Thanks for all the replies and sorry for my slow response, I was working 2 full days and just flopped in bed when I got home.
Buzzkill, I was going to prepare the signs to put up and I had decided to put one on every floor so it did not look like I was singling him out. However I decided to run the idea past the regular security guard. He said that other people had complained too and the cleaning lady was getting pissed finding his cigarette butts all over the floor and elevator. He told me in no uncertain terms to speak to the tenant, and that he would do so. He said 3 times, don’t talk to the guy.
shiadoa Your suggestion also sounds good because that is what I would do back home. Just directly speak to the person. It was funny because in one of my classes, my students all said not to do that in Taiwan because he might just smile and then later slash my scooter tires I decided to reserve this idea if speaking to the guard didn’t work since I don’t want any retribution.
Tommy that sucks about your car. The ironic thing is that once you install a camera, someone will probably look in and see it and try to break in to steal it Had that happen once to me. Some thugs thought there was a laptop case in my car and broke my window to get it, then realized that it was full of books, then smashed another window to punish me for fooling them. Your case might just be some punk kids thinking they are funny but who knows.
As far as my neighbor he is a bit uncouth but friendly and all. That’s why I want to resolve this with a minimum of fuss.
Belgian Pie your method of kicking the butts to their apartment is quite smart. My mom used to do that with our neighbor. Their friends would come over and throw the butts on our side so she would pick them up with the dustpan and send it back to the neighbors side. The butts on our side slowly went down in number. And yes, these type of people don’t have any respect.
mukashi yup I did that, spoke to the building management.
BigJohn I have a feeling he might be a dealer of something. He always gets on the phone immediately when he goes out and talks loud in the hallway, even at 2am. But sometimes he comes back within 5 minutes.
Varmint “Or he could just be, you know, like, an asshole.” - Yes, yes he is
monkey - He can’t be going out for a cig since the entire hallway and his room reeks of cigarette smoke, I don’t think he goes out to smoke.
hansioux I didn’t know it is illegal for him to smoke in his room too. Interesting.
Baas Babelaas I don’t know what goes through peoples heads to burn ghost money indoors or right near the door of the entrance. At some McDonald’s in Tainan, they also set up the ghost money burning outside the doors. I was going to complain to the American office about this, but ended up not. Nothing is more disgusting than trying to eat while smelling that crappy smoke. You should take a garden hose to the guys bucket of cancer paper.
Mick I had a good laugh with your suggestion “wow, pretty heavy smoker, thats the 4th today…want to know how I know? Because every time you go out for a smoke you slam the door so hard, you can hear it half way down the road, plus the smoke comes into my apartment and sticks the place up” Too funny…!
Again thanks everyone for your ideas
Since speaking with the guard, the guy doesn’t let the door slam often anymore, and the smell of smoke is greatly reduced, but not completely gone.
I’m going to ask the landlord to come over and install weatherstripping on the door and I think that might help a lot. There is no smell coming through the drain, I checked that. If it still continues I might buy an air filter for the room.
If the guy starts smoking again to the same extent in the hallways or elevator, I will go speak to him myself and try to sort it out. But as of now, the situation is much better.