Must you smoke AT the entrance to a store?

[Carrots]

Yesterday I went to Walmart (which was my first mistake). I had DD in her stroller and was walking to the front entrance when I realized there were 6-7 Walmart employees standing/sitting and smoking their brains out on a bench directly outside the left entrance to the store. To spare DD's lungs, I decided to go to the entrance on the right side. We enter the store only to find that the cigarette smoke was blowing into the store. I had to return something at the CS desk, located at the entrance to the store and waited for my turn while breathing in the second hand smoke.

Why can't they find a place AWAY from the entrance to puff? Drives me crazy!

[elizabethkott]

Oh that drives me nuts too!
Our Target has the employee break tables over on the side of the store away from the entrance for that very reason! They even made it "nice" with umbrellas for them...
I'd have said something at the CS desk since you were there already!

[SnuggleBuggles]

What I want to know is why an amusement park I went to still has places for smoking. It's a family place. They have signs and make announcements that say, "For the comfort of our smoking guests we have offered these places for you..." . For their comfort??? What about the health and comfort of everyone else?? Sorry for the hijack!

Beth

[Octobermommy]

I am not nice about it any more, it is our health we are talking about, not just an inconvenience. Does your city have an ordinance about the distance to the entrance of a building that people can smoke? Ours is 15 ft, I would call a manager and tell them they are breaking an ordinance and if you see it again you will call the authorities, not to mention you won't be shopping there if it happens again.

[Carrots]

Called the city and unfortunately, there isn't an ordinace for a smoking "buffer zone". I called Walmart and the manager could have given two hoots. Nice.

[JTsMom]

Uggggg, I hate that! I'd write to their corporate office for sure. They probably won't do anything, but at least you could say you tried.

[ILoveLucy]

Our Target has the by-the-door smokers as well as our Wal-Mart.

Also, I can't go through the bank drive-through without seeing 2 or 3 employees huddled against the building, cell phone in one hand and cigarette in the other. I'm not exposed to it since I'm in the car, but I sure don't get it.

[malphy]

I agree they should not be right at the door but where else are they supposed to go? How far away from the door is far enough? They cannot smoke in the building.

I am not a smoker, my mother died from emphysema but where do we draw the line. Smokers are addicted. It is not a simple thing to quit. I wish it was, maybe my mom would have lived longer.

If you are regularly in a smoke free environment it will not kill you to pass thru a waft a smoke for less than a minute. Annoying/irritating yes, lethal no.

Remember not so long ago smoking was the norm and permitted in all areas. I so don't miss those days of smoke scented clothing and irritated eyes after going out for dinner.

[MamaMolly]

Well, IMHO I think they could move the break area bench outside in the back. I don't see why the break area has to be in the front of the store.

And I'd bet that the manager couldn't care less cause he's out there puffing too! ;)

[gatorsmom]

Called the city and unfortunately, there isn't an ordinace for a smoking "buffer zone". I called Walmart and the manager could have given two hoots. Nice.

Ha! Cigarette smoke bothering a customer? Who cares! Walmart has customers being mugged, raped and murdered in their parking lots and they don't do anything about it- why would they care about some cigarette smoke (I HATE Walmart, can you tell?). Don't bother wasting your breath or time trying to call them. Nothing will come of it.

I'm sorry you had that yucky experience.

[SnuggleBuggles]

And I'd bet that the manager couldn't care less cause he's out there puffing too! ;)

My thought too. I wonder if you called back another time you could get a manager that doesn't smoke and maybe they would care?

Beth

[new_mommy25]

In my state it's illegal to smoke in public enclosed places and within 20 feet of a doorway or window. :) I love the law!

[Melarina]

So sorry you had this frustrating experience. I've encountered this as well and find it very irritating (As a former smoker I am probably less tolerant than others). Last week I was out with DD and going to the parking lot at the mall. A guy came out of the doors right behind us and lit up a cigarette. I was practically sprinting with DD in her stroller to get away from it; especially bothers me when pregnant or with the little one in public. He followed close behind us the whole time. I wanted to turn around and ask him, could you wait to light up until the pregnant lady with the toddler can get into their car, or at least not walk so close to me? I didn't, but I sure did want to.

[DietCokeLover]

Oh I just hate this. It seems you have to endure it at every entrance to every building you encounter. Take a deep breath, hold it, and run for your and DCs life to get through it.

[MCsMom]

UGH!
Both to the smoking in doorways and Walmart...

[infomama]

Check this out http://prc.slu.edu/Documents/newsletters/newsletter%208.pdf (continued on page 5 of the newsletter).

[TwinFoxes]

I agree they should not be right at the door but where else are they supposed to go? How far away from the door is far enough? They cannot smoke in the building.

A lot of municipalities have ordinances banning smoking in front of doorways, usually around 15-20 feet. Just enough so you don't have to walk THROUGH the smoke to get into an establishment. Obviously walking through smoke every now and again won't bother a healthy adult...but what about an asthmatic child?

Moving from California to Virginia it's been really hard getting used to dealing with smokers again. It's so much nicer in California, you can go to a bar and leave not smelling like cigarette smoke, and you can walk INTO a bar without going through a huge cloud of smoke from the exiled smokers loitering in front of the entrance. Having to deal with a cloud of smoke while shopping is even more annoying.