Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Smoking neighbor :(
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July 21, 2010 at 11:13 pm #595651
WSeaFam2MemberI am not one to complain about what my neighbors do, however.. I have a neighbor that has many adults living in thier home. They must have a non-smoking house because they have a dedicated smoking area in thier yard. The problem is that it is less than 10 feet from both of my bedroom wondows. When they smoke it is like someone lit up in my room.
How can they not make this connection? They made sure the smoking area was far from thier house and right up against mine :( We do not smoke and it invades everything in our home. People show some consideration for your neighbors!!
July 21, 2010 at 11:15 pm #699661
HelperMonkeyParticipantyou should try actually talking to them. perhaps they don’t know.
July 21, 2010 at 11:19 pm #699662
luckymom30ParticipantSpeaking to them about this is the way to go, we have neighbors who smoke and all have been courteous when we ask them to smoke in another part of the yard. The longer it bothers you and the longer you don’t speak up the worse the problem will get for you.
July 21, 2010 at 11:20 pm #699663
WSeaFam2MemberThey are looking into my window when they smoke…
July 21, 2010 at 11:28 pm #699664
HelperMonkeyParticipantagain, have you TRIED talking to them? If you haven’t, you have no room to complain. Be direct instead of passive.
“Hey neighbor! Would you mind smoking somewhere else in your yard? The smoke is going right into my bedroom, and it’s annoying. Thanks!”
and if they persist, take the hose to them.
July 21, 2010 at 11:40 pm #699665
flowerpetalMemberMy grandmother said “You attract more bees with sweetness.” Be nice to your neighbors, go over with a plate of homemade cookies or a pie; or a bottle of wine and have a friendly talk.
Taking the hose to them (I hope HM is joking) could get you an assault charge or at least a very uncooperative neighbor.
I’m sure it is really gross and you shouldn’t have to put up with it.
July 21, 2010 at 11:41 pm #699666
WSeaFam2MemberI tried to talk to them several times over the course of a year, about an unleashed dog who pooped in my yard several times daily. Plus the dog was agressive towards myself and family. They just looked at me like I was from another planet, said ok, and walked away. Nothing changed, so I have little hope that talking to them will make them move the smoking area.
July 21, 2010 at 11:49 pm #699667
flowerpetalMemberThis is too bad. Perchance, do you work or have a business in your house? The laws are clearer about smoking distances from businesses. You might talk to the King County board of health. You might also need a third party negotiator.
July 22, 2010 at 12:10 am #699668
cjboffoliParticipantI feel your pain. I had to deal with a very similar situation with a neighbor who was not only unconcerned when I politely approached him (asking him only to smoke farther from my property) but absolutely defiant. His absentee landlord didn’t care either. My attorneys recently filed a petition to the State Supreme Court (with amicus briefs from tobacco policy law centers in MD and MN) which we hope will make it easier for people in Washington to pursue matters such as these under the umbrella of private nuisance.
As some have suggested above, the situation is more about courtesy than it is about cigarette smoke. It is frustrating to think that if you lived in a public housing project the law would cover you but as a private owner you have absolutely no recourse if the person polluting your property refuses to move.
Seattle is growing ever denser. No longer do we have vast suburban yards to mitigate things like this. But I’m optimistic that there might be hope on the horizon. I have recently been playing phone tag with Councilmember Sally Clark who tells me that the King County Board of Public Health has been working on this issue and something may be happening soon.
As soon as I’m able to speak with her I’ll loop back here and will post what I learn.
July 22, 2010 at 12:18 am #699669
GenHillOneParticipant“I am not one to complain about what my neighbors do, however..” I will anyway. Given your subsequent posts, did you have a goal in mind for this thread or were you just venting?
July 22, 2010 at 3:33 am #699670
WorldCitizenParticipantTalk to them.
July 22, 2010 at 4:35 am #699671
WSMomParticipantHow about putting a window fan in each window blowing the air outward.
July 22, 2010 at 5:21 am #699672
WSeaFam2MemberThat could be a great solution, I did not think about the fan idea. I have several window fans and if I face them blowing out I can pull in air from another source and still keep the air flowing. Thank you :)
July 22, 2010 at 5:23 am #699673
DPMemberWow! When I read the title of this post, I thought somebody’s neighbor was about to burst into flames!
The crowd of people turned away, but I just had to look.
Imagine my disappointment . . .
I’m going back to bed now, but if someone’s neighbor should spontaneously combust tonight after all, please go ahead and wake me up.
I don’t wanna miss any of the hot neighbor-on-fire action.
July 22, 2010 at 5:31 pm #699674
dawsonctParticipantInstall a motion censor directed at their smoking area and attach it to various annoying items, like a strobe-light, and speakers playing children’s songs or speeches of Rush Limpballs.
July 22, 2010 at 5:56 pm #699675
MargLMemberPlay a loop of the Most Annoying Song Ever out the window
http://www.wired.com/listening_post/2008/04/a-scientific-at/
Actually – I think this one is worse:
http://www.wired.com/listening_post/2008/05/survey-produced/
July 22, 2010 at 6:33 pm #699676
johnnyblegsMemberdawsonct…Is this what you had in mind? May be a little tricky installing this by a bedroom. A horn would wake someone up and a strobe wouldn’t really work during the day. Still a great idea though.
July 22, 2010 at 8:13 pm #699677
BlendParticipantFind out what annoys them and do that. Fight fire with fire..pun intended. Or you could just join them and start smoking. It’s a social thing and you might enjoy it. It also gives you a buzz and helps you relax about the situation. Who cares about cancer. Cancer Smancer. We can beat cancer with supplements. We really need to be more sensitive to smokers needs. Maybe give them a pack of smokes as a kind gesture. Tell them to smoke them all right next to your window cause you love the smell and it makes you so happy. It’s especially cool when your clothes get that awesome smell. And OH, I love it when my hair smells smoker fresh!
July 22, 2010 at 9:01 pm #699678
MooseMemberI really like the idea of the fan. Make it so they know that it is bothering you. Maybe call out to another family member (even if they are not home) loud enough and say “Hey hon… the smoke is going to be coming into the bedroom will you turn on the fan?” :) I love the motion light idea but I think they might have the more irritating retaliation. I’m a smoker and on a good sized property but there have been times the wind had waft the smoke right into my neighbors open door. I hear the door close and I feel like the biggest loser out there!
July 22, 2010 at 9:04 pm #699679
MooseMemberAnother idea would be to go to goodwill and buy some well used work boots SIZE 13 or bigger and put them on your porch ;)
July 22, 2010 at 9:55 pm #699680
ricoMemberBoy I sure wish my adjacent homeowner smoke issue was only cigarettes. I get the joy of a home filled with smoke from an outside fire located about 20 ft. below the grade at my home and I practicaly live in a cloud on the many days that the neighbor decides to have a fire, which is quite often.
Neighbors such as this do not respond to a nice talk or simple request for consideration of others, they are simply people who have decided that consideration of other peopel is not important to them. Don’t even get me started about the hundreds of times they block the alley with their parked cars.
I will trade you this neighbor for a simple cigarrette smoke issue.
July 22, 2010 at 10:24 pm #699681
DOCMemberI’m with Helper Monkey. Talk to them. Even if you have tried in the past with other subjects, talk to them again. Until you have tried that, and explain WHY the smoke bothers you, you have no room to complain. However if that doesn’t work, I do like the hose idea, or perhaps just a “poorly” placed sprinkler.
July 22, 2010 at 10:32 pm #699682
miwsParticipantJuly 22, 2010 at 10:46 pm #699683
funkietooParticipantMike (miws), IMHO–you win! A Smoke Detector–priceless. If WSeaFam2 does this, be sure to have a camcorder running because the first time it goes off, it will be hysterical. Then you can send it in to ‘World’s Funniest Videos’.
July 22, 2010 at 11:29 pm #699684
DOCMemberMike for the win.
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