Mom Loses It Over Smoker's Refusal To Let Her Kid Pet Dog While Smoking
A 28-year-old woman refused to let a kid pet a dog, because she was busy doing the one thing she probably should not be doing around children. In the middle of a normal interaction, OP is standing there with his dog, and the mom is right there with her kid, expecting everyone to just play along.
OP says, basically, “Sorry man, I’m smoking right now so not the best time,” and that should have been the end of it. But the mom flips out after denying the kid access to the dog, and suddenly it is not about the dog anymore, it is about cigarette smoke, hypocrisy, and who is “in the wrong” for even having a habit in public.
Now OP is stuck wondering if he handled it wrong, or if the mom was just looking for a fight.
The OP writes...
"sorry man, i'm smoking right now so not the best time"
The OP should have just walked away
OP’s “not the best time” reply was short, but the mom and her kid clearly took it personally.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the AH:
I think I may be the AH since I really could have easily just not have said I said to the mom and just walked away after denying the kid access to my dog. but at the same time, I feel like it needed to be said if this woman really does smoke around her child all the time, cigarette smoke is pretty harmful (and I really should drop the habit myself - easier said than done, and plus I kinda am still in the phase where I just enjoy smoking, I realize this may make me a hypocrite)
so wanted to know if I really was TA? my fiancee seems to think so.
Let's head into the comments section and find out what other Redditors have to say about the story
The OP has no moral high ground
This also feels like the moment when the dog tried to sniff her, and she backed away anyway.
It's nice the OP is considerate with his smoking
The OP didn't even have to justify it
The OP has a good head on his shoulders
The OP gave the kid his reasons
She is increasing her child's odd of cancer
It's really not that big of a deal
That’s when the smoking became the real argument, not the dog petting.
OP even admits he could have walked away, but he also felt like the mom’s constant smoke around her child mattered.
By the time OP’s fiancee is weighing in, the whole situation turns into a debate about whether OP actually had to justify anything.
OP's encounter with the mother and her child highlights the complications of managing personal habits in public spaces.
OP might have been trying to be polite, but the mom made it a full-on drama over cigarette smoke.
Want more pet-policy drama, read how John banned a coworker after he let a dog into his autistic son’s room.
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