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to discontinue my patronage or not
As many of you know, I am allergic to cigarette smoke. On top of that, I detest the smell. I consider smoking in public to be a very rude "fuck you" to the non-smokers who are forced to breath the stuff. If people wish to kill themselves that is their business but they have no right to take others with them.
When the state of washington had a very strongly worded non-smoking law on the ballot I (and a large majority of the citizenry) voted for it. This law includes a provision banning smoking within 25' of air ducts/doors/windows of any public building or space (as in, stores, restaurants, bars, etc). This is to allow patrons of those buildings to enter or exit un-molested as well as to make it much more unlikely the smoke will get into the building.
Most of the businesses in Seattle flaunt this part of the rule - badly. There are bars on 2nd Ave that have smoking areas right outside their door, for example. Since the law is enforced by the health and safety people, not by the cops, there isn't a lot that can be done about it except to file complaints and hope the businesses will be cited.
I have long had a rule that I would not do business with companies that allowed smoking at/near their entrances/exits. You want my custom, you'll make it possible for me to enter (and exit) your store without having to deal with smoke.
Sadly, one of my favorite places to go - Trabant Coffee and Chai - has decided to allow smoking at a seating area just outside their door. In the past I've asked people to move away from the door and usually had success. However, today one of the baristas was outside sitting and talking (and possibly/probably smoking) with a regular customer (and regular jerk who has refused to move in the past) and when asked to move they declined. edit: I should state for the record that I did not directly observe the barista smoking. I didn't check. I saw her sitting and talking with the (male) customer who I did see smoking. My request was made to the other barista on duty and she (the other barista) went outside to talk with the smoker(s).end
In the winter this isn't as big an issue because their doors are mostly closed (though today the smoke got in even with the doors closed which is why I asked that they move). However, in the Summer they prop the doors open and I know from past experience (before the law was passed) that the shop will reek of the smell fairly quickly. This, combined with my not giving money to places that flaunt the smoking law has caused me to decide not to return to Trabant until the smoking by the door stops. This also means I won't be scheduling any more mah jong games there.
I'm torn. I'm a regular customer there and I feel that I should tell them why I'm discontinuing my custom. On the one hand, I don't want to come off as giving them an ultimatum - "follow the law or else" is just not a good way to go. On the other hand maybe they would do something about it if something were said. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who doesn't like having to deal with smoke when they are out at a coffee/tea shop.
So, how should I approach the owners of the place?
When the state of washington had a very strongly worded non-smoking law on the ballot I (and a large majority of the citizenry) voted for it. This law includes a provision banning smoking within 25' of air ducts/doors/windows of any public building or space (as in, stores, restaurants, bars, etc). This is to allow patrons of those buildings to enter or exit un-molested as well as to make it much more unlikely the smoke will get into the building.
Most of the businesses in Seattle flaunt this part of the rule - badly. There are bars on 2nd Ave that have smoking areas right outside their door, for example. Since the law is enforced by the health and safety people, not by the cops, there isn't a lot that can be done about it except to file complaints and hope the businesses will be cited.
I have long had a rule that I would not do business with companies that allowed smoking at/near their entrances/exits. You want my custom, you'll make it possible for me to enter (and exit) your store without having to deal with smoke.
Sadly, one of my favorite places to go - Trabant Coffee and Chai - has decided to allow smoking at a seating area just outside their door. In the past I've asked people to move away from the door and usually had success. However, today one of the baristas was outside sitting and talking (and possibly/probably smoking) with a regular customer (and regular jerk who has refused to move in the past) and when asked to move they declined. edit: I should state for the record that I did not directly observe the barista smoking. I didn't check. I saw her sitting and talking with the (male) customer who I did see smoking. My request was made to the other barista on duty and she (the other barista) went outside to talk with the smoker(s).end
In the winter this isn't as big an issue because their doors are mostly closed (though today the smoke got in even with the doors closed which is why I asked that they move). However, in the Summer they prop the doors open and I know from past experience (before the law was passed) that the shop will reek of the smell fairly quickly. This, combined with my not giving money to places that flaunt the smoking law has caused me to decide not to return to Trabant until the smoking by the door stops. This also means I won't be scheduling any more mah jong games there.
I'm torn. I'm a regular customer there and I feel that I should tell them why I'm discontinuing my custom. On the one hand, I don't want to come off as giving them an ultimatum - "follow the law or else" is just not a good way to go. On the other hand maybe they would do something about it if something were said. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who doesn't like having to deal with smoke when they are out at a coffee/tea shop.
So, how should I approach the owners of the place?
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It seems to me that apologizing for your allergies forcing you to find a new place to have coffee (and host mah jong), despite loving this one so much, would absolve them of any fault, while implying that ignoring this law might not be the best for their business.
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This doesn't have to be done in a way that includes "apologizing for your allergies" -- e.g. "I'm sorry that I have this allergic reaction," but expressing regret that it's come to this -- i.e. "I'm sorry about this but if there's going to be smoking near the entrance of the cafe, I'm going to have to take my friends to another cafe, and I'd hate to do that because I like this place so much -- is there anything we can do?"
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