What would your response be?

[Android Kaeli]

This is just a hypothical situation and doesn't reflect my actual views on the matter. I just wanted to get responses from everyone, because I was just interested in seeing the responses. Please be aware no offense was meant in the making of this topic.

A few of your co-workers, a mix of smoker/non-smoker, lives within the general area of your home [say within a couple of miles]. One of the co-workers comes up to you and asks for a ride home for whatever reason, be it because their car didn't start [or other various car trouble], their usual ride home wasn't avaliable to pick them up, they couldn't get a cab home, and so on. You are their only ride home and their shift ends around the same time as yours does.

Now you could be a smoker/non-smoker/smoker who is deciding to quit. You do not smoke in or around your car and do not smoke up to a half hour before your shift, if you are a smoker, because you want to have as little lingering cigerette smoke as possibe transfer into your car. You ask your co-worker to do the same [refain from smoking in/around the car, please don't have a smoke break up to X amount of time before the end of shift, etc].

As the other co-worker who needs a ride home, knowing that this co-worker is the only way home, what would your response be?

[Andara Bledin]

If I were a smoker, desperate to get home, and the person willing to do me this favor requested that, as they are not a smoker/are a quitting smoker, I refrain from smoking for, say, 30 minutes before departure and during the entire trip, I'd suck it up and thank them for doing me the favor.

My mother and aunt, who have both been smoking for 40+ years, have no problems not smoking in my cars. It does mean that on long trips we have to stop every 60-90 minutes so they can have their nic fix, but the arrangement works for us.

^-.-^

[Canarr]

Same here. My car, my rules, and beggars can't be choosers. Someone wants to ride with me, I call the shots. On the other hand, somebody else is the driver, I follow the same basic rules that I lay down for others: if, say, I catch a ride with smoker, and they want to smoke while driving, I suck it up.

[MaggieTheCat]

Same here. My car, my rules, and beggars can't be choosers. Someone wants to ride with me, I call the shots. On the other hand, somebody else is the driver, I follow the same basic rules that I lay down for others: if, say, I catch a ride with smoker, and they want to smoke while driving, I suck it up.

Basically this.

I don't smoke and I absolutely would not allow smoking in my car, no exceptions. But if I was desperate for a ride home and the only person offering was a smoker who was going to smoke, I would suck it up and go with them, maybe asking if I could crack my window open.

[BrenDAnn]

I agree with everyone else here. It's their car, their rules. I'm going to go by the rules of the person giving me a ride home. Anyone who didn't would really be...well...a total ass. Sorry.

[Android Kaeli]

I gave this senerio to a couple of smokers at work, several of them were of the same mindset that if someone were to give them a ride home and was the only way to do so, they would suck it up as well.

A few were of the opposite idea that just because a non-smoker was taking them home, didn't mean that they dictated the conditions in which they could smoke after the shift was over.

[BlaqueKatt]

heck I won't even smoke in a smoker's car. I had someone try to blame me for a burn they put in their parent's seat(parent's didn't know they were still smoking), if I'm not smoking I can't have my smoldering plant matter damage anything

[HYHYBT]

If it were a long ride, and I were a fairly heavy smoker, I'd probably plead for a quick one before leaving... but not in a demanding or entitled way, and not without accepting a negative answer.

[bainsidhe]

Honestly, it'd never occur to me to dictate they not smoke within 30 minutes of entering my car. I realize people have smoker's breath right after smoking, but somehow this feels like it's crossing a line. Why not tell them to put on deoderant before entering the car, because they work in a sweaty warehouse?

At the same time, if I was giving a ride to someone that was known to use body spray to "freshen up" before the ride home, I'd politely ask them to avoid doing so. It's not a mere dislike of smoke and perfume smells, they make me wheeze. I doubt I could handle sharing a car with someone who just coated themselves in perfume.

But yeah, driver's rules rule in a case like this.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I never allow any smoking in my car or house, no exceptions. I don't care if they smoke right before, as long as they don't blow it in my car. I don't like the stink of it, but I'm not going to expect they smell like the goddess of springtime when they get in. If they smoke, they're going to reek no matter if they smoke right before or not. No point splitting hairs there.

My car my rules. Don't like it, call a cab.

If I had to catch a ride with a smoker, I'd just suck it up best I could. His car, his rules. Although if it were a long ride, I'd just call a cab myself. It gives me a runny nose and sometimes a migraine. I don't know if that's a allergy or not, but it makes me feel so bad, it's worth it to me to avoid it.

[Greenday]

I've never met a smoker who couldn't hold out on smoking while I give them a ride somewhere. Rarely do I ask someone not to smoke but no one's ever given me trouble when I asked them not to.

If someone is doing you a favor and they ask for some really easy request in return, doing their request is the right thing.

[Racket_Man]

two situations with me.

the first is if I am training a new driver for my store. if they are a non smoker I will NOT be an ass and smoke in my car with them in it just as a common courtesy. yes my car most likely reeks of ciragette smoke but with the windows down oh well. I will, however, after a couple of hours sneak out to the back of the store for a quick smoke.

the second is if I can survive a 6 hour stint without a cigarette during a plane trip ie. 1 hour before, 4 hour flight and up to one hour after I think I can survive 30 - 60 minutes without going into the nicotine DTs

[lordlundar]

Put simply, the one needing the ride home is in no position to demand anything nor are they in a position to ignore a request from the person giving them said ride. If the person needing the ride is so determined to have their way, then they can find another way home. It is not the driver's responsibility to make sure the one needing a ride has a means to get home, it is solely the responsibility of the one needing the ride.

Pride is a fine thing when it counts, but it can be shelved for a minor issue like this.

[DrFaroohk]

I think the 30 minutes beforehand is a little extreme, but to each his own. But there's two sides to the assedness. If the person I'm riding with starts coughing like a jerk and acting like he's having an asthma attack (and I can tell he's one of the local theater company's rejects) I'll probably light up anyway. He's already freaking out so it really doesn't matter what I do!


Add another twist:

Split it up however you want, but, one person is a smoker, ones a non-smoker. One person owns the car, but due to numerous DUI infractions he has lost his license. His car, your license. You both need each other. Who makes the rules?

[kiwi]

I think the 30 minutes beforehand is a little extreme, but to each his own. But there's two sides to the assedness. If the person I'm riding with starts coughing like a jerk and acting like he's having an asthma attack (and I can tell he's one of the local theater company's rejects) I'll probably light up anyway. He's already freaking out so it really doesn't matter what I do!

as an athmatic that is just lovely to hear. So sorry my breathing difficulty is such an annoyance for you.