No smoking, please

March 13, 2012 8:35 AM

Is it rude to cover your mouth around smokers? Should I care?

I don’t know if this is confirmation bias or what, but it seems like there has been a HUGE uptick in people smoking outside in Manhattan. I can’t seem to escape walking behind someone with a lit cigarette.

I’ve tried crossing the street, but I usually just end up behind another smoker. I usually do a good job avoiding them in front of the office buildings, but if I cough (which I don’t control) or cover my mouth (which I do), I always get nasty looks.

What’s the etiquette on this?

posted by roomthreeseventeen to Health & Fitness (51 answers total)

You shouldn't be expected to breathe in carcinogenic smoke.
posted by 200burritos at 8:39 AM on March 13, 2012 [13 favorites]

Do what comes naturally to you, and forget about the nasty looks.
posted by helicomatic at 8:40 AM on March 13, 2012

There's no etiquette to it. Smokers may not like you demonstrating that you're unhappy about having to walk through their smoke, but that's part of the cost of being a smoker.
posted by fatbird at 8:40 AM on March 13, 2012

Nobody cares. Cover your mouth if it makes you more comfortable.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:40 AM on March 13, 2012 [3 favorites]

Do whatever the hell you want. As a former (habitual) smoker, the only time I got a bit ired was when people did the whole fake-coughing/blatant-hand-waving-in-front-of-face thing that was clearly intended as a message to me, as opposed to an actual attempt to ward away smoke. And that happened like twice over the course of a decade. (And once, the cigarette wasn't even lit.)

It's a Manhattan street; you're getting a thousand dirty looks for god-knows-what anyway that you're probably not even noticing so what's a few more to keep smoke out of your face. Plus, being a smoker in NYC is a giant pain in the ass right now so it's about 25% you and 75% the City that they're actually pissed off at.
posted by griphus at 8:43 AM on March 13, 2012 [13 favorites]

As a former smoker, I say, do what you gotta do. (but then again, I used to hold my cig away from people when I wasn't taking a drag, and field-strip the butts and put 'em in a plastic bottle rather than litter - many smokers aren't as polite.) Fuck 'em if they can't take it.
posted by notsnot at 8:44 AM on March 13, 2012

For what it's worth, I can't really find any information that covering your mouth actually helps with exposure to secondhand smoke, but in this situation I wouldn't worry about what other people are thinking about you. If it makes you feel better to do that, then go for it. Given all of the evidence about how harmful secondhand smoke is, it's much more rude to smoke while walking down a sidewalk than doing what you can to avoid the smoke.
posted by Kimberly at 8:46 AM on March 13, 2012

I think it's fine, no need to tiptoe around their feelings, and cigarette smoke in public grosses me out too, but I'm surprised your lips don't do the job of sealing your mouth. Genuinely curious - what does the hand over the mouth add for you?
posted by Salvor Hardin at 8:47 AM on March 13, 2012 [5 favorites]

I think a lot of non-smoker coughing and mouth covering is psychosomatic. Modern media and social shaming has convinced people that the second hand smoke of some passing guy on the street is going to give them cancer. It won't, or at least the risks of this happening are significantly lower than the risks of a variety of other things that could kill you but no one worries about. I think coughing is a sort of passive way to register disapproval, but also to make sure as little smoke gets into your lungs as possible.

While there's no way for me to tell if your coughing is "genuine" or not, consider the fact that prior to the 1980s smoking was so ubiquitous that people did it on airplanes, hospitals, classrooms and churches. While there are certainly individuals who are very sensitive to smoke, you have to ask yourself, are you really one of them, or do you just think that you are?

People experience a similar collective delusion when it comes to nails on a chalk board. I've gotten my chalk board out in secret and scratched up a storm -- no reaction. Do it where everyone can see? People go NUTS.

Full Disclosure: I have never smoked anything, at all, in my life. Ever. The idea of setting something on fire and inhaling the smoke, to me, sounds ridiculous. I am just mentioning that so that you can be sure what I have said above is not informed by a personal bias.
posted by Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night at 8:48 AM on March 13, 2012 [29 favorites]

Response by poster: Genuinely curious - what does the hand over the mouth add for you?

I should be more clear. Mouth and nose. Then I can't smell it, and don't breathe it in.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:50 AM on March 13, 2012

Also, it's not confirmation bias. Unless it's a private residence, there are almost no indoor spaces in NYC where it is still legal to smoke. Also you can't smoke in public parks anymore, so those people are now smoking in the street as well.
posted by griphus at 8:53 AM on March 13, 2012

Unfortunately, I'm a smoker. It's disgusting. I'm pretty careful not to light up around non-smokers and even if we're outside, I would still ask someone if they mind and not smoke or move elsewhere if they did mind.

Smokers may not like you demonstrating that you're unhappy about having to walk through their smoke, but that's part of the cost of being a smoker.

Pretty much this. So don't feel bad about covering your mouth. If you did this to me, I wouldn't give you a nasty look since I'm the one causing the issue in the first place. If I noticed, I would move away from you. No reason you should be affected by my bad habits.
posted by futureisunwritten at 8:54 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

I should be more clear. Mouth and nose. Then I can't smell it, and don't breathe it in.

But this isn't really, true, right? I mean, your fingers aren't close enough together to actually filter the smoke.

Don't get me wrong - I think you're fully within your (legal/ethical/moral/whatever) rights to do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better, but I don't think that you're actually managing to accomplish anything unless you're holding your breath, too. Of course, in that case, you wouldn't ALSO need to have your hands over your mouth.
posted by Betelgeuse at 8:55 AM on March 13, 2012 [17 favorites]

While there's no way for me to tell if your coughing is "genuine" or not, consider the fact that prior to the 1980s smoking was so ubiquitous that people did it on airplanes, hospitals, classrooms and churches. While there are certainly individuals who are very sensitive to smoke, you have to ask yourself, are you really one of them, or do you just think that you are?

I suspect the case is simply that, when smoking was more common, people were more accustomed to the smell and fairly desensitized to it. It's less common nowadays, so it's more of an irritant. It's not psychological, just a sensitization issue.

Recently, I was in a bar in a state where smoking is still permitted in bars, and the cigarette smoke wafting around caused a fair amount of irritation and coughing. Which struck me as odd, since in earlier years I used to regularly hang out in places thick with cig smoke without having that kind of reaction. But I don't smell that smoke very often anymore, so when I do get a whiff of it, it's very intense.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 8:56 AM on March 13, 2012 [17 favorites]

I don't think you should care.

My mom has smoked for decades and she gets very offended when people express displeasure at smoking(even if it is not directed at her) and gets angry when people say anything to her about it. She even gets defensive when her doctor tells her to quit smoking. Ultimately smoking is an invasive hobby and people like my mom need to accept that fact. Other smokers are more honest with themselves and are much more considerate overall.

Anyway, if someone is not concerned about what you think when their smoke invades your nostrils, you should not be concerned about what they think when you cover those nostrils.

But I do agree with others that there is a difference between simply avoiding the smoke by covering up/coughing, and making a big show of it.
posted by fromageball at 8:57 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

I will also say that a lot of people who are telling you "It's not rude" actually mean "Screw those guys, they're the ones who are rude! Seek vengeance!"

Which is fine, if you're seeking vengeance. But, otherwise: Two rudes don't make a nice.
posted by Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night at 9:08 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

It's not rude. It's the same thing as if someone was farting in your face - you have every right to look grossed out and cover your mouth if someone is making you breathe bad air.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 9:09 AM on March 13, 2012 [5 favorites]

It is rude for someone to smoke in front of a non-smoker. Covering your face, fanning the air, coughing, or asking them to stop is perfectly acceptable. It is okay to say, politely, "Excuse me, your smoke is bothering me and I can't seem to get away from it. Would you mind waiting until you are alone?" The smoker may not like this but you are within the bounds of good manners to say it.
posted by myselfasme at 9:19 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

I'm a smoker, and like anyone who smokes in public nowadays, I'm a bit of a jerk.

I would not give two fucks if someone covered their mouth, smudged the area with sage, recited the 13th psalm, did a dance to Agni, or cut themselves out of pure misery at having to breathe my smoke. Whatever. Go nuts. All of you can bite me.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 9:24 AM on March 13, 2012 [21 favorites]

"Excuse me, your smoke is bothering me and I can't seem to get away from it. Would you mind waiting until you are alone?"

Doing that on a city sidewalk would be rude.
posted by griphus at 9:27 AM on March 13, 2012 [26 favorites]

Yeah. Your hand isn't going to do much to "filter" smoke. Smoke particles are tiny. That's a bit of magical thinking there. If it makes you feel better, go for it. But it's pretty much doing just that, making you feel better.

I mean a lot of people conduct themselves in ways I find less than ideal. And living in a Big City that's part of the deal. You get awesome food and amazing cultural events, but you have to live cheek to jowl with a whole lot of people, not all of whom are going to act the way you wish they would. I hate it when people screech into their cellphones on mass transit, but I don't stick my fingers in my ears. I am bothered by heavily perfumed/Axed/hairsprayed smells on people, but I don't hold my nose. Because what would that really accomplish? Would it send them an unsolicited message on their social graces? Do you really want to be that guy? It's one thing if you actually are walking behind someone and covering your face, I can't imagine they would even notice that you were doing it and you wouldn't need this question. No one would shoot you nasty looks if you were being subtle. You're not asking if you're allowed to do this. Clearly you are. You're asking if it's rude. And it is. A little. Not the kind of rude that will make you a social outcast, but it is the kind of rude that causes a bit of eye-rolling and might earn you a drama queen label. Only because most of us can tolerate each other without telegraphing our disgust for other's actions (as long as they are legal and/or within societal bounds) just because we personally find them distasteful.

I can't imagine that if you're actually being as quiet about it as you say you are anyone would care at all. I'd only even notice if you were, like, covering your mouth, staring me in the eye, and making choking noises. And then I would either find you hilariously passive-aggressive or I totally might shoot you a dirty look depending on the kind of day I was having.
posted by troublewithwolves at 9:27 AM on March 13, 2012 [21 favorites]

Then I can't smell it, and don't breathe it in.

Patently untrue, but if you believe it, roomthreeseventeen, the psychosomatic effect will make it more pleasant for you.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:28 AM on March 13, 2012 [3 favorites]

Another ex-smoker in a no-smoking-indoors state (CA) chiming in that your actions would not be offensive to me. Like others are saying, NY and CA are so restrictive on where you can smoke these days that the only places people are allowed to do so are the streets, so they'll light up while walking to get a coffee or going from place to place or whatever when they previously may have sequestered themselves someplace indoors, so a seeming uptick in outdoor smoking is not confirmation bias (although the regulations have been in place for years now).
posted by LionIndex at 9:48 AM on March 13, 2012

well, in one-off situations, it's not the cancer so much as the smell.
posted by changeling at 10:22 AM on March 13, 2012

I just speed up so I'm walking in front of them, tbh. I don't give a fuck about dirty looks, and I'll give them the stinkeye right back. However, I've also slapped lit cigarettes out of the flailingly gesticulating hands of drunk people when they waved them too close to my face, so I am not exactly a human interaction role model.
posted by elizardbits at 10:24 AM on March 13, 2012 [6 favorites]

Other air isn't the problem, or have anything to do with the question. I say cover away. I often wrap a scarf around my face on the train if someone has a strong smoke odor. I get dirty looks, but too bad - allergies overide addictions, and I didn't actually DO anything to the smoker, so tough.
posted by agregoli at 10:26 AM on March 13, 2012

Nthing as an ex-smoker that I would not be offended by moving away/covering your mouth.

I might be annoyed by being asked not to smoke outside, in a public place where smoking was permitted, unless was something place-specific happening (a concert, a show, etc) that provided a reason why you couldn't simply move away.

The only time I was seriously irritated by this sort of thing was in a smoking-allowed bar (pre-indoor-smoking-ban), sitting at the bar with a beer, when the woman next to me asked me to put out my cigarette and then proceeded to bitch about smoky bars. When there are both smoking-permitted spaces and smoke-free spaces readily available, and a person who knows they are sensitive to smoke deliberately goes to the smoking-allowed place and gets sanctimonious about the smoke... well, that's rude.

But you're not doing that!
posted by Kpele at 10:26 AM on March 13, 2012

Ex-smoker here.

I think it's pretty rude. Trust me, smokers know that people like you hate it. Calling attention to it doesn't really help the situation.

I don't think covering your mouth really helps anything from a health point of view.

You're being obnoxious and judgmental. My suggestion is to ignore it and get to where you are trying to go.
posted by kpmcguire at 10:34 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

First off, if you are outside, especially in the city, you are breathing in nasty particles all day. From auto pollution to mercury emitted from power plants, a cigarette smoker is the least of your concerns. Secondly, smoke dissipates quickly and into very fine particles. Covering your nose/mouth with your hand isn't going to do shit.

I am a smoker, and try to be courteous to nonsmokers. Yet if I saw you causing a scene in the sense of walking past me covering your nose and mouth I would think you a.) Are a hypochondriac, B.) Don't understand air pollution or the science of dissipation, and C.) Needlessly over reacting.
posted by handbanana at 10:53 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

I smoke like a trooper, and yet, when I get in the direct line of smoke, i choke up and get a cough reflex (even if it is from my own cigarette). When I get hit head-on, as it were, by smoke curling towards me from a cigarette (or a camp-fire, or a candle or, occasionally, my own cooking), I instinctively take a step back, hold my breath, avert my head, or cover my mouth, and tend to cough. To my mind, doing so is neither rude nor not rude, it just is. At the same time, I'm much more OK with smoke that just hangs in the air than the average non-smoker - a smoking bar is way more tolerable to me than to my non-smoking friends.

And re. the idea that your body gets used to what it is exposed to on a regular basis that was mentioned above: I grew up in a country with little or no traffic-pollution, but where every other adult was a smoker, and started smoking myself in my early twenties. I moved to the UK at 25, where street-pollution was to me nightmarish - for the first few months, I actually had to take refuge in shops every now and then on the busiest roads, just so I could breath (all this time I was a heavy smoker). After a while, this subsided, and now I'm perfectly able to breath in locations with very high traffic. The old problems only arise when I am directly exposed to exhaust fumes. For instance, I used to bike down one spot every day where tourist-buses would wait in one long line for their tourists, engines working, and all their fumes seemingly making a bee-line for my nose. Each time it took a conscious effort to not throw my hand over nose/mouth to block it all out (I couldn't afford to take a hand off the handle - I didn't really know how to ride a bike and keeping my balance was a real mission at all times).

In conclusion, from a very heavy smoker: no, it's not rude, it's normal. If people cast angry glances, that is because they are probably projecting. As smokers, they are probably told directly or indirectly every other day that they are worthless, that they are vaguely or not so vaguely criminal etc., and the ones who look askance probably wrongly assimilate you with those kinds of attitudes. Personally, I had a rather frightening brush with that kind of behaviour when I was smoking on an absolutely deserted street, a lady turned the corner on the other side of the street at quite a leisurely pace about 100 meters away from where I was stood, quickened her pace considerably upon sighting me, crossed the road, and proceeded to hit me repeatedly with the sturdy umbrella she was carrying, all the while yelling obscene abuse at me and accusing me of being a harlot (her word) and a criminal. THAT is rude. Someone covering their nose? I'll try to make sure I keep them and me out of the line of my smoke.
posted by miorita at 10:59 AM on March 13, 2012

I don't think you should care about whether covering your nose and mouth is rude, because mileage varies there, but if you're that bothered by smoke why not wear a mask instead?
posted by sm1tten at 10:59 AM on March 13, 2012

Best answer: Coughing from cigarette smoke is not any more psychosomatic than coughing from campfire smoke, from factory smoke, from burning building smoke, or any other kind of smoke. When your chimney is clogged and you get direct and concentrated smoke in your face and cough are you experiencing psychosomatic delusions?

Although I don't smoke, cigarette smoke doesn't particularly bother me, yet if I'm contained in a car with someone smoke I will cough uncontrollably. Have you ever had the experience of being contained in a car with several extremely defensive smokers who you know will be offended if you cough, and holding your breath as long as you can until the coughing explodes? It has nothing to do with being a hypochondriac or being deluded.

OP, do whatever makes you comfortable. The smokers are. The arguments that you shouldn't cover your mouth because it "doesn't do shit" for you healthwise are bizarre to me. Smoking clearly doesn't do shit for anyone healthwise but makes some people more comfortable ... but for YOU, taking an action to make yourself comfortable isn't okay unless it has scientifically provable health benefits?

Do what makes you comfortable because they are.
posted by cairdeas at 11:03 AM on March 13, 2012 [10 favorites]

I'm a smoker. When I'm outside I try to be as polite and considerate as possible, meaning, I move away and be on my own when I light up. When someone passes me by, especially children or pregnant women or old people, I try to delay inhaling/exhaling and direct my face/body on the opposite direction. I have also stopped smoking while walking as I've discovered that this is unpleasant for other people. Most non-smokers think that we don't give a fuck - well, I am always concerned and sometimes worry that I'm causing distress.

That being said, I do get affected when I get nasty looks. Believe me, if there are a lot of places where I'm allowed to smoke, I'll be there. But a lot of it's gone now. And it's not as if smokers are the only pollutant around you. It'd be safer to wear a mask while commuting - I've seen people who've done this, and I honestly didn't care. The rude looks and gestures (and sometimes snide comments), however, are something I'd prefer not to experience.
posted by pleasebekind at 11:04 AM on March 13, 2012 [4 favorites]

I cover my mouth and never get nasty looks. I don't think the smokers even notice, and they certainly don't care. But I am posting to say that scarves look better and are way more effective. Even if you are a guy, you can pull this off. In the next few days I will switch from my winter scarf to summer scarves. Maybe this is why scarves are so big in French fashion.
posted by whatzit at 11:19 AM on March 13, 2012

I am a current smoker. I am totally freaked out by anyone who would be "offended" by my smoking. This may because I started smoking when it became "not cool."
I usually hide in a corner and smoke. I don't like being around non-smokers because I'm afraid they will yell at me or make fake coughing noises.

Anyway, if you are concerned, just remember, living in a city there is a lot of other bad air you are breathing in as well.
My issue was people covered in perfume and cologne on the subways and buses. Also, some of the areas in Boston smelled like sewerage and that was kinda nasty. I usually would just bury my nose a bit in my scarf if I was wearing one. Otherwise, I just dealt with it.

So, basically, I bet 90% of current smokers would not give a shit if you covered your mouth or even said anything. I am in the minority because I started smoking after most of the bans went into place.

Even if you did walk near me covering your mouth - I probably wouldn't notice. Unless you stood in front of me and did it.
posted by KogeLiz at 11:35 AM on March 13, 2012

You can do whatever you want, but if you actually want to filter the smoke, carry around a scarf or handkerchief to put in front of your mouth/nose - it will have way more of an effect than your fingers.

And, anyone who gives you a dirty look because you're covering your mouth cares WAY too much about what other people are doing.
posted by insectosaurus at 11:51 AM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

Why not wear a cotton mask that covers your nose and mouth when outside? I see people in Japan wearing these, and even on bad smoggy days here in LA.
posted by Ideefixe at 12:40 PM on March 13, 2012

I'd definitely say if you are concerned about the cigarette smoke then get a mask ^^. You can find a good variety at any hardware store. They will help to filter out most of the dust and smoke that is in the air which is just as bad or worse for you as cigarette smoke.

Unless you are exceptionally sensitive, it is pretty rare to be bothered from smoke that is more than ten feet away. It usually dissipates quickly if there is the slightest wind. In those cases just learn to keep your distance.
posted by JJ86 at 2:09 PM on March 13, 2012

I should also add another option which is to hold your breath - no hand over your face required. This has worked well for BO problems around some people or other noxious smells. Obviously it doesn't work for long but it should be enough to catch some air between puffs of smoke.
posted by JJ86 at 2:14 PM on March 13, 2012

It kind of depends how it's done, doesn't it? I think if your instinct is to cover up your nose and mouth, by all means go with it, as long as it's not particularly pointed or dramatic.

I'm a non-smoker--had allergies and asthma as a kid, and I get migraines as an adult. My own response is to hold my breath and pass the smoker as quickly as possible. No different from passing rank, unwashed bodies or other disagreeable smells. But if you find this difficult to do in a crowded city like NYC, I think it may be time to consider a cotton mask. A dab of peppermint oil under the nose may also improve things considerably.
posted by peripathetic at 2:18 PM on March 13, 2012

I gotta say, if you live in a big city then then you're breathing in a lot of airborne pollutants anyway.
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace at 2:55 PM on March 13, 2012

Fuck them, seriously. If it makes you feel better to cover your mouth, then do it. Cigarette smoke makes me physically ill and sometimes makes me uncontrollably gag and gives me migraines so I sympathize. Sometimes covering your mouth does help when you're walking through a cloud of smoke. A lot of people in the this thread are missing the point. The OP never mentioned anything about carcinogens or pollutants. Sometimes just the smell of something really bothers people.

I think it's pretty rude. Trust me, smokers know that people like you hate it.

No, it's rude to do something in public that you know bothers a majority of the population and can sometimes make them physically ill (people with allergies).
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:08 PM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

I hold my breath when I walk past smokers, and I play games involved with how many yards past them I can get. If I felt like putting my hand in front of my face would help, I'd do that too. Do whatever works for you.
posted by arnicae at 3:39 PM on March 13, 2012

Yeah. Your hand isn't going to do much to "filter" smoke. Smoke particles are tiny. That's a bit of magical thinking there

so should people not bother to cover their mouths when they cough?

I don't think the point is "filtering" smoke particles, but just generally streams of air. If the smoke's coming from above and to the left, and you put your left hand over your mouth, you can breath more generally from below and to the right. That sort of thing.
posted by mdn at 3:40 PM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

What's rude is spewing out smoke in people's faces.

Trying not to breathe secondhand smoke is not rude - it's basic self preservation. If smokers are offended that you don't wish to breathe the pollution that they are belching out into your path, that's their problem.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:50 PM on March 13, 2012

I smoked for 12 years. For a few years afterward, I loved the smell of cigarette smoke. At some point I turned the corner and now it makes me nauseated to smell it, in addition to occasionally irritating my throat if I'm near enough. I hold my breath before, during, and after passing a smoker on the sidewalk.

And I still, once in a blue moon, crave a cigarette, so I'm not the born again, anti-smoker holy roller coming at you with this:

Fuck anyone who's trying to tell you your reactions are psychosomatic. Or unreasonable. Or ineffectual. Or that your living in a city provides you with just as many pollutants as one person's secondhand smoke.

Please don't worry about what effect your hand over your mouth and nose is having. That shit is carcinogenic, yo. No one actually believes you're trying to filter out the particulates. We all understand you're trying not to breathe in the nastiness because it doesn't smell good and it kills people eventually.

Should we hook our lips up to a car exhaust pipe just because we live in a city? Should we want to own a house next door to an electrical substation just because there are other, worse pollutants around? Should we take a real long sniff of the gas pump just because (nearly) every car has to make use of them?
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 4:59 PM on March 13, 2012 [4 favorites]

But this isn't really, true, right? I mean, your fingers aren't close enough together to actually filter the smoke.

Cover your mouth and nose with your hand. Then breathe in. Your hands actually can do a pretty good job at keeping things out.

Anyway, my parents are smokers and constantly complain about the rude people who cover their mouths. I always remind them that they're the ones polluting the air in the first place.
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 7:10 PM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

Hey folks, read the question, the OP is talking about being near people who are walking on the street, and happen to near the OP. Not people who light up in the OP's personal space in a one-on-one context. Unless you are going to advocate for A. a complete smoking ban indoor and out, or B. separate lanes on the sidewalk, non-smokers are likely going to walk by/past/near a person who is in the act of smoking. Walking behind a smoker for 10 seconds (hell, even 10 minutes) is not the same as putting your mouth around the tailpipe of a car. Let's not be ridiculous.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:39 PM on March 13, 2012 [3 favorites]

well, in one-off situations, it's not the cancer so much as the smell

This is what it is for me (especially if I'm running through the city). Personally I try to get far away, turn my head and breathe out, etc. Rarely (but not never) I get someone who seems offended, but whatever. Running through smoke is really gross, but maybe they think that my running through the city is annoying (I live in a city and I have to run through it to get to more suitable running areas, by the river), but that's life.

Now, when people are basically blocking my way into my work building (smoking right by the door under the sign that says "no smoking withing 25 feet of the building"), I have no compunction about turning my head, dirty looks, or, if I'm grouchy, a "would you mind not smoking in front of the door," with glance at the sign).
posted by Pax at 7:53 AM on March 14, 2012

My point was that it's a logical fallacy to keep quiet about secondhand smoke because one lives in a city that has other types of pollution as well. Yes, there's lots of pollution, but you can take measures to minimize your exposure to/irritation from it.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 4:22 PM on March 14, 2012

My problem with smoke is that once it gets in my mouth and throat, it physically burns and the taste lingers. It can last upwards of 20 minutes and sometimes brushing/gargling doesn't completely stop it, plus I may not be going somewhere that it's possible to take countermeasures. Holding my hand over my face helps keep the smoke out for a number of reasons, and even if it's not 100% effective it helps me avoid the burning and taste issues.

I don't complain about the smoke, I just do what I can to mitigate how it affects ME. Do whatever you feel is right, you don't need to justify yourself. Rudeness is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I consider it ruder to force unwilling people to breathe secondhand smoke.
posted by i feel possessed at 1:07 AM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]