Someone sends a request for a book with a condition that it not come from a smoking household.  What if you smoke, but not in your house? 

Also, there are a lot of non-smokers who do not have this condition.  So...when they re-post a book after reading, they don't really know if it came from someone who smokes, or if at some point it did belong to someone who smoked.  What happens then?

Maybe I'm thinking too much into it.

Well, as a non-smoker, I can tell you that smokers don't always realize that other people can tell they've been smoking.  We have one smoker in our office, and I can smell smoke in the ladies room if she goes in there after her smoke break outside, and I can smell it on her clothes.  I've never mentioned it though, and I'm sure she has no idea.  BTW - a mild smoker odor doesn't really bother me.

As far as getting a smoking condition on a book I got used, it depends on how it's worded.  Some say not from a smoking household - so I send it.  If it says "...has not been in a smoking environment" I err on the side of caution and don't send a book I got used, since I just don't know.

That helps, Thanks!  I had one requester who said they had a bad allergy, but only said that the house be smoke-free.  I declined it anyway just to be safe.

Thanks for the help!

Shannon,  I would suggest that you continue to decline if they mention a "smoke-free household".  Even though you don't smoke in your house, there is a good chance you leave a smoke residue on things you handle anyway.  As an example, my secretary doesn't smoke in our office, but her computer mouse needs more frequent cleanings because the tar from her hands gets into the mouse.

Karen

I think you did the right thing, Shannon.  If I was in your place, I would decline those requests, just to be safe.  Someone else will want the book soon enough, I'm sure.

As a non-smoker, I can tell you how I handle those "non-smoking household" requests.  If I can notice a smoke smell to the book, even a slight one, I decline and say that even though I don't smoke I'm certain that a previous reader did because I can smell smoke on the book.  If I can't smell smoke, I send it.  I'm fairly sensitive to cigarette smoke, so I think I know if the book is likely to bother someone. 

I would decline. My mom will go outside to smoke when at our house, she she comes back in and uses the phone or sits on my furniture I put out the lysol. My husband told me I can't spray that on leather. I told him I'd rather have stains on it from lysol than it smell my house of smoke. Her handling the phone and talking into is awful. If you're handling the book someone with an allergy or asthma might have an attack. A book request I got this weekend had a light smoke smell on it, not bad but I could smell it being a non smoker and it's in the freezer bag with a bar of soap. A day with the bar of soap and it'll be okay. I've have one book I got a month ago that reeked and it's been in a freezer bag with soap and it still smells strong. Just never know, you'd hate to get a book marked with a problem.

How do you know if someone marks a book RWP?  Do you get an e-mail?

Sorry, i'm pretty new, so i'm asking all sorts of crazy questions

I believe you get a PM and an email and it'll also show up in your transaction archive as RWP. I think with a red check or something.  I would decline any non-smoking requests even if you only smoke outside.  Better safe than sorry.  If they don't have a non-smoking condition and mark it RWP because of a smoke smell-you don't have to give them a credit and PBS will have a record showing they didn't have a non-smoking condition. 

This is a non-smoking house. If the request says "currently not in a smoking home" then I accept. If it asks for a detailed history of the book's life before I got or a PM from me w/it's history and a smell description-I pass.  I get most of my books used and I have yet to get one that has a smell of smoke. But I'm not going to play the PM game.

I too believe you did the right thing.  Things smokers handle smell like smoke even if they don't smoke right next to them.  If you smoke at all, I'd decline ALL smoking conditions.

And welcome to the club!    Happy Swapping.

I have allergies (asthma) and am very sensitive to smoke and also perfume type scents.   I think the best option for a smoker is to decline all requests for a smokefree book/smokefree household.  :-)

I decline all nonsmoking or "smelly" RCs.  I have too many books here that friends are giving me and I don't have a sensitive nose. 

I just received an PM today from a lady who says a book I sent her last week is basically worthless to her because it smells so badly of smoke.  I didn't notice that -- and it's a friend's book -- but if she had a nonsmoking RC, I wouldn't have sent it to her.  She did say she will be doing that in the future, but I wish she had done it two weeks ago.  :-) 

I don't smoke and my dh does, but he only smokes outside.  He never touches the books I send out, but I still decline non-smoking requests.  I have a pretty sensitive nose and our house doesn't smell, but I still feel better turning them down.

I agree to turn down the request concerning smoking.....I do not smoke and I can't smell any smoke on my books. But, I have sent books to people who say they smell of smoke, well dah...the books are used. I got them at library sales, PBS members, yard sales etc.  Conditions of any kind turn out to be very subjective....so I always turn down requests with conditions. :-)