Young Smokers: Post your reactions

[flat4driven]

Alright, so this is a thread for the younger guys here (myself included) to post the reactions they get from the general public. A lot of times when someone thinks of a pipe smoker, they have the connotation of an old dude with a beard. Now that a lot of us younger guys are getting into the hobby, we have the ability to show those in that mindset that pipe smoking is for anyone.
This thread is all about the reactions you get from friends, family and the general public. What comments do you usually hear when you tell someone you smoke a pipe or someone sees you smoking a pipe?
Up until lately, I've been somewhat of a closet smoker. I decided a few weeks ago I was going to work on changing this. After class, a few friends and I went to a local bar that had an outdoor patio that allowed smoking. I brought a pipe along to somewhat test the waters to see what kind of reactions I would get. I went about my business, lit my pipe, and waited to see what would happen. To my surprise, they were all positive. I think just about everyone was staring at some point and I even heard one guy whisper to his buddy "yo, that kid's smokin a pipe. that's awesome." which was a total confidence booster.
Today I decided to bring my pipe to school. While outside smoking, a kid I never met before walked buy and said "that makes you awesome. you deserve an award. God that smells good"...I guess 1Q will do that.
So let's hear what you have heard!

 

[spartan]

I've gotten the same feedback as you. We just need to wait 50 years for all the morons making the laws to die so our generation can re-write them.
Havn't heard a bad thing about my pipe yet. I get high fives for hot ladies dressed as Alice of Wonderland. ::

 

[marmal4de]

I'm a young guy with a beard, I really only get positive reactions, which is funny, because I try and smoke the nastiest smelling tobaccos when I'm in public in an effort to keep people away from me.

 

[undecagon]

Well, a lot of people call me "old man" because I have a full beard, like to wear sweaters, and like scotch (a lot!), so when someone who knows me but doesn't know I smoke a pipe (recent example, cousin I hadn't seen for a few years) sees me pull a pipe out, they often react with "That makes sense" or "you're really a old man aren't you?"
General reactions from people who know me and know I smoke is often positive. No one has ever really minded when I pull out the pipe, often times people will again remark that they think it is cool.
Walking the streets of my old university or the city of Dayton, OH - I again would get the comments such as "Nice Pipe" or "That smells great" and again here walking the street of Chicago, reactions are almost always positive (unless you accidentally cross just a little too close to millennium park, then security tries to pin you down and make you stop smoking!)
HOWEVER, another pipe smoking friend of mine attends the University of Wisconsin, Madison for his PhD in Biochemistry, and he always tells me about how it's the worst town to smoke in ever. The town is filled with extreme hippies who often hold protests in the street and ride their bikes down the middle of the road as if they own it, but I still never imagined just how bad it could be. So when I went to visit him once, I got there early and he was still working in his lab, so I headed downtown, lit up, and walked around. The fake cough, the glares, the whispers of "disgusting" as I walked past people were ABUNDANT! I was actually surprised no one spit on me. That being said, I've visited a number of times since, always with the same very negative response from the open public, but one time a younger couple did walk by and said with a nod "Nice Pipe"

 

[uberam3rica]

I get good reactions from everyone except my mom, brother, and sister. They all say I smell like nasty smoke. My dad, who has an appreciation for the leaf didoes care. I'm technically an adult, so he basically lets me do what I want

 

[marmal4de]

OH SNAP!! Paul, you rock! Trollololol!

 

[bhpdrew]

Nothing I say to the "anti's" can be repeated on this forum. It usually involves a verbal ass kicking and the "anti" breaking down in tears.

 

[lostandfound]

It's usually 60/30/10 between responses like "I thought only old men smoked pipes", "that's so you!" or "that smells fantastic!" I usually respond by saying that it's true that you only SEE old men smoking pipes, but most of those men started smoking the pipe when they were much younger than I am now. Either way, I take any of these reactions to be complementary. It's amazing to me too see how many people are unaware that with age comes wisdom, and if not wisdom, a better understanding at the very least.

 

[schmitzbitz]

I actually had a fellow with a smoke dangling from his lower lip pull the fake cough thing the other day - granted, he was walking directly downwind of my Ten Russians foulness. In fact, I suppose it could have been a real cough. Ok, never mind.
Most people just assume I'm smoking something else and pay me no heed; in Vancouver (aka Lala Land North), its more acceptable to smoke pot than tobacco. Light a cigarette and the anti's come out of the woodwork, mind you...

 

[xoibsurferx]

I'm a younger guy as well (21 years old) and so far I'm getting good reactions. My mother hates the idea of me smoking in general but I don't think my father really cares.
My wife doesn't have a problem with it but she would never try it herself and I haven't really had any time to smoke in public yet but hopefully I will soon and I'll post the reactions.
Just driving around town smoking a pipe I get plenty of looks.

 

[nbpiper]

I've gotten the "old man" thing from a couple of people I work with. Have had a couple of strange/dirty looks, but I assumed that it was because people figured I was smoking something else in the pipe. Have got a couple of people commenting on "nice pipe". Mostly I hear a couple of words after I've passed about either something related to pipe smoking, or about the good smell.

 

[doctorthoss]

I live in an area where the overall number of tobacco users is still pretty high, so I don't hear much from "antis" when in public. The occasional cross look is all I get, generally, if I'm smoking a cigarette. If I'm smoking a pipe, however, I do draw some odd stares here and there -- some are curious, some are clearly amused by me. I've only had one negative comment ("Youre too young to be smoking a pipe") while the rest are generally compliments on how good it smells!

 

[philip]

A comment from someone in an earlier generation...
The only funny looks I get are from people who I am sure think I am smoking marijuana. They are about the only pipe smokers seen around here.
I bet you younger guys get that look, too.

 

[spartan]

My mexican relatives joke about me puttin pot in my pipes. It's getting very old very fast. They're very Raza.
Not sure how to spell the word. Means something like old school mexican. :roll:

 

[pipeinhand]

Paul you are my hero. :rofl:

 

[baronsamedi]

I went to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, WA this year and me and my best friend both packed our Meers. Tons of great remarks but we had to be told where we could smoke. I asked if they were gonns tell me where to puke later and I just got a dirty look.
The other 1% are consumed by me in my sleep

 

[dongreyface]

I pretty much smoke at night when everyone has gone to bed, so I don't get much reaction from people seeing me. But the ones I've told that I've started smoking look at me with a bit of a grin and say 'I can see that'. My best friend thinks it's awesome, of course he recently has taken up cigar smoking. And SWMBO just rolls her eyes at me.

 

[dongreyface]

Paul, I think you and I would get along very well, that sounds like something I would say. :clap:

 

[dongreyface]

Sorry, double post. The computer messed up on me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[sailortodd]

I'm not just young(ish), I'm in the Navy, so the only place I've really smoked is on the fantail of my ship. It's actually kind of funny how many people have noticed and mentioned that they smoke as well. Just today I got a bowl full of a home blend. Then there are a few that are shocked that I smoke at all (not in a bad way, just surprised).
I have noticed on a rare occasion the snicker and whispered comment between two people looking my way, but it's probably because they think it's not just backy, but whacky tabacky