Anyone self-conscious public pipe smoker?

[Aussiemike]

Hi fellow brothers and sisters O B,

I have a close friends circle that I feel very comfortable puffing away with the pipe and nothing said other than positive comments (none of my friends smoke pipes) actually all my friends love the smell and reminisce of ohh dad or granddad smoked a pipe. But it is just normal now when we catch up nothing said.

Other times like at a party with old and new friends I take my briar cigar for less conscious pipe smoking and only ever get positive feed back and inquiry of how it works ,wow thats smells amazing ect ect.
Does anyone like me wish to go back 50 or 60 years when it was just "normal" to smoke a pipe and even your doctor would recommend it if you were stressed? I tell my Doc that regularly.

I guess I am flying the pipe flag but wish it wasn't so unusual . I would smoke tailor made cigarettes' but haven't had one for 10 years and actually hate the smell of them these days lol

First world problems hahaha sorry and i always say if that is your biggest worry your laughing, which it is

 

[Ranger107]

So few places one can smoke in public these days that I rarely do. Yes, much different 50 years ago. In college in the early 70s at Iowa State the profs would let you smoke a pipe in class if you sat at the back and opened a window, lol. I agree with Einstein who said "I believe pipe smoking leads to calm and objective judgement in all human affairs".

 

[Zeno Marx]

I've always been pretty private about the pipe. Everyone who knows me knows I smoke a pipe, but few have actually seen me smoking. I don't know if that is a self-conscious thing or not. Probably is to some extent. I started smoking in college for something to do while I wrote papers all night long, because I'm a last-minute person. All those roommates had seen me smoke. I smoked on backpacking trips, and sometimes (rarely) we'd campfire with other backpackers. Shared the pipe with those who were curious about how it tastes etc. When I used to smoke on night walks, I'd only smoke after dark. I have worked in a couple smoke shops, and people would see me smoke there. Or people seeing me smoke while hiking with the dog. I've been joked with about it, like from spouses of fellow pipe smokers. You know, being called nerdy or whatever. That never bothered me though. For me, it's a private, intimate thing that I haven't really felt the need to share or be seen doing, but I'm also like that with my other hobbies, like listening to music or watching favorite TV shows. It's not something that has ever occurred to me to do at parties or in more public settings. I think a lot of that is to do with respecting others, as I doubt they'd want to smell a strong English or VaPer. When I smoked the occasional cigar, I wouldn't smoke around people for the same reason. I don't even like the smell of a cigar when I'm not smoking one, so treat others like you'd want to be treated type of thing. Smoking is an invasive thing.

 

[DWSmith]

There's a coffee shop in town that has a deck where people can smoke. As long as I'm not downwind from a lighted cigarette it can be enjoyable on a nice day.

There's also a couple of tobacco shops with smoking areas.

I don't feel self-conscious in any of these locations. Maybe I'm just too old to care.

 

[Niblick]

I have a pipe on my way to and from work in my truck. I imagine if someone see's me they may think it is a vape pen nowaday's.

Fishing and golfing are the other places in public I will smoke a pipe with buddies. They could care less as most smoke cigars.

 

[Ranger107]

Reminds me of a funny story. I used to frequent a bar in Ventura Harbor that had an outdoor deck where smoking was allowed. At that time I still smoked cigars. I had a favorite spot at a corner table next to the railing and downwind from other tables due to prevailing winds. Sitting there one Sunday afternoon and two couples came in and sat down at the next table about 6 feet away even though there were other tables available farther away. Both men immediately lit up cigarettes. After maybe 5 minutes one of the women turns around and says, that cigar smells awful. I said so does your perfume but you don't hear me complaining. She says I think you should move. I said, lady, I was here first. I'm a regular and I'm not going anywhere. They left a couple of minutes later. Lol.

 

[DoverPipes]

I was actually pulled over in my car, by an inexperienced State Trooper.
He was on a "fishing expedition" for "Whacky Tobaccy" aka "The Devil's Lettuce".
He stopped me solely based on the Corn Cob Poker I had clenched in my maw.
Then he got a lesson on what "probable cause" is from a, at that time, twenty plus year Lawman (County, State, and Federal time).
He left the stop blushing, with my business card in his hand........

 

[JimInks]

I was 16 and it was a very hot summer day as I was driving down the busiest street in town, smoking my pipe. The air conditioner in my car didn't work, so I had the windows down. Next thing I know, a cop stops me. He walks to my side of the car, sticks his head in the car, and has a funny look on his face. I asked why he stopped me. He said, "Aren't you smoking marijuana?" I told him I wasn't, and showed him the pouch of Skandinavik Regular. I said, "You thought I was smoking dope? If I was, would I be doing it in broad daylight in the middle of Church Street with my windows down?" "Well, I'm not used to seeing a kid smoking a pipe with pipe tobacco," as he apologized for bothering me, and walked away with a "I'm the dumbest cop in Alamance County" look on his face. I suspect he was soon policing school crosswalks after that.

 

[JimInks]

I never cared what anybody thought about my pipe smoking in public. If they didn't like it, then it was their problem, and not mine.

One time, I was sitting in front of a grocery store smoking my pipe while m’lady was shopping. An old woman walked up to me and did some fake coughing. I said, "You should see a psychiatrist about your fake cough." She frowned and went in the store. I just smiled.

 

[Donk93953]

I generally ask if outside, even in designated smoking area (though cigarettes can be tough to be around) if my pipe is going to bother anyone.
Only a couple of times has some in a general public area asked me not to, so I move down wind.
Most folks say, "Reminds me of my "father, grandfather" (you insert appropriate)....I enjoy the smell of a pipe."

 

[ftrplt]

I quite often get the "you & your pipe remind me of my grandfather, dad, uncle, etc." Then there's the "your smoke is going to kill me with cancer" crowd; I tend to just laugh at them. There are a few who get a bit belligerent; that's when my colorful "fighter pilot" vocabulary gets exercised! I do try to keep my language in "good order." However, I fail quite frequently resulting in what Mr. Spock referred to as "colorful metaphors!!" FTRPLT

 

[Nhsmoker]

I personally don't care what others think. Although I won't smoke in areas with other people in close proximity either. That being said I am 42 years old and just got back into smoking a pipe. I was in my 20s the last time I smoked a pipe, so I think many people assumed it wasn't tobacco in my pipe but oh well