What does carding someone mean? Does that mean you try to hook up with the person and leave her/him your card, or is it like a red card in sports?
Demanding proof of age.
The driving analogy would hold up better if people ran their engines for the sake of releasing smoke.
I smoke, and I also bartend, and it drives me nuts when customers assume that because I am serving them drinks, I owe them a free cig. They’ll see me light a cig and go “Hey, you got one of those for me, right?” like somehow it’s my job to give away free cigarettes. (I should note that we sell cigarettes at the bar.)
Depending on who the customer is and whether or not they tip worth a shit, I will decide whether or not to give them one…my answer is always “sorry, last one” as noted if I don’t feel like sharing. And if they see me buy a pack I just smile and say, “Oh, they’re seven dollars a pack if you’re interested!”
I almost always give away cigs on the street, but at my job for some reason it drives me nuts. I think it’s just the expectation that the bartender HAS to give away her own cigs.
You’re not allowed to smoke until you’re 25?
You can smoke at 18, but you can also be under 18 and look a little older; thus, the proposed buffer of carding anyone looking under even 25.
So now we’re equating smoking tobacco with creating fumes when driving a car? How about heating our homes? Or anything else that uses resources? So it’s okay just to pollute anyone’s air anytime or anywhere we want because, after all, we all have to use transportation or energy which creates fumes. So who gives a fuck?
I was pointing out the hyperbolic nature of their post. So yes, I was comparing the two in the sense that referring to those exposed to either as “victims” is ridiculous.
I have not read the thread but I will say I USED to give a smoke when asked (but never my last smoke when there really was only one more…that was the rule understood by all).
However, I live in Chicago and cigarettes are $9-$11 a pack. I also get hit up more than ever by bums begging smokes.
I have sadly taken to saying I have no more.
Sure, a smoke here and there is no biggie and I’d be happy to give one. They are expensive enough now that I rarely hand them out. At $0.50 each it adds up when you hand one out every block.
The bums around my building have taken to picking up cigarette butts.
Chicago/Illinois taxes are so bad that my state tax form had a page asking me to report any cigarettes I bought elsewhere (people have taken to going to Indiana or Wisconsin to buy them…suburbs too but the State gets their cut there).
My friend used to say “Can I have a cigarette? I left mine in the machine.”
Are there any cigarette machines left?
I smoke cigars.
Pretty much this. Cigarettes are generally over $8 here now, and I’ll share with my friends or with a co-worker, but that’s it. Frankly, the neighborhood I work in has a significant homeless population, and I’m not interested in giving one away and then having to argue with the next three bums who ask because they saw.
People don’t smoke for the sake of releasing smoke either. It’s the inhaling that’s the fun part.
When I was a smoker if I was asked for a cigarette I would give them the pack I was carrying.
Having to beg for a cigarette seemed very sad to me.
As long as it’s not a non-smoking kindergarten. 
Sad sacks indeed, I felt so bad for the lad who tried to bum a cig from my Ma. They had just got off the train, Christmas time, and already she was rummaging around for the pack of death. Said hello’s and finally she wrangles one out and lights it. Nearby was the lad really a 20’s something man, coming home for the holidays. He looked wrecked, sad, like he had been crying. Standing all alone on the platform. I gave him a little smile, he tried to smile back then timidly asked Mom to borrow a cig. God it looked like he needed one…
But my Ma, Ruthless is her name, had no mercy for him, said No and shut him up with a glare. I could’ve kicked her.
Now should a elderly woman with her arm in a sling be accomodating the requests of random male strangers? Not even in the company of family and other passengers? Not even in the spirit of the season?
