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Smoking in local hobby shop Locked

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Smoking in local hobby shop
Posted by Shreve Rail on Friday, April 4, 2008 5:33 PM
For 30-40 years, our city had one major hobby shop and everything was fine. The owner died, the place closed. Now there is a new hobby shop. It is a nice place. The owner and his wife both smoke. The first several times I was in there in the last year, there was no smoke smell or anything.

This week I was in there and I didn't really notice anything until I came out after five minutes. It was terrible--smell on clothes and in the nose.

Question: What should I do?

A. Write the owner an anonymous letter.

B. Tell him in person.

C. Forget about it and never go back.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! ShreveRail
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Posted by Packers#1 on Friday, April 4, 2008 5:37 PM
First impulse: B. Just politly say to the guy "You know, I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't smoke. I only notice when I step back on the street", or somnething like that. Don't be heartless or whatever. If the guy seems like he'd hold a grudge, choice A.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by selector on Friday, April 4, 2008 5:50 PM

I would ask the person, discretely (not while a customer is within earshot) if he would be open to some feedback since his business at this store is quite new.  If he seemed open to it, I would make the statement and do it in as neutral or positive a way as I could so as not to offend.  But I would make it clear that my experience in his store was not as pleasant as I think it "could be."  Then, it would be up to him/her to decide how they should respond, including changing their smoking habits inside the confines that customers would be forced to use while they shopped.

-Crandell

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Posted by edo1039 on Friday, April 4, 2008 5:58 PM

First impulse: B. Just politly say to the guy "You know, I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't smoke. I only notice when I step back on the street", or somnething like that. Don't be heartless or whatever. If the guy seems like he'd hold a grudge, choice A]

He owns it he can do whatever he wants,either suck it up or move on.A smoker.

Ed OKeefe Summerfield,Fl "Go New Haven"
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Posted by loathar on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:01 PM
I'd ask the guy if I could bum a smoke...but that's just me...
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Posted by Robby P. on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:05 PM
I like the A choice, bu tthen he might just blow off the letter.  I really don't know what I would say.  If it was that nice of a shop,  I would deal with it.  I am sure he has lost customers.  It just hit me.   I think I would probably get a HUGE cigar and light it up in there, and look like a steam train in there.  If that gets to him and he tells me to put it out, I would say thats how I feel when I am in here.  Put yours out.  Thats just me. 

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by Geared Steam on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:05 PM

I know what shop your talking about, usually the front door is wide open, I assume to let the smoke out, I agree, some days it is pretty bad but I have never really thought about saying anything. Being I'm an ex-smoker (eights months and counting) I probably still don't smell it as much as a non smoker would. I wouldn't want that smell on a brand new engine I just purchased.

If your ever in Longview, you should really stop and see Homer, it's the best LHS I have ever seen, even better than Cooks was.

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

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Posted by twhite on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:24 PM

That's a tricky one.  Here in California, you can't smoke in a business establishment (in fact you can hardly smoke ANYWHERE here thanks to the "PC'ers" driving around in their gas-guzzling SUV's and yelling at us 12% that we're polluting the place with our nasty old tobacco when they catch us on our front porches while birds are falling out of the trees because of THEIR carbon monoxide emissions, LOL!).  

HOWEVER, since the owner of the shop does smoke (a habit harder to 'kick' than Heroin addiction, BTW) and it appears to be legal where you live, I'd gently suggest that possibly he install a fan in the store to circulate the air a little better, which might keep the tobacco smell from settling on your clothing.  I smoke, but believe me, I KNOW how it smells, especially for a non-smoker--it's not a pleasant odor, so you have my sympathy.  That's why I always do my smoking outdoors AWAY from non-smokers.  For me, it's just common courtesy.  Perhaps it will become so for the new owner and his wife if they see it's affecting their business.  

Just my thoughts. 

Tom Smile [:)]   

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Posted by grayfox1119 on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:31 PM

Is there an ordinance in your city/town that prohibits smoking in retail stores? If there is, you can either be direct and inform them diplomatically, or indirectly by notifying the Health commissioner for your city/town, who will have a nice talk with them.

Smoking is a terrible addiction, and the tobacco companies are not helping by increasing the addiction properties in cigarettes. Although everyone knows that there are 53 known, proven carcinogens in cigarettes, some people sadly cannot see what it is doing to them, they prefer to roll the dice.....but you as a customer have a choice.

Dick If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got!! Learn from the mistakes of others, trust me........you can't live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself, I tried !! Picture album at :http://www.railimages.com/gallery/dickjubinville Picture album at:http://community.webshots.com/user/dickj19 local weather www.weatherlink.com/user/grayfox1119
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Posted by steve58 on Friday, April 4, 2008 6:51 PM

IF there is no law or ordinace covering smoking in businesses, I have a hard time seeing the issue. You want to tell the OWNER that he (and/or) she can't smoke in their own shop?!

As an individual, you choose where to go that meets your needs and requirements. If that shop does not, then so be it.

The resturants around here that choose not to have smoking sections no longer meet my requirements, so I don't go there.

 

**** 'course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong ***********
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Posted by loathar on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:23 PM
 steve58 wrote:

The resturants around here that choose not to have smoking sections no longer meet my requirements, so I don't go there.

 

Here, here!! Bow [bow]

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Posted by ham99 on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:39 PM
I stopped smoking 28 years ago.  Never understood the people who say they can't quit, or have to use medication or other devices.  I watched an acquaintance die slowly, trying to get his breath, and I stopped.  Two of my children smoke, but not in our house or car.  Non-smoking signs have driven all the smokers to the one restaurant that still allows it -- I don't go there anymore.  I would just avoid the shop you mention.  The products are almost certainly going to smell, and smoke in the air can affect plastics and electrical circuits.
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Posted by twhite on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:40 PM
 loathar wrote:
 steve58 wrote:

The resturants around here that choose not to have smoking sections no longer meet my requirements, so I don't go there.

 

Here, here!! Bow [bow]

SMOKING SECTION?  Did restaurants used to have SMOKING SECTIONS?  You mean I could have actually sat down and enjoyed a pre-dinner Newport with my beer or a post-dinner Newport with my coffee without having to go outside in the rain and catch pneumonia? 

Well, DANG!

Tom Tongue [:P]

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Posted by egmurphy on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:40 PM

 Shreve Rail wrote:
For 30-40 years, our city had one major hobby shop and everything was fine. The owner died, the place closed. Now there is a new hobby shop. It is a nice place. ............
Question: What should I do?

Any suggestions?
Yeah, thank your lucky stars someone decided to reopen the shop and that once again you have a decent hobby shop in town. 

Since you asked.

Ed

 

The Rail Images Page of Ed Murphy "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home." - James Michener
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Posted by Robby P. on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:41 PM
I believe Pittsburgh is trying that no smoking thing.  They have already taxed beer, and mixed drinks. 

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by wm3798 on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:21 PM

You could always move to the Peoples Republic of Maryland... We're not allowed to smoke, drink, dance, listen to wicked Rock n' Roll music, read dirty magazines, or model in N scale...  I of course, am a subversive...

Lee 

Route of the Alpha Jets  www.wmrywesternlines.net

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Posted by dale8chevyss on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:22 PM
Tell him that steam locomotives are the only things allowed to smoke.  (just kidding of course, that's quite rude)

Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.

 Daniel G.

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Posted by selector on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:33 PM
Lee...."reading" dirty magazines?  Really?   Golly. Laugh [(-D]
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Posted by jecorbett on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:35 PM

Are you telling me there are still places in this country where individual liberty exists. That is no longer the case in Ohio. Imagine, somewhere out there the owner of a small business can decide for himself if he wants to smoke in his own establishment and his customers are free to choose whether they want to patronize such an establishment. Is there an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that says people have a right to be free from ever being annoyed by someone else.

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Posted by Packers#1 on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:44 PM
Guys, this thread has gone way out of porportion. It started as a guy asking for advice, now ya'll arguing over wether the guy should be allowed to smoke. I think this has gotten out of hand.

Sawyer Berry

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Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by jecorbett on Friday, April 4, 2008 8:51 PM

Guys, this thread has gone way out of porportion. It started as a guy asking for advice, now ya'll arguing over wether the guy should be allowed to smoke. I think this has gotten out of hand.

I think political correctness has gotten out of hand. This thread never was about anything related to model railroading.

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Posted by Driline on Friday, April 4, 2008 9:03 PM
 selector wrote:

I would ask the person, discretely (not while a customer is within earshot) if he would be open to some feedback since his business at this store is quite new.  If he seemed open to it, I would make the statement and do it in as neutral or positive a way as I could so as not to offend.  But I would make it clear that my experience in his store was not as pleasant as I think it "could be."  Then, it would be up to him/her to decide how they should respond, including changing their smoking habits inside the confines that customers would be forced to use while they shopped.

-Crandell

People dont' change. Psychology 101.

Go somewhere else.

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Mark R. on Friday, April 4, 2008 9:38 PM

The title alone caught me by surprise .... almost shock actually. North of the border in Ontario, it is illegal to smoke in ANY public establishment OR workplace .... it's even illegal to smoke in vehicles that are owned by a business or if kids are present in a vehicle. Fines are no slap on the wrist for offenders either !!! 

Strange how accustomed we've got to the law, and when I saw "smoking in a hobby shop" I was really taken aback !!!

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by Mailman56701 on Friday, April 4, 2008 10:25 PM

 Shreve Rail wrote:
For 30-40 years, our city had one major hobby shop and everything was fine. The owner died, the place closed. Now there is a new hobby shop. It is a nice place. The owner and his wife both smoke. The first several times I was in there in the last year, there was no smoke smell or anything.

This week I was in there and I didn't really notice anything until I came out after five minutes. It was terrible--smell on clothes and in the nose.

Question: What should I do?

A. Write the owner an anonymous letter.

B. Tell him in person.

C. Forget about it and never go back.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! ShreveRail

  If you want to tell them something, best to do it in person.  Anonymous letter is low class.

  At the same time, myself, it's *their* shop.  So, if something takes place there that I didn't like, I'd go elsewhere.

  None of my business what they do in *their* shop, i.e.

"Realism is overrated"
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Posted by ragnar on Friday, April 4, 2008 10:53 PM

Its not against the law to own'em .............it jus' against the law ta' light'em....So all you smokers out there in lala land support your gov'ment and keep on buyin'those ciggi butts...YEE-HAW !!

God forbid we lose all those tobacco tax dollars....

 

 

The Great Northern Lives!
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Posted by selector on Friday, April 4, 2008 11:16 PM
 Driline wrote:
 selector wrote:

I would ask the person, discretely (not while a customer is within earshot) if he would be open to some feedback since his business at this store is quite new.  If he seemed open to it, I would make the statement and do it in as neutral or positive a way as I could so as not to offend.  But I would make it clear that my experience in his store was not as pleasant as I think it "could be."  Then, it would be up to him/her to decide how they should respond, including changing their smoking habits inside the confines that customers would be forced to use while they shopped.

-Crandell

People dont' change. Psychology 101.

Go somewhere else.

Of course they change, me boy.  All overt behaviour is contextual.  If you won't accept it on my account, then look up Fritz Heider and what he termed the "fundamental attribution error".  Also found in Psych 101, people do what they are reinforced for doing.  B.F. Skinner was behind that one.  If a person gets the drift of several complainants' messages, he is likely to alter his behaviour.  Of course, that may be to close the shop, but I at least we'd know where he stands. Big Smile [:D]

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Posted by highhood63 on Friday, April 4, 2008 11:31 PM
 jecorbett wrote:

Guys, this thread has gone way out of porportion. It started as a guy asking for advice, now ya'll arguing over wether the guy should be allowed to smoke. I think this has gotten out of hand.

I think political correctness has gotten out of hand. This thread never was about anything related to model railroading.

 

 

I'll just say this..it has nothing to do with political  correctness when some inconsiderate jerk(owner or not he should think of his customers)  is blowing smoke everywhere, you're just there to buy a boxcar but can't because  A: you can't breath and B: when you take said Boxcar home it's going to reek of stale smoke for years, the smokers can't tell that because hey thier sense of smell has went away along with their consideration, and lung capacity. So the customer does what more and more people are doing he buys on line and tells his LHS to get bent...Oh look Smokey Joe & Jills Train emporium is going out of bushiness...guess those five Smoking customers just wasn't enough to keep them going, wow and look no one wants to by his surplus stock because it reeks of smoke too. Yeah ..lets ignore that and blame the economy or Walmart.

 

 

When a habit begins to cost money, it's called a hobby.
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Posted by loathar on Friday, April 4, 2008 11:42 PM

Highhood63-I'll take all that "smoky" smelling stock at 1/2 price!Big Smile [:D]

I wish the government would just ban cigarettes and alcohol already! Then we can listen to all the non smokers and drinkers whine and cry when their taxes go up 20% overnight!
THAT would be worth giving up my smokes for!Thumbs Up [tup]Mischief [:-,]

I think a smoking business owner should at least buy one of those industrial smoke eaters if he's going to smoke in a public access area. Even my smoke shop has one of those.

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Posted by vsmith on Friday, April 4, 2008 11:47 PM
 edo1039 wrote:

He owns it he can do whatever he wants,either suck it up or move on. A smoker.

I agree, Their store, your decision, signed a NON smoker.

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by UpNorth on Saturday, April 5, 2008 12:33 AM

 Shreve Rail wrote:
For 30-40 years, our city had one major hobby shop and everything was fine. The owner died, the place closed. Now there is a new hobby shop. It is a nice place. The owner and his wife both smoke. The first several times I was in there in the last year, there was no smoke smell or anything.

This week I was in there and I didn't really notice anything until I came out after five minutes. It was terrible--smell on clothes and in the nose.

Question: What should I do?

A. Write the owner an anonymous letter.

B. Tell him in person.

C. Forget about it and never go back.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! ShreveRail

You've been a member since 07-30-2006 and THIS is your first post !!!...

Just order your stuff via the Internet if you can't stand the smoke. 

Stand outside the store with a sign telling him what you are looking to buy and ask that he bring it outside to you.

Walk into the store with a respirator or a mask.  Maybe they will get the hint. 

Walk in the store and start caughing like crazy.

Open your own, smokeless,  hobby shop.     

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