CDL School - NON-SMOKERS HELL

My only complaint as I start my 3rd week at CDL school is that although smokers are supposed to smoke only in designated areas; i.e. the "smoking Pavilion" and not anywhere around the trucks or on the range, they ignore the rules and smoke everywhere except indoors or in the trucks. There is no escape from them as you TRY to practice your "Pre-Trip" and the only places with a canopy for shelter from sun or rain, as well as a place to sit are all infested with smokers. All of us non smokers are coughing, hacking and now a few are complaining about burning noses, burning eyes, and coughing up green or yellow phlegm. I am very sick as well with the same symptoms. I complained to the lady in the school office and she repeated that the rules are no smoking except where the cigarette butt receptacles are and I explained to her that no one is following those rules. She then told the head of the school and he said yes that's a violation of the rules, but they did NOTHING. All of the instructors and staff of the school see the smokers everywhere and do not say anything. As a result, I will be a coughing, snotty, red eyes burning, phlegm spitting, sneezing and runny nose student while driving the range this week. Very frustrating...

Coughing, wheezing, and hacking up yellow phlegm?Those are some serious cigarettes you got there. As you get some more experience driving you will probably get used to it and should not have such a strong reaction.

There will be times that you will have to drive a truck that previously was driven by a smoker and it takes forever for the smell to go away. Hundreds of trucks will be idling at every truck stop you pull into. There will be cars and trucks on the highway spewing out black stinking smoke on the highways you drive everyday.

Your experience kind of shows that it is the smokers that are the truly strong.

I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure that you are overreacting. LOL!

JJ

I'm on your side Vin. I really can't stand second-hand smoke. Smokers don't really think about this stuff when they're around others.

Though if you're throwing up yellow stuff you really should go to a doctor. It sucks but most truckers smoke unfortunately.

This almost sounds like several people I use to work with. There were 6 of us in the building, 2 of which were smokers. At that time the smokers were allowed to smoke in the shop area. Everytime one of the smokers would light up one someone always made a comment about it stinking or making their eyes water. The funny thing about it was the 2 that *****ed the loudest would spend every night out drinking in the local bars where the smoke was so thick you couldn't see across the room. Smoke was fine as long as it was at their discretion, the rest of the time they used it as an excuss to put off doing any work.

P.S. I don't smoke