Smoking Cingular Employees

...it was obnoxious for you to tell these guys they were "in violation
of state law". Otherwise, I agree with you. I hate it when store
employees smoke outside their stores.

Why didn't you just use a different door or hold your breath?

Clete

We have simillar smoking laws in Toronto too. Your letter was better
then most on here.
My only thought is that instead of getting involved yourself (you dont
know what these people are like; they could have had a weapon. You
should have just gotten mall security right away. You could have
prevented a lot of the shouting and cursing that way.

Everything is PC Police.

The writer has a very valid complaint. The Cingular employees acted
obnoxiously.

Maybe YOU like taking abuse on a regular basis but most of us find it
offensive and unecessary.

Nice job. This is one of the better letters posted to this site in a
very long time. You were succinct, to the point, stated well thought
out facts and made your point in a non offensive way. We could all
take a lesson from you, myself included. You displayed a lot of
dignity.

Laws are laws, and California is certainly serious about all of their
laws. More so than any other state I've lived in or visited. It's
refreshing. But with a quarter of the U.S. population living in one
area, you have to on top of your game in order to manager the chaos
that happens there on a daily basis.

As a smoker, I'm not at all offended. Non-smokers have their rights,
and now State laws. We should all comply to them.

Thanks for a great letter. I'd love a follow up to hear about a
response from Cingular if you happen to receive one.

Peace!

Both "boys" actions?? Is Cingular participating in child labor now?

Your complaint lost credibility when you went out of your way to try
to present yourself as better than the working by referring to them as
"young man", "boy", etc. The proper way to address them would have
been "Sir, would you take the cig outside", not "young man". How
condescending. No matter they reacted like they did.

S.F.,
You have some good points.
However, I take issue with your approach.
To send a letter to an employer based on what you describe....
"appeared that one or both of these young men worked for Cinmgular "
is a giant leap of faith on your part.
You should have gotten names from name tags or at least provided the
intended reader a description of the young men, a date and time frame
for research purposes.
In retrospect I think your letter as written should have been
addressed to Mall Management for their followup and handling.
If you hear back please let us know.
BillR.

I doubt you "asked" them take their cigs outside. You probably
smarted off to them and they returned as they did. Perhaps had you
been smart you would have just contacted security first, so they would
have been caught in the act. Too bad you had to be the hero.

Even though I am a smoker, I totally see your point! To me, it's not
about where I can or can't smoke, it's about having a little respect
for the people around me. I won't even smoke outside if there are
kids or non-smoking adults around, and it upsets me when people insist
on just lighting up wherever they get the urge. Smoking IS a nasty
habit, and it DOES smell bad to non-smokers. In my house, we follow
my rules (smoking on the porch, don't go there if you don't want a
lungful), but in public you have to consider other people.

Even apart from the issue of "smokers' rights," the people you are
describing were at work. What they think personally of the rules has
no bearing on the fact that while in uniform they should be following
them. You are right to point out to Cingular and to mall management
that these employees' behavior kept you from doing business there. I
hope they keep on top of this issue!

I agree with the OP...I myself an severly allergic to cigarette smoke,
and tobacco in general...i break out in a rash and get crippling pain
in my sinuses and teeth and my throat closes up and my nose stuffs
up...

Unfortunatley i have to deal with this all the time when i go to
stores and employees are smoking in the bathrooms bc their employer
does not let them smoke.

See I believe that smokers have the same rights as every other
taxpayers. You know what annoys me more.....people with stinky coffee
and smelly food who carry it around........the worst is the people who
douse themselves in cheap perfume. That hurts my lungs, and makes it
hard for me to breathe as well.
And if you ask. I am not a smoker, I was, I quit a long time ago, and
I can't stand the smell of it.

I wouldn't have confronted the employees directly, but that's just me.
I'm glad things were taken care of in the end. I can't stand it when
people stand directly in front of or beside an entrance and smoke.
Then everyone going in to the buisiness has to breath in the smoke.

I would suggest you contact mall management and tell them everything.
I think they'd be quite interested in hearing about this and how mall
shoppers were treated by these guys.

Good for you for speaking up to them!

ARGH! Planetfeedback needs spellchecking! lol