It was a beautiful late afternoon. In the city center, a gentle breeze was blowing. I was standing at a bus stop among a sizable group of people. I was waiting for the longed-for minibus when suddenly a gust of foul-smelling fumes hit me in the face. A pleasant-looking woman standing with her neighbor in front of a group of people was blowing them into the air. Coughing loudly, I tried to draw the smoking woman’s attention. To signal that she was not alone in that place and that such a stench could seriously bother others. Not to mention that most of the smoke from her cigarette was poisoning a group of more than ten people.
Unfortunately, the woman did not even turn her head. She finished smoking and threw the cigarette butt on the ground right next to a trash bin. Now that’s culture!
The next time, I saw a young mother with a child in a stroller while out for a walk in the park. After all, the child had to get some fresh air. The woman sat down on a bench and lit a cigarette while rocking her little one. She leaned over the child several times. While adjusting the blanket, she checked whether the child had fallen asleep. Suddenly, the child began to cry, possibly because it could smell the awful stench. The young mother reacted to the child’s crying by shouting: – What are you screaming for? We’re going home now!
Another situation I would like to share was my visit to the municipal swimming pools. We went to the pool with the whole family and spread out a blanket. We were sunbathing. It was quite pleasant, despite there being a lot of people. But hardly a moment had passed when we smelled an unimaginable stench. Again, a woman lit a foul-smelling cigarette. I do not know what it was, but the odor was so disgusting that it was impossible to stand it. Of course, I began coughing loudly to draw attention to the fact that it was bothering people. Two young couples with small children were sitting nearby. But even the comments they exchanged quite loudly about smoking in public in the presence of small children and passive smokers did not attract much attention from the smoker. With the dignified manner of a lady, she took drags from her cigarette, exhaling further portions of disgusting substances and sharing them with those around her.
Finally, I will describe one of the more irresponsible behaviors—one that threatens the lives of others. At a gas station, I was filling up with gas. The man in the car next to me, serious-looking, filled up with gasoline, went to the cash desk, and paid. With a pleasant smile, he got into his car. Since it was warm, he rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. With stoic calm, he turned on the radio and slowly drove off toward the city center. The station employee who came to fill my car with gas did not even notice it. And when I asked indignantly, “Did you see that?!”, he only muttered something.
There are countless cases of passive smoking. It is very irritating. I believe it is also a matter of smokers’ manners when they refuse to respect the fact that they are not alone. There are other people around them. Instead of smoking harmful tobacco, people can now use alternative smoking products that do not emit tar and harm neither active nor passive smokers. I encourage you to share your opinions on the subject. Best regards.
(information from Sebastian Solski)