bars and restaurants have to do with it.

[Dinosaur]

Australia, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland I have experience with. Seen the same behaviour in many different nationalities.

Your original moan was about smokers in your house. I have no idea what bars and restaurants have to do with it.

Well the moan is entitled "Smokers - aaarghhh" but sorry you're in a grumpy mood - lighten up Baloo, it's only an internet forum. Switzerland I've seen some appalling behaviour from smokers, though this was years ago and maybe things have changed. Went to one inside eaterie in Zurich and people on next table literally hanging their ciggie in our direction (whilst we were eating) so we'd get the smoke and not them - geez.

[baloo]

Not grumpy at all, just trying to understand what your whinge is. Is it smokers in general, or smokers in your home as detailed in your first post ?

[Jedi]

Totally agree with baloo here - no need for you to sit outside with your smoking friends when you are both non-smokers.

[Dinosaur]

Is it smokers in general, or smokers in your home as detailed in your first post ?

The moan is "Smokers". That is my moan - Smokers. People who smoke. Hope that's clear. And it is not a personal thing about people I know. Just for comparison, I used to live in Singapore as I think you all know. Two of our dearest friends, Brits, were also there. In recent times, in the pub, they would go outside to smoke then return in. That's the way it is in Singapore now. And very nice too IMHO.

[canuck]

Not grumpy at all, just trying to understand what your whinge is. Is it smokers in general, or smokers in your home as detailed in your first post ?

I sense a defensive smoker, with a baad nicotine habit

and ahh leave the smokers alone, I say stick em back in doors their polluting my streets now, better when they were corralled and we could suck the fumes through a filter

[Dinosaur]

I sense a defensive smoker, with a baad nicotine habit

Yes it's a bit of an emotive subject isn't it and clearly Baloo, from his/her comments, is one of the more considerate smokers. But there's a lot who aren't. It's a bit of a prob for us also as we don't have the same kind of social life here as we had in Singapore. We were very spoilt there socially. There just aint so many western expat couples here - but hey that's a completely different rant.

[baloo]

Nah, not defensive at all Canuck. I willingly go out of the way to have a smoke if I need one. Actually, at times I've refused to smoke indoors despite the host saying it's ok. Most smokers I know are the same.

I was just confused that phuketkaren didn't feel it was within her power or control to have drinks comfortably inside and ask the smokers to pout themselves out when they wanted a smoke, instead of the other way around.

[Kooky]

The problem is - and I remember this clearly from when the laws changed in Singapore - the smokers go outside (of the bar, home, whatever) and leave the non-smokers inside. The party goes outside with them.

When I worked with Noah, well I was the only one in the company/drinking crew that didn't smoke, so I either went outside with them or talked to myself.

[Jedi]

But then would you complain about it... seeing as it was your decision to go outside?

[Kooky]

No, I didn't like it at all (socialising with that lot kicked off my first asthma attack in nearly ten years) but equally didn't like sitting alone in the bar like a lemon.

[Fat Bob]

If it's hot outside, just get naked. You'll then end with your guest making excuses or an orgy. Then who gives a feck about smokers or not!

[slinky]

I used to have a boss that liked to continue meetings outside while they smoked, so there was me the only non-smoker in our group standing around outside with them while they smoked They used to joke that they'd make a smoker out of me......'not bloody likely' I believe the saying goes

[Sardonicus]

There's something to be said for that - many jobs ago, one of my staff and my boss, both smokers, me not one, colluded and my staff wound up in my role and I was pushed into a role I didn't want. Relationships, plans and gossip flourishe in smoke meetings.

I used to have a boss that liked to continue meetings outside while they smoked, so there was me the only non-smoker in our group standing around outside with them while they smoked They used to joke that they'd make a smoker out of me......'not bloody likely' I believe the saying goes

[Lili Von Shtupp]

This is so true. At my old job, our Big Boss, who only came to town a few times a year, would turn to me, the only smoker in the office, for smoke breaks. I gleaned tons of information that came in very useful in my work. I never used the relationship to undermine coworkers or bosses, and I was careful not to talk out of school, but I do remember my supervisor getting a little bent out of shape that he and I were on such a chummy level. By that time I was ready to leave the job anyway.