I generally stopped smoking a pipe in public. It's a hassle and I rec'd some disapproving looks. If I'm in an uncrowded area, traveling, I'll break the pipe out (like in a hotel parking lot, etc.).
I had a great smoke a few weeks ago at a large hotel near the NJ shore - on a hotel patio that was deserted (empty event center)..
The worse experience was smoking a cigar, a number of years ago, at Antietam Battlefield, on the 4th of July "Salute to Independence" event. The Maryland Symphony orchestra performs patriotic songs then fireworks. Up to 20,000 people attend, it is a zoo. I was smoking cigar, near the end of the show, at the perimeter of the field, not near anyone. A female park ranger walked over and said "sir, do you mind not smoking that here, it could be annoying the other spectators. I said: "Well, I do mind. My father fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam for my right to smoke a cigar out in a great big field". She harrumped and walked back to her post (my family/brothers/uncles all cheered). The orchestra then started playing the 1812 overture to finish and there were 20-couple Maryland National Guardsman in a row, they fired off several round of artillery shells, to cheers from the crowd. In a few minutes, at dusk, the entire field was enveloped in artillery smoke. I walked over to the Park Ranger and said "that artillery smoke is bothering me, could you ask the to stop?" Before she could answer I said "no don't you feel silly?" and walked away. The other Park Rangers were cool and a lot of fun (my restaurant feeds all the volunteers/rangers and symphony members).
