MsRaintree said:
I think they are like that not just because they are smokers but because they are disrespectful people. There are some smokers who would stop pulling out a cigarette when you tell them that you do mind their smoking. An inconsiderate person, whether he smokes or not will always do what he wants to do even if he bother some. It just so happen in your case that maybe most smoker whom you deal with are inconsiderate
I think this is the best answer to your unjust question. You blame smokers for your experience when honestly, it could've been anything. A person playing music loudly, someone with a contagious disease coughing and sneezing everywhere.
You're the typical type of non-smoker that really irks me. I would like to know which country you're from. Because I can tell you that in the country I'm residing in now, I can really understand why some smokers can't be bothered.
There are smokers everywhere but I've been to quite a few countries and never experienced anything like here. Non-smokers who PURPOSELY walk right by or through smoking areas and make their noise and faces. Non-smokers who sit in the smoking area (which is REALLY hard to find here now, by the way) and sit there for ages, even though they don't smoke and there are way more non-smoking seats available. There was even a lady last time who stupidly walks up to me when I made sure to stand a good distance away from the public area (like seriously about a minute's walk) to tell me not to smoke because she can smell it. My response to her was that if it bothered her when I was so far away from here, why did she come closer and stand right in front of me to lecture me?
You see, smokers are just like non-smokers. We feel tired, we get angry, we feel stressed. Sometimes we just want to have a cigarette and forget where we are. I'm not saying all smokers are in the right, there are many rude ones, but some non-smokers really think they own the world. You said it was raining heavily. Perhaps, like in Singapore, the government passed so many restrictions on smoking and took away almost all of the smoking areas and ashcans that there was really no other place for her to smoke and not get rained on. So you expect her to stand in the heavy rain and smoke? That tells a lot about your character.
I hope you know you're not in the right either. Like someone else mentioned, perhaps if you would've bothered to have some guts and politely tell her it was bothering you or that you would prefer she didn't smoke, she would've stopped. Most smokers will take note and either stop or move if someone says something. Well, if the non-smoker isn't expecting something unfair or is rude about it.
Personally, I smoke but I am polite about it. I try my best to find a smoking area or an area far enough away as to not bother people. However, Singapore passed way too strict laws without thinking about the part of the population that smokes and the smoking facilities and areas are totally inadequate. Perhaps your country is the same. Yes, it's a choice to smoke. Yes, people get addicted. However, if you contributed as much to the economy as most smokers do with their cigarettes, you'd feel pissed too that everything is in favor of non-smokers. So perhaps, the lady really didn't care. I guess you'll never find out since you didn't have the courage to say anything.
There are many rude smokers, but there are also many rude non-smokers. Think about that before you go degrading a whole demographic of people because of ONE experience you had.
Now he has problem with his lung.
