A Sober Realisation

[sablebrush52]

“When I walked to work”, ….I can’t imagine the experience.

I live about a mile from the Warner Ranch and The Burbank Studios, so no sweat.

 

[alan73]

I saw the title and said Oh God Don’t Do That … haven’t read the thread but I will

 

[Servant King]

I only smoke outdoors, so I'm always smoking in public. When I walked to the post office or Trader Joes I'd be enjoying a bowl. When I walked to work I'd be enjoying a bowl. Sometimes people would honk their horns and give me a thumbs up while I was crossing an intersection. and apparently I'm known in my neighborhood as "the guy with a pipe".

I've only once has a really negative reaction, and that was when I was sitting at a table outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria in a smoking area.

A guy came up to me and started giving me grief about my filthy habit, to which I pointed at the "SMOKING AREA" sign directly behind me without missing a puff. This enraged the poor soul even further and he sprinted over to where a couple of security guards were standing and began a very nice harangue while jabbing his finger in my direction. I gave the guards a nod and waved at them while releasing a nice puff of smoke.

They listened to the guy scream for about another minute before they grabbed hm by his armpits and "escorted" him off of the property.

Other than the occasional old biddy making a coughing noise, maybe once every few years, no issues.

[WARNING: LA dialogue forthcoming. All those disinterested should ignore the following. You have been warned!]

The Galleria is located in a prime spot to attract the wealthy Studio City crowd from the east, and the Encino crowd from the west. Once you go north of Magnolia Ave., that kind of behavior is unheard of. But you know to stay south of the barrio Oxnard. You'd get mugged for your Barling faster than you can say "Deeming Regs."

I have fond memories of another nearby mall, Fashion Square. Used to be OPEN to the outside within the place, and from my childhood recollection, lots of smokers, including my own grandmother! Your "fan" would have surely had an aneurysm trying to chew out that many smokers.

 

[jpmcwjr]

This thread made me recall the only truly obnoxious fake cough I've experienced. It was in Hawai'i, outside in the warm sea breezes, on a path next to the beach. A woman approaching me started coughing before she even passed me, and kept It up for quite a while after. May God bless her stupid lungs, throat and brain. Oh, and between the wind and the quantity of smoke, there's no way there was a real cough involved, at least one caused by my smoke.

 

[carlomarx]

Every Tuesday a gang gathers at Boswell's shop in Alexandria, PA. Other than that I believe I'm the only pipe smoker in my neighborhood. I saw a guy about my age (70) in the parking lot of the local grocery store smoking a pipe yesterday. Other than that I believe you'd have better odds of seeing a Sasquatch than a pipe smoker around these parts. Times change, when I moved to State College thirty years ago there were three pipe shops plus all the OTC you'd want at drug and grocery stores. Pipe shops are gone and the drug and grocery stores carry a very limited stock of pipe tobacco if any.

 

[Akousticplyr]

One might be inclined to think there are 6 billion pipe smokers any time Esoterica hits the shelves hahaha

 

[Chasing Embers]

One might be inclined to think there are 6 billion pipe smokers any time Esoterica hits the shelves hahaha

And yet it sits on B&M shelves for months after online sites sell out.

 

[anotherbob]

this reminds me last week on my way to work as I was smoking my pipe this guy was giving me a pretty intense stare I thought oh he's going to complain. Then as he was going by me he said "pipes are awesome" and kept going.

 

[Akousticplyr]

And yet it sits on B&M shelves for months after online sites sell out.

What is this brick and mortar creature of which you speak?
Hahaha

 

[anotherbob]

One might be inclined to think there are 6 billion pipe smokers any time Esoterica hits the shelves hahaha

I think someone eats that stuff.

 

[Akousticplyr]

And yet it sits on B&M shelves for months after online sites sell out.

Someday our descendants will say “grandpa, did you really go INTO stores to buy stuff?“

 

[Chasing Embers]

Someday our descendants will say “grandpa, did you really go INTO stores to buy stuff?“

Online is just window shopping for me. All of my orders are over the phone with money transfers.

 

[anotherbob]

Someday our descendants will say “grandpa, did you really go INTO stores to buy stuff?“

the more things change the more they stay the same. Like grocery stores used to have a clerk that would take your list and pick out all the stuff you asked for while you waited and now people make orders to pick up at the store where someone else does the actual shopping for you. I guess what I am saying is who knows what our grandkids will be doing. They might be like you would buy things online instead of going to a store where you could handle it in person. (apparently video stores are on the way back.)

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Reminds me of a Steve Martin skit.
Steve Martin - "mind if I fart?" - YouTube

 

[jpmcwjr]

And yet it sits on B&M shelves for months after online sites sell out.

Not in my neck of the woods!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Not in my neck of the woods!

That's what the forum B&M list is for. Local B&Ms are more in favor of cigars. Jesse and I both got our stashes by calling.