Smoking

[Pit-Jr]

The only reason I can think of people starting it is to look "cool" in school. I'd be interested to hear from people who took it up, but not to look cool ? (This is a question to the smokers)

 

 

The only reason anybody does anything in school is to look 'cool'. I could say the same thing about joining the football team, or making a series of youtube videos, or buying a gas guzzler cause its faster than the hybrid.

[Daft]

After about a minute of this person blowing smoke into the crowd and people understandably being unhappy, I said audibly "oh fucking great, some selfish person blowing smoke into people's faces". They soon stopped.

 

Why didn't you just ask them to stop?

[Sheikah]

The person didn't even think beforehand that people around them might detest smoke, or that they would be blowing smoke into people's faces. It's a mentality that is quite common these days, I find.

 

A person who is selfish enough not to think of others doesn't deserve a kind question. They deserve a behind-the-back quip. Plus, there's always the option for them to say 'no', thus egg on face.

[Daft]

Just sounds immature and unnecessarily hostile. Did you consider people around you might be offended by your swearing?

[or else you will DIE]

It blows my mind seeing how many people still smoke this day and age.

[Sheikah]

Just sounds immature and unnecessarily hostile. Did you consider people around you might be offended by your swearing?

 

I received thanks from two people.

 

Absolutely no idea where you're coming from with your pro-smoking argument. Seems absolutely bonkers.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Just sounds immature and unnecessarily hostile. Did you consider people around you might be offended by your swearing?

 

I agree with this. Sure, the person is a smoker, but that doesn't automatically make them an arsehole, or shit. Asking them politely first would probably have been enough.

 

If the person refused, then surely somebody else from the crowd of disgusted onlookers would have backed you up. Or you could have asked someone else for their opinion on it, too.

[Sheikah]

You're not understanding. This person had no problems lighting up in front of a large queue of people, which is incredibly rude. This person instigated something rude, and received a rude comment in return.

 

You really shouldn't have to ask someone not to blow smoke in your face. It's just basic common decency.

[Daft]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Fierce_LiNk]

You're not understanding. This person had no problems lighting up in front of a large queue of people, which is incredibly rude. This person instigated something rude, and received a rude comment in return.

 

It depends on where you stand with that. I don't believe that two wrongs make a right. (as in, somebody is being rude to you, so you should be rude back. It just...doesn't seem a healthy way of thinking, imo)

 

And, the person did put the cigarette out. So, they couldn't have been that horrible or selfish. You might have had the same result had you asked them politely.

[Sheikah]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

One of the most rubbish and untrue sayings ever invented.

 

I can think of lots of situations where punishment is far better than doing nothing so as 'two wrongs don't make a right'.

[Captain Falcon]

Smoking will be banned eventually. Mark my words.

 

Not unless the government can come up with a viable alternative for getting so much tax out of the general public. I once heard it said that only a quarter of the tax off of cigarettes goes to treating smoking related illnesses - that's one mighty big hole to fill.

[Guy]

I love how much this polarises people and how passionate everyone is about their side of the argument, as if things will ever actually change.

Edited September 11, 2010 by Guy

[Sheikah]

Not unless the government can come up with a viable alternative for getting so much tax out of the general public. I once heard it said that only a quarter of the tax off of cigarettes goes to treating smoking related illnesses - that's one mighty big hole to fill.

It's definitely going that way. Smoking has declined considerably and laws regarding smoking are now more harsh. If you follow the history of smoking over a timleine, it seems logical it will be eventually banned.

[Daft]

One of the most rubbish and untrue sayings ever invented.

 

I can think of lots of situations where punishment is far better than doing nothing so as 'two wrongs don't make a right'.

 

Except I was just apply it to this example. There's no need to stoop to that level of vulgarity.

[Sheikah]

It's all a matter of perception. I find cigaerette smoke blown in my face to be disgustingly vulgar. Especially when we're all waiting in a 5 hour queue and things are bad enough as they are (regarding submission deadlines).

 

The person was rude, thus desreving of the comment. The fact two people thanked me shows I was bang on the money in terms of how other people felt, just no one else had the bottle to say anything.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Sheikah, I respect that you piped up and said something. You got thanked for that by those two people, so they obviously appreciated that you did something.

 

However, what was stopping this "rude man" turning around and smacking you one in the mouth? If this guy was really, realy rude, he would have responded to your comment about being selfish (with the swearing) and could have hit you.

 

That's just a thought. If you give a polite request, you usually get a polite response in return. Happened all the time with my housemate at uni "hey, can you turn the music down please?" "Sure" etc. Replace that with "oi, you fucking useless prick, turn that shit down" "...piss off."

 

There's just different ways of doing things.

[Beast]

Non smokers are now worse than smokers. Whiney, authoritarian and petulant, they never seem to stop with their tirade of complaints. People like Dazz irritate me. Is it not enough the smokers are now outside of the building? Do they also have to stand outside a 10ft radius of any building just incase someone should dare smell it on their way in? I don't even smoke, some people should really just get a grip.

 

 

Also, Daft is right, it can be very sociable and gives a nice break to dancing or w/e in clubs.

 

It's not the fact that it smells (although that is quite irritating) but the fact that I have asthma and whenever I walk through an entrance with smokers, I have a coughing fit and I'll end up with a sore throat all night. I wouldn't mind if they had a corner outside in the garden but it's not nice for asthma sufferers such as myself.

[Sheikah]

However, what was stopping this "rude man" turning around and smacking you one in the mouth? If this guy was really, realy rude, he would have responded to your comment about being selfish (with the swearing) and could have hit you.

 

It was a woman. But if that person assaulted me, I would have rung the police and their entire education up that point may well have been rendered useless. Criminal records be bad, etc.

 

 

We have different ways of seeing things. The way I view the world is that people who are blatantly disrespectful, knowlingly, don't deserve respect from me. It seems common sense to me, and I'd actually feel like a mug if I was respectful to someone who showed no respect to myself or others. Your housemate may not have relaised his/her music level was annoying you, but with smoking, it's completely obvious whether you're smoking next to a group of strangers or not.

[Fierce_LiNk]

It was a woman. But if that person assaulted me, I would have rung the police and their entire education up that point may well have been rendered useless. Criminal records be bad, etc.

 

So, now the situation has escalated from simply them putting their cigarette out, to them getting a criminal record, their education being reduced to null, etc.

 

Can you see my point there? I've seen a few situations that could have been resolved in a simple way turn ugly quite quickly, in situations like this. Maybe not to do with smoking, of course.

 

We have different ways of seeing things. The way I view the world is that people who are blatantly disrespectful, knowlingly, don't deserve respect from me. It seems common sense to me, and I'd actually feel like a mug if I was respectful to someone who showed no respect to myself or others. Your housemate may not have relaised his/her music level was annoying you, but with smoking, it's completely obvious whether you're smoking next to a group of strangers or not.

 

Just a thought, but you did mention that you were standing in a queue and worrying about deadlines. What if that was the reason why the person suddenly lighted up, because of stress. I'm not saying that was definitely the reason.

 

I do view things differently to you. I really don't like rudeness, but it seems to be setting a bad example if I were to talk rudely to someone because they were displaying rudeness. Just doesn't seem right to me. Plus, sometimes people don't actually know they're being rude until they're told they are being so. So, just a quiet word sometimes works.

 

Also, I say this because I don't really respond well to rudeness. I used to have quite a temper.

[Sheikah]

So, now the situation has escalated from simply them putting their cigarette out, to them getting a criminal record, their education being reduced to null, etc.

 

Well no, I meant more along the lines of "they wouldn't punch me because they'd never get a job." They were all Masters students, at least 5 years education post GCSEs. Don't think they'd risk that, so I had no reason to fear making the comment.

 

 

Just a thought, but you did mention that you were standing in a queue and worrying about deadlines. What if that was the reason why the person suddenly lighted up, because of stress. I'm not saying that was definitely the reason.

 

I thought that might be mentioned, but that is absolutely not my problem. Not meaning to sound harsh, but if she was stressed (she didn't seem so whatsoever) that's not the right way to go about it.

 

I do view things differently to you. I really don't like rudeness, but it seems to be setting a bad example if I were to talk rudely to someone because they were displaying rudeness. Just doesn't seem right to me. Plus, sometimes people don't actually know they're being rude until they're told they are being so. So, just a quiet word sometimes works.

 

Also, I say this because I don't really respond well to rudeness. I used to have quite a temper.

 

I'll be honest, I wouldn't ever say what I did unless there was something that seemed really rude. And if you were there, you would have seen it as rather rude indeed. I think it's much easier to make such a comment when you feel the same vibe from several people all around you in the queue. I gave the person at least a minute to notice that she was blowing smoke in people's faces and that people looked really annoyed.

[Guy]

This thread is actually hilarious. Just wanted to say that.

[ipaul]

It blows my mind seeing how many people still smoke this day and age.

 

I also resent this attitude, as if a few people smoking is hindering our progress as a civilisation. It's a 'lifestyle' choice. It's not backwards, nor forwards, it just is.

 

Also, Dazz, apologies for your cough. But you could be more grateful that smoke is not indoors anymore. I should think the cough on the way in is a small trade off.

 

Shiekah, smoking will not be banned.

[Sheikah]

Shiekah, smoking will not be banned.

When the machines resurrect me in a few hundred years I'll be there yelling 'told you so'.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Well no, I meant more along the lines of "they wouldn't punch me because they'd never get a job." They were all Masters students, at least 5 years education post GCSEs. Don't think they'd risk that, so I had no reason to fear making the comment.

 

But then, in the heat of the moment, you never truely know what people will do until they do it. Not any sane people, usually, anyway.

 

I thought that might be mentioned, but that is absolutely not my problem. Not meaning to sound harsh, but if she was stressed (she didn't seem so whatsoever) that's not the right way to go about it.

 

I agree that she shouldn't have lit up in the first place. But, she may not have known that she was being annoying. I don't think she lit up to piss you all off, I mean. (if she was being all stressy)

 

I'll be honest, I wouldn't ever say what I did unless there was something that seemed really rude. And if you were there, you would have seen it as rather rude indeed. I think it's much easier to make such a comment when you feel the same vibe from several people all around you in the queue.

 

I probably would have thought it rude, as well. I don't recall it happening to me (somebody lining up and lighting up infront of me), but I know that I don't like people blowing smoke into my face. We'll probably have to disagree on this one, because I don't think its really about the actual situation itself, but really how we'd deal with things in general, ie that we would both do different things.

 

This thread is actually hilarious. Just wanted to say that.

 

Why? I think I've missed something.