No Smoking
October 9th, 2006 3:33 pm

No SmokingThe smoking situation at our office had been getting worse. Not only is there a dedicated area in the back of the building, but the smoking population has taken it upon themselves to turn every building entrance into a cigarette-butt-littered smoke-cloud-filled unofficial pollution zone. On one day I counted 15 people smoking near the entrance I was using. The air quality coming in through the entrance was severely bad; the smell was foul and visually smog-like.

I’m sure many others had the same thought as I did, I should complain! But to who? I thought a little bit about who to mention this too, and then quickly got distracted and forgot about it. Well, apparently someone hadn’t, for these signs magically appeared at the end of last week - and I haven’t seen people smoking outside since! I hope it lasts!

A little more history of smoking here: There is a huge outside “deck” which serves as the dedicated smoking area. I am actually quite jealeous - it is a really nice area. Picnic tables with umbrellas, sunlight. It is the entire back side of the building, in between the two wings of the office. The back hallway leading to it, however, should be avoided if at all possible because of the stench.

Okay, so - a few years ago I guess enough people got jealous, so they turned the smoking area into an outdoor lunch area, during lunch hours in the summer only. Which means that people still smoke there outside of lunch hours, and in all the other seasons. And, during lunch hours in the summer, all the smokers migrated to the building entrances.

Of course, smoking near the building entrances is no good. So, a year later they put up some new nice tables on some unused patches of grass on either side of the building near the parking lots. This is now the new dedicated smoking areas, for use when the main smoking area turns into lunch area, during lunch time in the summer.

So. That leaves us with three dedicated smoking areas - of which one turns into an outdoor eating area - which smells like cigarettes and is littered with butts. I guess us non-smokers either eat in-doors, or run through the entrances to get far enough from the building to enjoy the outdoors.

Posted in Work by ben
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ben
October 12th, 2006 8:55 am

I was leaving the office last night and happened to be following a group of gentlemen. One of them made a sarcastic comment about the “no smoking” signs, another dinged it with his knuckles while another two lit up. They continued to walk down the sidewalk while I ended up walking through the parking lot to avoid the cloud of fumes.

ben
October 24th, 2006 12:08 am

I haven’t noticed too many issues with smokers by the entrances, but then again - it has been cold and I haven’t been going outside that often.

So, today I had to meet a vendor outside by the main entrance, not a side entrance. I talked to him on his cell phone, so I knew he was parking his car. I went out the front entrance and waited. A few people went in and out. One lady came out and talked on her cell phone. Then, this other lady comes out, makes a comment to me about the weather, then starts digging through her purse. She was right next to me, 2 ft. away. She pulls out the cigs and lighter, and flames up. I couldn’t believe it, all this room in the out of doors and you have to light up right next to me.

Thankfully the vendor came walking down the sidewalk, so I had a good reason to walk away. I shook his hand, introduced myself, turned around to walk back in, and… they multiplied! Now, blocking the door to our main entrance of our main corporate office were two smokers, puffing away. I quickly whisked past them, hoping that my guest would think more of our company than the “first inhalation.”

ben
April 4th, 2007 12:49 pm

It’s been about 6 months since the signs were put up. They don’t appear to have any effect anymore. There are smokers outside our door, right next to the sign, just about everytime I go out. I don’t really know who to complain to - I have to hold my breath when leaving the building, and there are butts everywhere.

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