G’day 

How do you treat smokers. Yes I know the line. Hate the smokes not the smokers. But there are times…..

Friend of a friend every time he sees me offers me a cig just to hear me say I don’t smoke. Then proceeds to lecture me on smoking and freedoms! As If.

Last time he tried it again, trust me, was the last.

He pulled some cigs forward in the pack and fanned them in front of my face. 
Thanks I said and took one. Could I have one for later and grabbed a secound. 
Offered my a light. No thanks. Don’t need it.

Proceeded to tear the first cig apart in front of him.

Of course the first words were heh don’t waste them.

Of course I apologised . Said I was sorry. I don’t smoke. 
Snapped the secound in half and handed it back.

Recon he knows now I’m a Non smoker. 
No more of this ex smoker. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone!

 

I can understand your angst at this idiot who was clearly baiting you for his own amusement with no regard to your feelings so, I think your actions were not only appropriate but perhaps 'restrained (no punching him in the face?)

 

In general though, as most smokers aren't complete A-holes like your acquaintance was so although I loath smoking as much as anyone, I don't harass smokers in any way. I just tend to try and avoid them where ever possible. I was just like them once and truly didn't realize many offensive issues I was exposing non-smokers to. I was completely shocked and embarrassed the first time I got a whiff from someone walking past me after just finishing a smoke - YUK 🤢 I almost fainted when I realized "THAT WAS ME BACK  THE DAY 😱"

 

I was mortified that I had exposed God knows how many people to that stench over all the years I smoked so, that's part of the reason I never engage smokers with any sort of criticism. They don't know any better in many cases.

 

Of course, this is NOTHING like your situation @Cbdave. What happened to you amounted to an unprovoked attack and I would have reacted as you did, or worse, had I been in that situation. 

Edited September 27, 20232 yr by Reciprocity

I agree with reci, that's no friend.  I would have taken the whole pack and destroyed them,  guaranteed that with the cost of cigarettes over there he wouldn't do it anymore!

OMG If he’d have fanned those smokes in my face it would have been on! Floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. 

Smokers are selfish..

I feel sorry for him .

He is ignorant..and gripped by the addiction 

But that's no excuse for being 

Rude and stupid ..

Good for you...at the price of cigs 

There ..that must of hurt ..

 

@Cbdave Thanks for this post! 

They are the most selfish of people. Being a non smoker you see it for what it is. They want to smoke where they want. If they are in the passenger seat of your car sometimes they'll ask if they can have a ciggie, erm no not under any circumstances I don't want my car stinking of your stupid habit. It's just all consuming for them and they think they can impose it upon you if you give them an inch.

17 hours ago, tocevoD said:

They are the most selfish of people. Being a non smoker you see it for what it is. They want to smoke where they want. If they are in the passenger seat of your car sometimes they'll ask if they can have a ciggie, erm no not under any circumstances I don't want my car stinking of your stupid habit. It's just all consuming for them and they think they can impose it upon you if you give them an inch.

You're absolutely correct. I was one of those inconsiderate smokers trapped so deeply in my addiction that I felt I just had to get me fix and of course I minimized the inconvenience I was imposing upon others - in my case it was my wife who had quit years before I did. I would justify my urges to smoke in her car by cracking the passenger window open a bit, thinking all the smell would  be sucked out of the car.

 

I completely understand the imposition I was making now that I'm a non-smoker but back then, my addiction was calling the shots; not me as a person! It's actually quite shocking how there are two completely different perspectives between a smoker and a non-smoker and you simply can't realize that until you've lived in both camps!

I've always thought that someone still smoking or unable to quit needs to see that others are also like them ie unable to stick with the quit.

 

It's more about themselves than anything else (which ... isn't it always?).