My First Public Smoking Experience

[brdavidson]

So I normally smoke alone and at home (generally in my shed due to this bloody cold weather). But today was as nice a winter day as you can get around here so I decided to have a smoke outside my office with my new shipment from P&C. Anyways, a friend came out and started laughing when she saw me smoking, not because I was smoking a pipe, but with my winter Pea Coat she thought I looked like a sailor! She then took to calling my Captain Highliner (Canadian frozen fish brand with an old sea captain as their spokesman). It was pretty damn funny, but she did compliment my Trout Stream tobacco even if it added to the sailor joke!

 

[brdavidson]

And here is the old Captain!!! (It was very sunny out and the pipe is heavy so I had to clench rather hard)

 

[zonomo]

Im pretty sure if i smoked a pipe outside at work it could cause huge ripples. I dont have the nerve.... yet.

 

[brdavidson]

I know, curiosity got the better of me though, I just really was anticipating the Trout Stream and the Country Gent was nothing like I was expecting it to be so I said to hell with it! This summer I plan on taking lunch at a local park with my pipe, should be interesting the old guy sitting on the park bench alone with his pipe. I can only imagine what my friend will say then!!! :laughat:

 

[05venturer]

I have not hidden the pipe smoking from anyone, a few people are like "what are you doing", I say what the hell does it look like. Overall I have had more positive than negative feedback. :puffpipe:

 

[martiniman]

When I first started I was afraid of public opinion but now I smoke out all the time and the public opinion has always been good.

 

[allan]

Well, Mike, here in NYC and the suburbs I smoke a pipe outside whenever I can, and I will say the looks are at least a little bit better than when I carried around a cigar. More curious than hateful, at least.
Got to say, I can understand teaching children the 'dangers of cigarettes' but why must it be all or nothing?
Allan

 

[jwp159]

I take a pipe every where I go. Since I have hit middle age, I don't really care what people think and I do want people to see that all pipe smokers are not gone. I try to be polite to people and I never walk in to a building with my pipe lit. Most reactions have been positive. The only negative one that I recall was at an outdoor flea market where a women looked right at me and said " They shouldn't let people smoke out here" and she covered her mouth and walked away. I looked around and most everybody was smoking, It was an outdoor flea market in the south. The cig smell was probablly what she smelled, I was smoking a nice areo that brings compliments from most people. I just laughed and wondered what did she expect to find in a outdoor flea market in N.C. I could tell by her accent she wasn't from around here. ::

 

[mthanded]

My wife and I were in Des Moines at a downtown bar and stepped out to smoke. Some kids passed by and one asked if he could have a "toke". I guess they thought we were smoking weed. They hung out for a little while and we talked pipes while he smoked a cigarette. Kinda cool since they were our own kid's age.

 

[yadan]

love that Country Gent - I have two of them myself.

Pipe smokers are rare in Israel, but folks outside rarely stare or comment, although on a few occasions some kids would sing "Popeye the Sailor Man..."
"Got to say, I can understand teaching children the 'dangers of cigarettes' but why must it be all or nothing?"
The anti-smoking establishment, including the medical establishment, seem to be afraid to reveal actual statistics on (non-inhaling) pipe and cigar smokers. For example, the only study released on cigar smokers surveyed only those who inhaled smoke from cheap machine-made cigars. In a heated discussion I recently had with my heart specialist, he refused to acknowledge any difference between cigarette and pipe/cigar smoking, and could not cite any specific studies which proved that pipe smoking caused anything other than rare cases of lip cancer.

Happily, the situation is nowhere as frenzied in Europe and Asia as in the U.S.

 

[brdavidson]

I'm definitely not hiding, its just been cold and I'm not a regular smoker, so I just havent had the opportunity. Im looking forward to better weather so I can smoke in more comfort

 

[rhogg]

I have not hidden the pipe smoking from anyone, a few people are like "what are you doing", I say what the hell does it look like

I resemble this remark. Although I don't smoke at work, my hunting buddies were a little confused. Now they all smoke pipes too because after their ridicules they were left with empty jealous voids in their hearts that only a briar and delicious tobaccos could fill. One guy wanted a pipe so bad he made me a custom wing bone turkey call in exchange for a briar.
I'm happy to share tobaccos and provide my friends with pipes because I know how much I enjoy it. Now I enjoy it with my brothers from Oct to Jan here in Virginia.

 

[smokedragon]

I have only been smoking pipes since early in October I believe, and I definitely had reservations about smoking in public. I started out smoking only at my house or while driving. I started to gain confidence, and began to smoke at the dog park while throwing tennis balls with my pit bulls. I haven't yet gotten anything negative. I am conscientious about my smoking. Went to the Renaissance faire this past weekend and was smoking my pipe right in the middle of crowds of people. Only comments I got were positive on the pipe, the costume, and the smell of the Boswell's Christmas Cookie. I was even happy to see another pipe smoker while I was out. We raised our pipes to each other as we walked by.

 

[brdavidson]

I'm hoping that I'll run in to some more when the weather turns Dragon, I look forward to meeting some fellow brothers

 

[maduroman]

if i am not with the warden i have a pipe in my mouth.
i live in kalifornia so anti smoking nazis is a tearm of endearment here. i have had people come up on my porch to try to lecture me on the evils of tobacco.
however, walking around, (or in my case hobbling around) with my pipe has gardnered almost no remarks. i even walk into the post office with my pipe in my mouth followed by a cloud of smoke.
i have walked around various stores here with it in my mouth, pipe out, with no bs from people.
of course, on a good day i do look like charlie manson's kid brother, and on a bad day i look like an ax murderer picking out his next victim, so that MAY have something to do with it....

 

[smokedragon]

@maduroman Looking overtly manly comes with the pipe-smoking territory. Any high school kid can tote around cigarettes, but it takes a certain level of intimidating awesome to have that briar sticking out of your mouth. 8)

 

[rev413]

The only time I really get to smoke is on my way back and forth to work. So I really havent gotten the chance to really smoke in public considering my work schedule. I mean I would smoke at home more often but there is no comfort in this weather.
I really havent walked into a building with my pipe in building with my pipe in my mouth. I dont have the nerve to do it. Around here, they wont tell you that there is no smoking, they will just call the cops and not think twice.
But I have put my pipe in my mouth on my way out to my vehicle after work and have gotten all positive comments about it. So I just might have to start keeping it there when Im out and about.

 

[shaintiques]

My favorite outdoor smoking spot is 5 guys, nothing better after a big tasty hamburger than a pipe.

 

[05venturer]

+1 shaintiques

5 guys is awesome, extra malt vinegar on the fries :clap:

 

[maduroman]

most of the time it's my ratty old cob...