As a somewhat senior smoker in a workplace that teems with young things on minimal wages, I am the bottee of fags during breaks…especially in the days before payday. It seems that I have garnered a reputation as always having a full pack available (mainly because I HAVE to buy a new pack because everyone bots them off me!!) so I am fair game for a spare smoke.
And of course, I always feel sorry for the poor schmucks, but of course, few of them ever return the favour when they DO have money to buy cancer sticks of their own.
Why don’t you charge them?
I’m not sure how it translates down under, but in the US, when someone asks for a smoke, you could easily tell them you’ll give them one for a quarter. That’ll net you $5 a pack (and they cost between $2.75 and about $3.50 depending on the brand). Hell, most kids will probably start bringing quarters to work just for that reason.
Well, I tend to be the one with smokes. When others ask me for one, no problem. One or two, OK. 3 or 4, cool. If the person asks day after day, I say things like…“no”.
But I understand being in a senior position changes the equation. It’s hard to say no, especially with your empathy kicking in. Have you ever tried stealing money out of their back pockets while they are napping?
It can be a good way to go. When they are thinking “wow, free smoke” you can think “smoke 'em if you can bum 'em, but I’ve got your money!”.
Just last night at the bar, after bumming some guy two ogf my smokes out of the kindness of my heart, he actually got ANGRY when I refused to sell him the last 4 or 5 in my pack.
Some people seem to think you need to be their own personal cigarette ATM. He was actually indignant in the same way a customer would be if they were standing at a McDonalds and they refused to sell him a Big Mac.
Yes, I have cigarettes. Yes, you have offered to pay for them. No, I am not therefore obligated to accept your money and give you my cigarettes. I am not 7-11. I am a guy with 4 smokes left and half a beer to finish.
I’m generally the one giving away smokes. I’m usually ready to give a few away to friends and acquaintances in an effort to be sociable, and by about the fourth cigarette any given person bums off of me, they promise to buy me a pack.
Hey! Thats exactly what we say here in Norway as well, bum. I dont smoke myself, but over over here you can bum a smoke or bum a “pris snus”, which is that tobacco we put under our lip. Funny coincidence
Regional linguistics aside, I’m nearly always the provider. Apparently even long-term smokers misjudge their smoking habits regularly, while I tend to be pragmatic and figure that it’s not very likely that I’m going to quit at any random moment and buy a few cartons at a time. So I’m always carrying.
I have one friend who often purchases entire packs from me, as opposed to buying her own cartons so as not to run out. Another friend has been ‘trying to quit’ for about five years, buying the light version to cut down on the nicotine and satisfaction quotient, she’s forever sighing “Oh, you have the good ones, can I have one?”
Then there’re the former smokers at work who don’t officially smoke anymore, but can’t be around someone smoking without wanting to join in. Quite a few of those around, so all in all I figure I hand out at least 2 per pack.
