No Smoking.

So there I was. Sipping my coffee and reading a book on one of the cushy chairs outside my local Starbucks.

There was another woman on the other set of cushy chairs doing the same.

There were 2 employees also outside on their break.

A man came out of Starbucks and sat diagonally from me in my set of cushy chairs.

Uh. Dude. You're in my space.

And then he whipped out his pack of Marlboro's.

I politely said "Sir, if you're going to smoke, could you please move downwind of me?"

He looked at me and said "It's outside seating. Smoking allowed." Yet, he did get up to move over to the other set of cushy chairs.

Other woman requests he not smoke either and points out to him that California law prohibits smoking within 25 feet of any building. We were definitely NOT 25 ft from the storefront.

He proceeds to call her names, and we both stand our ground. He grabs a cushy chair, moves it exactly between both of us and lights up.

And then he gets up after like 2 puffs, stubs out his smoke, calls us fat bitches that are taking up all the cushy chairs and stomps off still muttering at us.

Here's my thing: If I had come outside and sat down while somebody was already there smoking, I cannot request that he not smoke because I have chosen to sit there knowing full well, smoker was there first. Conversely, a smoker, choosing to sit with obviously non-smokers cannot just light up without first enquiring " do you mind if I smoke?" Which I would answer, Yes, actually, I do. At that point smoker must not smoke until non-smoker is gone.

I think "Choosing" is the operative word here.