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Is there such a thing as a considerate smoker?
- Thread starter Marlat
- Start date
Ray Salamon said:
Sorry. I'm trying to type while half asleep. Its 11:33pm and I've been up since 2:13am, but none the less, China is the largest consumer of cigarettes in the world.
Then you must keep company with extremely exemplary people. The vast, vast majority of smokers who I've been in contact with will light up without a second thought.
Besides, the great majority of my issue is not with people I know, because usually I know what to expect and will tolerate it or will not put my self in that situation in the first place. My issue is with strangers who smoke under bus shelters or right beside the entrances of public places with seemingly zero consideration for others. Perhaps its because the two parties are strangers that leads to the inconsideration. When I was a student and took public transit, I often had to stand outside of the covered shelter and get soaked in the rain because some inconsiderate stranger didnt think to consider that perhaps the other person or people trying to stay dry didnt want to be subjected to his or her smoke.
In Hawaii. smoking is not allowed in confined public spaces nor within 20 feet of doorways, windows, or ventilation inlets of public buildings. The local hospital setup designated smoking areas outside for patients, visitors and a separate space for staff in order to meet the State smoking laws. These areas are protected from rain and sun and have seating. It is a small effort to make life better for both smokers and non-smokers alike. It really does not take much to meet the needs of all people concerned. It's the considerate thing to do.
Is smoking in public basically like farting in public? You can try to be considerate, but if you do it you have to realise you are probably going to upset those who are walking upwind and don't want that smell on their clothes / in their face. And, knowing that, is it really being considerate to do it?
Are you looking for perfection in an imperfect world? Besides, you're not clear about "in public". There is quite a large variety of conditions involving public spaces. It seems to me, that you are merely trying to work people up to get a good conversation going and you really could give a rats behind about how people actually feel about the topic. My farts don't stink, but yours do!
Rather than go down the semantic argument again, lets say that "in public" means "around other people". Do you think its considerate to fart around other people?Are you looking for perfection in an imperfect world? Besides, you're not clear about "in public". There is quite a large variety of conditions involving public spaces. It seems to me, that you are merely trying to work people up to get a good conversation going and you really could give a rats behind about how people actually feel about the topic. My farts don't stink, but yours do!
Considerate? Probably not. Always unavoidable? Probably not. Meaningful addition to the previous conversation? Not sure.
Do you have something against semantics?
Was it really just a matter of semantics? I'm not convinced it was.
I have something against arguing semantics when I think the person I am discussing it with is smart enough to understand the point being made without the need for specific clarification of a definition. When someone does that they are usually using it as a diversionary tactic to avoid the substantive argument.Considerate? Probably not. Always unavoidable? Probably not. Meaningful addition to the previous conversation? Not sure.
Do you have something against semantics?
You don't think parallels can be drawn between passing wind around others (say random strangers walking behind you on the street) and lighting up a cigarette whilst walking down the street (with others behind you)?
IMO neither are particularly considerate. Thats no judgement on whether they are wrong. We do lots of things that are inconsiderate. I don't think something is necessarily wrong merely because its inconsiderate.
I think smoking near others can be inconsiderate.
Do I care? No.
People should spend more time worrying about the stank on their own asses.
Do I care? No.
People should spend more time worrying about the stank on their own asses.
In a crowded situation, smoking on a public sidewalk would be inconsiderate. Smoking in crowded areas is avoidable, while farting in a crowded area may not be.
I don't even have sidewalks on my street. Someone smoking a cigarette whilst walking down my street is highly unlikely to cause a nuisance to others. It is a matter of location. If you are walking in downtown London or New York City or some other big city street, you're probably being blasted by car exhaust anyway (cough cough). On average, I see 3 or 4 cars per day go past my house (but I live on a dead end street. Lucky me!
)
Awesome.
Also a thrown cigarette out of a car started a fire in a tunnel (the one between France and UK? ) and ended up as a horrible tragedy.
I smoke,if there're people around me I make sure my exhaled poison is not going towards them.If it is and I can't change the direction I put the smoke down.
As for littering,if there are litter boxes around I don't litter the streets.If not,I do.
I don't think it would make a big difference if all the smokers quit smoking.My litter or poison from my smoke ain't gonna do anything much to this beautiful self repearing planet.Its just a smoke not a nuclear reactor.
It'll be five years next month since I quit smoking, and the rule around my house is absolutely no smoking whatsoever. Take it outside! When I did smoke I never smoked indoors, always outside, unless it was really bad weather in which case I'd smoke in the back with the back door open a crack to blow out the smoke. I tried to be as considerate as possible, some times I failed but most times I was successful.
Do you think cell phone users are inconsiderate?? .... spewing their microwave radiation around everywhere?? I don't want to get cancer from them. Lets ban cell phones....
( I don't own/use a cell phone.)
Do you think gum chewers are inconsiderate? I see gum thrown on the ground, stuck on things, etc. thrown out the window of moving cars.... I hate stepping in gum. You ever try to get gum off you shoe?? let's ban gum.
(I don't chew gum.)
You see how this is going?????
I can think of a lot of things other people do that I don't particularily like to
see/smell/hear/ insert your favorite offending situation here.
So, lets ban everything. That will make everything better for everyone right???
I'm offended by people who think their s**t smells like fresh baked cinnamon buns.
If anyone is offended by anything I am doing... they should also then think if they are doing something that offends me. And if they don't like it... feel free to move along.
I will do likewise.
I smell a lot of fresh baked cinnamon buns, so I am out.
( I don't own/use a cell phone.)
Do you think gum chewers are inconsiderate? I see gum thrown on the ground, stuck on things, etc. thrown out the window of moving cars.... I hate stepping in gum. You ever try to get gum off you shoe?? let's ban gum.
(I don't chew gum.)
You see how this is going?????
I can think of a lot of things other people do that I don't particularily like to
see/smell/hear/ insert your favorite offending situation here.
So, lets ban everything. That will make everything better for everyone right???
I'm offended by people who think their s**t smells like fresh baked cinnamon buns.
If anyone is offended by anything I am doing... they should also then think if they are doing something that offends me. And if they don't like it... feel free to move along.
I will do likewise.
I smell a lot of fresh baked cinnamon buns, so I am out.
I am not sure you understand the difference between someone being inconsiderate and something being banned.
I find there are very few considerate smokers, and those who are you often don't know they smoke. I work with a guy who always smokes at the back of the building, holds the cigarette down wind, washes his hands when he comes back in, and chews hard candy to freshen his breath after a cigarette. Most people we work with are surprised when they find out he smokes. Aside from him though, I've never worked with anyone who was that considerate when they smoked at work, most come back in covered in smoke, which really, to each their own, but if we have to work on close quarters - which is often the case in the lab - it not a pleasant smell.
In public, I'm always disgusted when I get stuck down wind from someone who is smoking walking down a sidewalk/outside, and I certainly feel that it's rude, but it is public space so it's not my call.
Just for a point of clarity, microwave radiation lack sufficient energy to ionize particles and thus is highly unlikely to cause cancer. It takes a high concentration of directionally applied microwave radiation to induce movement on the molecular scale (microwave oven). Microwave radiation - aside from naturally occurring sources - has been used as a means of communication for more than half a century and below the maximum thresholds for microwave exposure there is no evidence of any kind of biological damage.
In public, I'm always disgusted when I get stuck down wind from someone who is smoking walking down a sidewalk/outside, and I certainly feel that it's rude, but it is public space so it's not my call.
Just for a point of clarity, microwave radiation lack sufficient energy to ionize particles and thus is highly unlikely to cause cancer. It takes a high concentration of directionally applied microwave radiation to induce movement on the molecular scale (microwave oven). Microwave radiation - aside from naturally occurring sources - has been used as a means of communication for more than half a century and below the maximum thresholds for microwave exposure there is no evidence of any kind of biological damage.
I think everyone should have the right to consume dangerous chemicals as long as the damage is localized to the person making that decision.
That being said... If they don't worry about killing themselves, why would they be worried about me? Does one have to take another's health into consideration in order to be inconsiderate?
That being said... If they don't worry about killing themselves, why would they be worried about me? Does one have to take another's health into consideration in order to be inconsiderate?
