Public Piping

[avid]

Randomn thoughts...the topic comes up occasionally. I have only one acquaintance I see on a regular basis who knows I smoke a pipe. When not out of town, my pipe never leaves the basement or lounge. Even while away, the kit I take with me sometimes returns home intact.

However, recently up on the island I did ask the proprietors, a couple, of the Cloughan B & B, whether smoking was permitted anywhere on the premises. Since the hubby did have a noticeable cigarette odor about him, even though there were no ash trays on the porch, I wasn't completely surprised on learning they were OK with it. (Wife immediately asked him whether there were any ash trays out there.) Later as I sat on the stairs, he did indeed exit the front door lighting up, glancing curiously at me to see what I was up to. The next morning there was an ash tray on a table next to the porch chairs. Can't seem to post a link to the place.

Then the time I headed up to the hotel with a pipe going, generally down wind, a few young ladies, nodded and smiled approvingly. Maybe I should try it more often.

[Tsal]

Great story, I enjoyed it.

[sisyphus]

I'm a firm believer in smoking everywhere. The universal demonization of tobacco occurred solely on the basis that it costs the insurance industry a ton of money and is a glaring example of how we've allowed the ruling class to condition us to support their agenda even when it goes against our own best interests. Mexico is a fantastic country, they'll bring an ashtray to your table at the restaurant.

[Thelonious monkfish]

I walk up to stores smoking, pocket my lit pipe as entering, deal with the proprietor, then back out as I slip the pipe into my clench again. Nobody has complained once, maybe some fake coughing but no clearly directed negativity. In fact I'm practically accosted by people trying to compliment the aroma or remark about a family member who does/did smoke a pipe. Get out there, ambassador, smell good and remind people of pleasantries their current lives are missing.

[Tsal]

I smoke in public all day every day, it's what I do. Today at the Memorial Day parade someone seen my pipe in my shirt pocket and asked if I smoke a pipe. knucklehead.

[Ray Mackessy]

I smoke in the car going to and from my destination.

[Fr_Tom]

I smoke in the office and walking to the PO. I smoke in the car. It is rare anyone says anything. Sometimes I get the "oh my grandfather smoked a pipe" thing. Every now and then I get the lecture about negative health consequences. I do the faux "hearing aid with low batteries" thing - nod and smile. There is no point in engaging the haters.

[Loosecut]

It almost never happens, but it's always great to see a pipe smoker in a crowd.

In public, I would always be smoking factory cigs or RYO/MYO. Then a bunch of years ago, I managed to quit cigs, with the help of nasal snuff. Since then, I take my nasal snuff out with me when I'm out and about, and almost always leave my pipe gear at home.

Where I'm from, there's tons of government restrictions on smoking, yet there are no rules against nasal snuff...99% of the time, nobody has even heard of nasal snuff.

I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to remember when smoking was allowed in hospitals. I think that lasted up until the mid 1980s.

[Mr Beardsley]

About the only time I smoke in public is at the orange county and LA pipe club meets since we have those on a patio at a bar and grill. Other than that I always smoke on the little stoop outside my door or the patio at a friend's house

[Houtenziel]

Also pretty much never smoke in public, mostly because I avoid public in general. Smoking is a happy, peaceful thing for me, and I prefer to do it alone. I sometimes make my boys go inside so I can enjoy nature in relative peace while i have a bowl in the back yard.