Have you ever seen a CM approach someone smoking in a non-designated area?

[pennyplanner]

One of my children was indeed burned by someone walking, talking and waving her cigarette at our town fair. The guilty party just ignored what was happening and continued on while a vendor ran to find some ice for my child's arm. Not a happy memory. It is a real problem and unfortunately WDW is not immune to it.

Thank you to all the smokers who do indeed follow the rules. All of us with asthmatic children especially thank you.

It is a difficult position for CMs to be in. Certainly they are susceptible to verbal abuse by those deliberately breaking the rules. I wonder if they are equipped with any kind of specific training to handle situations like that.

--penny

 

[WaltD4Me]

I saw a CM TRY to tell 2 very rude girls about the closest smoking area at AK near one of the souvenir stands. The girls tried to pretend they didn't speak English, but I know they did. They finally put their cigarettes out, then when they had walked away about 10 feet lit up 2 more. Amazingly though, this was the only time I noticed someone smoking in a non-designated area.

I will also say, I am with FanofGoofy. I smoke, but always found a designated area. I never had to point one out to anyone though.


Lisa

 

[PKK/MJK]

I've mentioned this on other smoking threads. My DD is an Entertainment CM who is asthmatic and highly sensitive to smoke. There are other CM's who have breathing problems just like hers. Sometimes they're assigned to do Meet and Greets etc near smoking areas and the wind blows smoke right at them. DD had to go 'off stage' quickly more than once to avoid having an asthma attack. So---if you're smoking--even in a legitimate smoking area--and you happen to see a character (fur character or face character) performing near you, PLEASE be extra careful of the smoke. It would be terrible for a child to see Snow White or Pluto keel over from breathing problems. Thanks in advance.

 

[jadejazzkayla]

When the CM approached the smoker, he got positively nasty with him for enforcing the rules. The smoker yelled obscenities at the CM. JMHO

i had the opposite happen to me. i didn't know there were designated areas. i lit up a cigarette at mk and had a cm immeditately chase me down (running) and yell at me "YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT OUT. THERE IS NO SMOKING HERE!" i appologized and moved over to the edge of the walkway to a grassy area to put it out. she chased after me still yelling! it wasn't until a few hours later i noticed other people smoking in a designated area. the cm should have told me about them. there is just no need to be rude.

after that when i saw people smoking in non-designated areas i told them. just in case they were like me and didn't know. just be polite about it.

 

[PhotobearSam]

A lot of people smoke in the right area...I wish they were marked better...(in a Disney way as they still need to make te signs pretty to blend in)

I thank all the nice smokers who do that but I have never seen a CM tell someone to move to a designated area.

but...I was at several parks this trip and saw lots of Walking Smokers...Hate that.

On our first trip to the world, I had a brush with a smoker who blew smoke directly in my face while walking around the World Showcase and I began to cough, my fiance (Now DH) had to tell him in a stern voice that..."This is NOT a designated Smoking area...MOVE!!!" Trust me, when my DH tells someone to move...THEY MOVE FAST!


I would not try this on my own but I know with DH (if there is no CM to help nearby) if we see abuse of a child, smokers about to hurt someone or a guest being very rude to a cm...he says something...He's just a great guy that way. He sticks up for the people who can't stick up for themselves... When he talks, we don't get much lip...Now I don't advise people to do this as telling a CM or security is always better but it never hurts to have a large DH...

 

[Ducky4Disney]

I've sat on both sides of the fence on this one. I quit smoking over 3 years ago. I know what it's like to be discriminated against as a smoker and the frustration of being a non-smoker.

It is very dangerous to walk around Disney (or anywhere) with a lit cigarette! It's a good thing, for everyone, that they have areas available for smoking. My Dad went with us for his first trip in Dec 04 and we didn't have too many problems finding the designated areas. They seemes to pop up everytime we "needed" one. Outside of restaurants and near rest rooms; all the places where you would want a smoke. I don't think signs are the problem, just get to the general location and then scan for trash cans with the ashtray on top. There need to be more ashtrays per area though.

I've never told someone that they need to move to a smoking area before, but if you do, be kind about it. They may have just forgotten, sometimes you light up not remembering where you are (my Dad did once or twice, and we just reminded him).

D4D

 

[goofyernmost]

I am an ex-smoker and thus very aware of smokers around me. I have never seen a CM ask a smoker to put it out or move to DA's.

I have tried, for some wierd internal reason, to determine where the offending people were from. It has been pretty much evenly distributed when the US is involved but by far the largest number of offenders were Asian or European.

Probably a language or cultural situation, but a problem none the less. It seems that in some areas of the world smoking is practically required. It wouldn't surprise me if it were allowed in lung cancer wards. I guess we used to be the same way as few as 10 years ago. I can remember going to WDW and smoking wherever I wanted to, even in Q. Things sure have changed!

 

[smjj]

A local hospital here in Indy just started a policy where you now cannot smoke anywhere on their property at all. All employee are not to smoke within a 1 mile radius of the hospital grounds. They do not want their employee congragating at a local spot off property to smoke and making the locals mad. The Indy city council is voting this Thursday on weather to make Marion county smoke free in all public places. It seems its just a matter of time before this will not be an issue. I suspect Disney has already had many discussions on when and how to go totally smoke free. This will not be an issues of where to find a designated smoking area, there will not be any..smjj

 

[TrickyFish]

Somehow I don't see that to be an issue in the near future.. Even with California's stringent public smoking policies Disneyland still has designated smoking areas. They contemplated making the entire park smoke-free, but realized that many people visit Disney World and Disneyland from other countries where smoking isn't as frowned upon as it in the U.S. and Disney wants to be accomodating for all.

 

[Mortlives]

We saw a cm move a couple of smokers from in front of the Hall of Presidents last week, but in general, we didn't see a lot of non-designated smokers. Most of the people around us were well-behaved

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[G00fyDad]

As an ex smoker I guess I can see both sides equally. I mean, when I smoked (1 1/2 to 2 packs a day for 15 years) I would smoke EVERYWHERE. Even when I was at amusement parks walking through people. At the time I didnt realize just how offensive it was to others. I really had no clue. And if someone ever said anything to me I told them to mind their own business.

Now as a non-smoker I can see that it really stinks (literally) and messes with your nose and eyes. If I just walk into a room of smokers for a second I wind up smelling like an ashtray all day. I dont know how DW put up with it for 7 years.

 

[goofyernmost]

Vermont has made many rules concerning smoking in public areas. Not in restaurants and now not in bars. (you cannot imagine how well that one went over). You can drink yourself into oblivian and then jump in a car and put many lives in danger but God forbid that you smoke.

The most bazarre thing is this...I have a situation that requires that I pass through the main entrance to our local Medical Center quite often during the course of a day. There is no smoking allowed on the hospital property but directly across the driveway from the entrance is property belonging to the University. They do not have a no smoking on property rule. I have seen people, in the freezing cold, with enough tubes running into them to power the space shuttle, standing out there, in "johnies", with a rack of interveinous bottles the size of a small car, cheerfully smoking away. How sick do you have to get to overcome the need?


As I said, I am an ex-smoker! Smoked for almost 40 years, one to two packs a day. I understand addiction to nicotine but even I didn't need a smoke bad enough to do something like that.

 

[PKK/MJK]

I think that many times smokers just don't realize how much their smoke affects others breathing. We've asked people standing in lines to stop smoking (they shouldnt be smoking there anyway) because of our asthmatic daughter. We've frequently gotten that 'Oh, yeah--sure my cigarette smoke bothers her. She looks fine to me' glare. Some people don't understand that just because an asthmatic walks through an area with cigarette smoke she/he won't necessarily have an instant attack. Sometimes that happens--but just as often an attack doesn't happen until an hour or so later--long enough that the cigarette smoker has no idea what happened.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

I smoke - and I have to say - if anyone is smoking in a non designated place they truly are scum. There is no excuse for not following an establishments rules when you are at that establishment... period.

I have seen a CM mention it to a man before and he politely complied.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

I think that many times smokers just don't realize how much their smoke affects others breathing. We've asked people standing in lines to stop smoking (they shouldnt be smoking there anyway) because of our asthmatic daughter. We've frequently gotten that 'Oh, yeah--sure my cigarette smoke bothers her. She looks fine to me' glare. Some people don't understand that just because an asthmatic walks through an area with cigarette smoke she/he won't necessarily have an instant attack. Sometimes that happens--but just as often an attack doesn't happen until an hour or so later--long enough that the cigarette smoker has no idea what happened.

You know what really hacks me off about you post? Is you shouldn't even have to bring it up to someone. Truly, the thought that anyone is violating a very simple, easy to follow rule just infuriates me. And the arrogance that a smoker would have in leering back at you...grrrrrrrr....

and I am even a smoker - but I don't care if someone is having a nicotine fit and shivering with anxiety... there is no excuse ...and on behalf of all smokers everywhere I would like to extend my sincerest apology to both you and your daughter. There simply is no excuse for not following an establishments policy, and no excuse to not stop smoking around if asked to do so. Some people are just low lifes

 

[Beca]

In Dec 2002, I saw someone smoking outside RNR at MGM. The CM asked him to stop. When she walked away, he lit up again. Once more she returned to ask him to stop. He lit up once again after she left. She must've been watching, because a few minutes later she returned with security, who escorted this man out of the park. He was SOOOOO mad. People actually cheered when he left.

I was very proud of that CM...it is a hard thing to do when you KNOW people are going to get abusive.



Beca

 

[tifandjim]

My husband is a smoker, and I know that we will get the park map out and find the closest smoking area. There are many quiet, relaxing spots designated for smokers. So while my husband lights up, I relax and take in some peace and quiet for 5 minutes.

I have also seen many people smoking as they walk through the park, and many children running right into them and being burned. I have also witnessed a smoker standing next to a bench (of course, not paying attention to anyone sitting on the bench) and flicking their ashes right in someone's food!! YUCK!!

 

[DonnaLeah]

We saw a CM at MGM make a woman put out here cigarette. She was sitting on a bench near TOT. My DH made a remark to the CM thanking him for doing that. CM was a retired respiratory therapist!!

 

[DMRick]

We are just back, and usually, although I'll see a smoker here and there, it was never as bad as this past week. We did notice a lot of people in the smoking areas (thank you!), and some on the outside of the smokers area (oh come on, just a few more steps), but the worse was when the lights go down...and so many light up and and walk through crowds. I will be writing to Disney about the smoking on the mini golf. Did you know you can smoke while golfing (and aparently put your cig or cigar out anywhere on the course)? Yep, you smoke those stinky cigars, even as people are stuck following you around on the course. It's Disney legal!

 

[tjmw2727]

Yes I have, more than once on each trip.

TJ