If there is NO SMOKING in the parks they why...

[gonga]

Why do people insist on smoking anywhere they damn well please? We just returned and I have never seen so many selfish discusting people lighting up around children, walking around with lit cigs in their hands. It was worse this trip than the last!

One morning after riding RNR we were walking back and an old couple walking in front of us lit up their butts. I got a huge mouthful of their cigarette smoke and I said something to them. They lookes shocked when I told them that there is no smoking in the parks. They looked shocked like I did something wrong, I explained that I just got a lung full of their smoke. They told me to mind my own f$%#@*! business. Nice, right?? I don't understand how people can be so selfish with children and so many sensitive people around. A child can be burned with a cigarette very easily since their face is the height of the cigarette.

I would love for a smoker (that does not abide by the smoking rules) to answer this question, since I'm sure one of you will read this. I see plenty of people somking in the designated areas, why do you feel you do not have to?? There are plenty of designated smoker areas so why do you insist on disregarding the rules and not caring about anyone elses health or safety?? How would you feel if you burned a small child or another person with your cigarette?

Sorry to vent, but this situation has really gotten out of hand. Maybe if enough people complain or say something to these selfish people it will not be such a problem.

 

[Shelly]

I don't know what your talking about, we go every year, my daughter is terribly allergic to smoke, makes her ill immediately. We don't smoke of course. We have never ever had this problem. Eveyone pretty much stays around the smoking zones
as it were. We only had a problem a couple of times when we weren't paying attention and didn't realize we were in one of those areas, of course we got out quickly.

 

[Maridw]

On our last trip at beginning of May, I only saw one person smoking where they shouldn't. I was going in the opposite direction and couldn't tell her she was smoking in a non-smoking area.

I am a former smoker and know the hazards of cigs being at youngsters height. I was always aware of where my cig was in comparison to others around me. I would never light up in a line, usually it was while we were walking or taking a break.

Truthfully, I am glad that Disney went non-smoking.

 

[nowellsl]

Why did you tell them there was no smoking allowed in the park? There are designated smoking areas - maybe you could have just pointed out that they weren't in one. There are always going to be people who don't think rules apply to them, but maybe they just didn't know.

 

[gonga]

I did tell them, as I stated in my above post - very nicely too. They were so nasty. I assume that they just don't care about anyone else.

I was definately not seeing things regarding smoking in the parks. We go to WDW every year and this was the worst I have ever seen, I would not be writing this if it was just a few.

 

[Slainte]

I don't smoke.

I go to WDW 2 or 3 times a year and have never noticed any out of hand smoking situation. Occasionally, once or twice per trip, I'll see someone smoking outside of the smoking area.

It's really not a big deal and not something to get worked up about. Why let something so simple get you all upset while you're on vacation?

 

[Robmom]

People just don't think or just don't care. When we went in 2001, we made sure that we went to designated areas for smoking because DH smoked. He stopped recently, so at least we won't have to sit in those out of the way places anymore! Here in NYC, we have that new smoking ban in bars. But now you have to walk past all these people puffing outside. I don't know what's worse.

 

[jfulcer]

Originally posted by gonga
I did tell them, as I stated in my above post - very nicely too. They were so nasty. I assume that they just don't care about anyone else.

I was definately not seeing things regarding smoking in the parks. We go to WDW every year and this was the worst I have ever seen, I would not be writing this if it was just a few.

Then you do what I do - I don't confront smokers anymore because I've had people cop this attitude with me a few too many times. I find a CM (after all, they're everywhere), point it out to them and 95% of the time the CM will approach them and talk to them.

Then it's not your problem, it's the CM's. And if they are rude to the CM they will get booted from the park. It's actually kinda funny to see some of them try to hide the cigarette from the CM.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

we just reurned also.we are smokers and we always use the smoking areas,there are quite a few in each park.but we did not see anyone smoking out of the designated smoking areas.we have never seen anybody smoking outside the areas.

 

[stinkerbelle]

if memory serves me correct, when my FI and I went in 1999, it was a free-for all - smoke wherever you want. We always went to out of the way places regardless...so that others wouldn't have to walk into our smoke.

in 2001 on our return trip, they had the "designated sections"...no biggie...so we went there.

Maybe people just don't realize there are disignated sections? I suggest rather than confronting them, point them out to a CM like a previous poster said. I, personally, am not about to get into a fight with a stranger on my vacation.

But I have to agree - the WORST is when someone lights up while in line for a ride. On our 2001 trip, someone lit up in the line for Buzz...so gross. Yes I'm a smoker, but that's just wrong!

 

[gshoemate]

gonga, we go to WDW often and I see this happening alot. What upsets me is when a smoker walks up and stands next to a nonsmoker and lights up. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against smokers....I am 7 years smoke free myself. But I do not want my children around smoke at all. I don't confront people but I do tend to make the comment "yeah thats the smoking area" while passing by. And if there is a CM near by I will let them know about it, and most of the time they do ask the smoker to go to the designated area. I agree, most smokers probably do not know that they are to smoke in the designated areas. But common sense should tell them that when there are so many people and children around, carrying a lit cigerette with ashes flying around is not a good idea.

 

[hucifer]

Originally posted by jfulcer
Then you do what I do - I don't confront smokers anymore because I've had people cop this attitude with me a few too many times. I find a CM (after all, they're everywhere), point it out to them and 95% of the time the CM will approach them and talk to them.

Then it's not your problem, it's the CM's. And if they are rude to the CM they will get booted from the park. It's actually kinda funny to see some of them try to hide the cigarette from the CM.

This is an excellent suggestion!

My DH is a smoker (I am not). He is one of the most polite smokers I have ever met. He definitely goes out of his way to not let his smoke affect those around him. He never smokes indoors, and he always steps far away from nonsmokers when he lights up. I wish there were more smokers like him!

 

[Pat_Elliott]

As a smoker, it's always difficult to respond to one of these posts. Doing anything but agreeing makes you look like a "rude smoker." But heck, I"ve got the time...

I believe myself to be the "smoking norm" at Disney. It is my desire to smoke only in designated areas. One time in many trips to Disney, I lit up in the wrong area, and it was an honest mistake. I had a CM on me in two seconds flat. The CM was polite, so was I, and on I marched. It is my desire to both enjoy my vacation in the fashion I see fit (which means having a puff with my Harp in England), as well as disturb not only those who have a physical adversion to smoke, but those who simply don't like it.

So when you ask a question like "why do people insist on smoking where they damn well please," I wish you'd think of it this way. "People" don't smoke where they damn well please. Smokers don't even smoke where they damn well please. ********* smoke where they damn well please. They also tend to let their kids run rampant, they push you into wall to get closer to a parade, they cut in front of you at Space Mountain, they have too many Becks beers in Germany and spend most of Illuminations screaming out "that's TOOOO f-in cool" oblivious to those around them, young and old, who don't share their thrill of watching fireworks inebriated.

Point? It's not the act of smoking that makes one a jerk. It's being a jerk that makes one a jerk. Point in case: Last September, I was enjoying a harp waiting for the British Invasion. I went over on the benches in the courtyard to an approved smoking area and lit up. Within seconds, an older couple sat down. The lady, with a thick NY accent, begins saying very loudly, without addressing me, "that's disgusting. You'd think people would have a little respect. Blah blah blah." I got up and moved five feet down. I would have moved six, but I would have been out of the smoking area. The lady began again speaking without speaking to me "like moving down is going to make it go away. I can't believe people smoke, blah blah blah."

I looked directly at her and said "lady, if you're talking to me, do me the favor of addressing me. I'm in an approved smoking area, and I walked a hundred yards to get here." Still without looking at me, she said "they shouldn't allow smoking, period." Thirty seconds later, she stood up, finally looking at me, and said "you havne't put it out yet, why haven't you put it out yet? Can you believe this rude man won't put out his cigarette when I've asked him half a dozen times?" AT this point, she was making a spectacle of me and herself.

I should point out that had I not been smoking, I would have moved anyway. THe woman had on what I would estimate to be half a gallon of rude, loud perfume that literally made me sick to my stomach. My point?

A) some people have an attitude about smoking. I admit it's a grisley habit. I'll work with you best I can. But I'll not apologize for smoking in an approved smoking zone.

B) Just because it seems I've been accosted once per trip by some lady with loud perfume and a NY accent, I'll not assume that every older female with a NY accident is a raving lunatic.

C) The perfume is as insulting to me as the smoke. Meaning everyone has their boiling point.

D) The lady was a jerk not because she had on loud perfume, or was old, or was from NY. I've got a strange feeling that had she been born seventy years ago in Michigan, she'd have been a young, perfume-less, Michigan jerk.

I sympathize with the OP, and the person blowing smoke in your face will never be me. But you're problem isn't smokers, it's jerks. Likewise, if you have young children, I'll never assume because I've got a poorly trained adolescent behind me kicking and shoving that because you have kids, you're a jerk. I just haven't seen anything to suggest there's a rash of smoking jerks. There's a certain percentage of them in society, and the more people you shove in one place, the more potential jerks you'll have. And the more you add heat, humidity, exhaustion from walking, and sense of self-importance one feels when dropping a couple hundred bucks a day, the more you'll see the jerk come out. In my opinion, of course.

I hope that all makes sense. Despite its venom it was meant to shed light, not heat. If your in the parks in early June, I'll be the non-jerk smoking where I'm supposed to.

Pat

 

[hucifer]

Originally posted by Pat_Elliott
"People" don't smoke where they damn well please. Smokers don't even smoke where they damn well please. ********* smoke where they damn well please.

LOL!!!

Very eloquently stated! (I'm glad you had the time to write that.)

And on another point you were making...as much as I dislike the smell of cigarette smoke, I would rather smell that than the "half a gallon of rude, loud perfume" on someone. That kind of stuff sticks in your nostril hair and NEVER LETS GO.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Why did you tell them there was no smoking allowed in the park? There are designated smoking areas - maybe you could have just pointed out that they weren't in one.

I did tell them, as I stated in my above post - very nicely too.

You said in your post that you told them there was no smoking in the parks. That is very different than pointing out that they were smoking in a non-designated area.

They lookes shocked when I told them that there is no smoking in the parks.

While there is no excuse whatsoever for them being nasty to you, based on the tone of your post, I would question how "nice" you were when you disseminated the incorrect information.

JMO.

 

[rascalmom]

Pat - I'm not a smoker, I don't wear perfume & I don't allow my children to excercise their "wigglies" in a manner that disturbs others. I think you deserve a big BRAVO for your post. You are exactly right! Jerks come in all flavors - smoking, non-smoking & many other varieties.

 

[vellamint]

Here here Pat Elliott....well said!

 

[stinkerbelle]

Thank you Pat_Elliott !!! Very well stated!!

On behalf of all the other smokers down at the world, I'd like to but you a harp and invite you to the nearest designated smoking section! I'll even bring the butts!

 

[MelissathePooh]

While I'm sure that the OP's conversation with this couple was more indepth - the approach was confrontational and he information was inaccurate - at least based on what the OP actually posted. I'm not sure what type of response a person would expect to get with that approach.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas and a friendly suggestion would go alot further than popping off. And like others said if the guest continues to disregard the rules notify a cast member.

I whole-heartedly agree with Pat - jerks will be jerks regardless of their chosen vices. I was rather irritated with the couple who folded up the handicapped seats on the bus so they could lean their strollers againts them when DR and I had to stand along with several other rides on the bus. Inconsiderate comes in many many forms - what we are sensitive to is all that differs.

 

[MamaKate]

We went to WDW in December and I too noticed many, many people smoking wherever they pleased. I even commented this to my family & friends upon returning.

Originally posted by Slainte
It's really not a big deal and not something to get worked up about. Why let something so simple get you all upset while you're on vacation?

As far as this statement, it is a big deal to people with health concerns. My son has asthma & is severly allergic to smoke. I felt the majority of my trip was dodging smokers that were not in the designated areas.

Just my 2 cents!

,
Katie