Doves and smoke

[vanja]

I'm not really sure what to do about this. There is a guy across from me who smokes cigars outside his door and this smell wafts from my heat/air-conditioning to to my room. The apartment is the kind when the it's designed like a normal apartment where the entrance to the rooms face each other only since we're in FL it leads directly to outside as soon as your out of your door. I hope this makes sense.
Anyway I'm not sure if it's my air that doing something wrong by letting the smoke in or if I should speak to the person. He is technically not doing anything wrong. I will be getting my dove in about a month and I have a feeling this will cause problems. I am a bit intimidated since he is a big older guy who drinks and smokes and I just moved here and I'm a younger 5'2 female. Suggestions?

[Libis]

How bad does the smoke get? Is there anywhere else he could smoke easily? Is smoking allowed inside the apartments, or only on the outside?

[vanja]

Since I live in a studio the only place I can't smell the smoke is the bathroom. It takes a while for the smell to go away. We are not allowed to smoke in our rooms which is why he comes out and smokes in the hall across from my room(which is technically considered outside). He could go the balcony by the stairs which if I have to talk to him is what I'll mention.
Since I am getting over a cold right now the smell is enough to make me cough and have to get eye drops but I know its not harmful to me. I just don't know if a bird will be strong enough to withstand it.

[Libis]

If he's a nice guy, you could tell him that it's messing up your cold and making you need eye drops and he'd probably go to the balcony as suggested.

Still thinking about how you might go about this if he's gruff and cranky.

I'm not sure how smoke would affect doves, as nobody around my birds smokes. Maybe someone else here would have more insight on that?

[vanja]

I personally can put up with it. It's just a minor annoyance. It's the bird that I'm worried about.

[John_D]

I'd think the situation is more of a problem if he was already there when you moved in and has been in the habit of smoking where he does for a while. In a sense, you have 'moved to the nuisance', though you couldn't have known it before.

Tobacco smoke and various other fumes - for example, incense sticks, burning essential oils, various household products - are harmful to birds and should be avoided.

Is actual smoke coming into your apartment? If so, would sound like there is a problem with either door insulation or the aircon. Excuse my ignorance (aircon apartments are less common here) but I thought the units were built into external walls.

Presume there are no rules which apply to keeping doves, that someone could use to make it difficult for you?

[Libis]

Sometimes it's easier to make people sympathetic if it's bothering you. For some reason many people don't empathize well with animals, which is why I was trying to think in that direction.

Another possible option, if you absolutely can't get him to stop, is the bathroom, since you said that it stays smoke free. That is, if there is space for your bird in there. Our bathroom would be too small, but I also have too many birds lol.

[vanja]

Yeah the apartment can be a little confusing. I took a picture from the first floor. I'm on the 3rd so the only difference is that there are rails at the end of the hallways.
I just move in and although I don't know how long he has been here it has to have been at least since last fall.

I could move her when I smelt the smoke but he normally smokes at night and I'm generally sleeping by then. Unless I want to move the cage every night. The bathroom is really small (I don't even have a tub) and the door doesn't close all the way. I could fit it though.

I've been thinking of trying to find a small cheep air purifier.

[Msfreebird]

As long as its not an 'all day' problem, I think I would try to keep the peace....and try the 'air purifier'. That should help alot. And set it near the a/c unit, where its coming in.

[Libis]

I think that a purifier sounds like a pretty good idea if this is an intermittent problem.

[spirit wings]

I would go rent a trailor on some Nebraska farm outside of the city...lol.. no really,sounds like your pretty calm about the situation which helps, good for you.

[Libis]

Originally Posted by spirit wings

I would go rent a trailor on some Nebraska farm outside of the city...lol.. no really,sounds like your pretty calm about the situation which helps, good for you.

Are you talking to me? Because this isn't my problem and vanja lives in Florida. Trailers in Nebraska have nothing to do with it.

I'm only here trying to help her figure out what to do without disturbing the peace in the apartment complex that she has just moved into. I would be pretty intimidated to speak to a big guy who has been there longer than I have as well. If the problem could be solved with a simple air purifier it seems like it would be much easier for her.

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by Libis

Are you talking to me? Because this isn't my problem and vanja lives in Florida. Trailers in Nebraska have nothing to do with it.

I'm only here trying to help her figure out what to do without disturbing the peace in the apartment complex that she has just moved into. I would be pretty intimidated to speak to a big guy who has been there longer than I have as well. If the problem could be solved with a simple air purifier it seems like it would be much easier for her.

oops, read the wrong location... bet that was confusing for ya...lol.. no need to get upset now..lol.. mistakes happen.

[Libis]

Yeah, your comment kind of hit me sideways there. lol.

I hope vanja finds something that works out well for her before her bird arrives.

[vanja]

I'm looking into this right now:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I don't have much experience with these but some of the higher quality models are several hundred dollars and are the size of a TV