The perception of cigar smokers

[Rehman]

  On 9/29/2011 at 2:33 PM, laficion said:

Here's a photo of Montaigut and I on his last visit here, smoking in public,

no one had anything to say.

I do: That is such a great picture, I simply must thank you for it. Two friends enjoying each other's company and the finer things in life on a good day, benevolence beaming from their faces in salute to the camera, the photographer, and the rest of us. Kindness, happiness and bonhomie personified. Thank you, gentlemen, I love you both.

[MrGlass]

I have no doubts that there is a mostly negative perception on cigar smokers. In the old days, the cigar seemed to represent class, success and wealth. As such, a negative perception would have stemmed from an assumed jealousy. These days I feel that perception still lingers, but the anti-smoking campaigns have added to this a further negative shadow and we are now cast as criminals. And wankers. All as a result of enjoying a product that most want to know nothing about as they assume it's outside of their grasp. It's sad, and unfortunately I can't see it ever changing.

A few months ago, I saw an old man walking through Brisbane in the evening wearing a tweed suit smoking a pipe. I thought it was fantastic and that that guy was a legend. I'm sure I was the only one.

[BobKincaid]

  On 9/29/2011 at 2:11 PM, Styler said:

Yes, I'm afraid to say that is a can of Bud, thanks for pointing that out Not my usual beer of choice, I normally prefer the craft stuff but my wife likes to keep a reserve of cheap cooking lager in case we have guests and that was all we had in the fridge yesterday. Which reminds me, I need to replenish my alcohol stocks!

Please do, as soon as you can get around to it. The idea of Budweiser in a place like Scotland gives me the fantods, the vapors and the turtle-squirts all at once. It's like watching a virus spread, or like seeing a box of White Owls next to your chair.

I'm kidding, of course. A good smoke and bev of choice are, to my mind, organic valium.

[mikec]

I used to be concerned about how other people perceived my cigar smoking but got over that a long time ago. If I am in a legal place to smoke a cigar and somebody takes exception they can go f... themselves for all I care ( unless they are a lot bigger than me). Smoking a fine Cuban is too precious and too expensive to let some wanker interrupt.Sorry I just DON'T CARE anymore.

[Manny Sotelo]

A lil off subject.... I was at a TGIFridays a few weeks ago, they will let you smoke in the patio if it no one is out there or as long as no one complains . So there I was enjoying my cigar with the girlfriend by the side and there where some cigarette smokers and they started making comments about how disgusting and gross my cigar smelled... I laughed @ them and continued enjoying my smoke.... I just don't understand the nerve of these guys even my girlfriend thought that was a stupid comment to make.

[MIKA27]

  On 9/29/2011 at 2:33 PM, laficion said:

Here's a photo of Montaigut and I on his last visit here, smoking in public,

no one had anything to say.

You must be the exception Guy in that you make smoking a cigar look good!

[Fuzz]

  On 9/30/2011 at 2:14 AM, MannyFresh said:

A lil off subject.... I was at a TGIFridays a few weeks ago, they will let you smoke in the patio if it no one is out there or as long as no one complains . So there I was enjoying my cigar with the girlfriend by the side and there where some cigarette smokers and they started making comments about how disgusting and gross my cigar smelled... I laughed @ them and continued enjoying my smoke.... I just don't understand the nerve of these guys even my girlfriend thought that was a stupid comment to make.

Ah, yes. Being vilified by cigarette smokers. I used to frequent one of the RSL clubs in western Sydney that had a huge outdoor beer garden. It was a nice place to go for a smoke after work as it was only 5 minutes drive from my office.

I can't recall how many times I've been abused by cigarette smokers over there who come in and sit right behind me (long after I've been sitting there quietly smoking, mind you), then complain a few minutes later about my cigar smoke. I've even been asked to either put it out or move to the other side of the beer garden! WTF?! I've been there for over an hour and you have the audacity to come out to smoke you pissy little cigarette and tell me off?

On the flip side, a few months ago I was smoking down by the man made lake near where I live, when an elderly gent walked by with his grandkids. He looked me over and asked me if I was smoking a cuban cigar. When I told him it was a CoRo, he gave a me a thumbs up and told me, "Good on ya, mate. Hope you enjoy it".

So for every 10 @$$holes that give you grief, there's bound to be somebody who supports you chosen method of relaxation.

[jedipastor]

The stereotypes definitely still exist in the US. There are several.

Cigar smokers are:

1) Old white guys (or possibly black pimps or gangsters)

2) Rich

3) Pompous

4) Probably the reason why the observer doesn't make as much money as they think they should

And yes, even in places that allow smoking, many will not allow cigars, or the patrons will get really snotty about it like in the above examples.

There is an Irish Pub just off base here in Japan (yes, an Irish Pub in Japan, lol). A friend and I went in to get a pint and smoke some Bolivars. She said we couldn't smoke cigars in there (there were several smoking cigarettes). We asked why not, and she said it was just like a real Irish Pub, and you can't smoke cigars in any Irish Pub. I literally laughed out loud, and said, "Clearly you've never been there." We did find a place that let us light up, though, and had a good night.

[mazolaman]

Agree with a lot of the above comments.

Living in London,people are quite sneering towards smoking,but generallyt less so towards cigars.

sometimes get a snide comment when outside at a cafe,which is ironic as the traffic goes by,belching out smoke...,but that's rare.

Mostly,people are curious,and interested,as stated above,remembering someone who smoked cigars in the past.A Proustian response.

In fact,at several weddings,I am followed around by some women who love the smell of cigar....Anyone else had this?

Generally it's a positive identifier,I would say.

Although,if I have one more person ask me if it was rolled on a Cuban virgins thigh.....

[NJP]

Here in Melbourne I only eat/drink where I can smoke cigars. Carlton is the place. I have even had resturant owners go into bat for me when other patrons get shitty. As for Port Melbourne/St Kilda they don't even want you to pay for the bill when they ask you to leave. A great idea if you want a cheaper night, order up big in St Kilda and wait for the pretty couples to complain so the sweet heart owner and life partner ask you to leave. Then with the money you save head to Carlton for cigars , coffee and desert.

The sooner the true wankers of this world understand that cigar smokers are a more respectful of other peoples space than any other smoker we will be right.

[Warren]

  On 9/29/2011 at 11:40 AM, Wil said:

The average Joe in the street has never heard of Cigar Aficionado. I think the perception that cigar smokers are wankers is due to the fact that cigars have often been associated with power and wealth. And let's be honest, most powerful and (seriously) wealthy people are wankers.

Wil I would have to disagree with this perception.

Yes there are some wealthy people out there who fit this mold but how many truly wealthy people have you met.

I know a few, many of the frequent visitors to the Czar deck over the years have been very successful people and I can say that most of them are fine people who treat average joes like myself with respect and friendship.

As a matter of fact some of them you would never pick as being rich.

Some of the biggest wankers I've met have been people who only want you to believe they are wealthy.

[Wil]

  On 9/30/2011 at 9:51 AM, Warren said:

Wil I would have to disagree with this perception.

Yes there are some wealthy people out there who fit this mold but how many truly wealthy people have you met.

I know a few, many of the frequent visitors to the Czar deck over the years have been very successful people and I can say that most of them are fine people who treat average joes like myself with respect and friendship.

As a matter of fact some of them you would never pick as being rich.

Some of the biggest wankers I've met have been people who only want you to believe they are wealthy.

Fair call. Perhaps 'most' was a bit strong a statement (I only know a few!). But the perception is widely held. Certainly those who smoke cigars are often perceived as being pretentious. And often they are. But of course anyone who frequents FOH knows that not all cigar smokers are wankers.

I was recently at a bar here in Melbourne where cigars are available (and permitted!). Three young guys - they must have been early to mid 20s - sat down across from me and proceeded to light up cigars. These guys ponced around like you wouldn't believe, making an absolute show of it.. I laughed and wondered whether this is how most people see cigar smokers. I hope not...

[coblos]

[Warren]

  On 9/30/2011 at 10:42 AM, Wil said:

Fair call. Perhaps 'most' was a bit strong a statement (I only know a few!). But the perception is widely held. Certainly those who smoke cigars are often perceived as being pretentious. And often they are. But of course anyone who frequents FOH knows that not all cigar smokers are wankers.

I was recently at a bar here in Melbourne where cigars are available (and permitted!). Three young guys - they must have been early to mid 20s - sat down across from me and proceeded to light up cigars. These guys ponced around like you wouldn't believe, making an absolute show of it.. I laughed and wondered whether this is how most people see cigar smokers. I hope not...

They sound like a bunch of young bucks playing into their own perceptions of what cigar smoking is all about.

I bet they were smoking flavored cigars.

[Michel1968]

  On 9/30/2011 at 6:41 AM, mazolaman said:

In fact,at several weddings,I am followed around by some women who love the smell of cigar....Anyone else had this?

Yes I do! A vast majority of positive remarks about the smell of the cigar I smoke come from women. (perhaps there is this Freudian connection and I'm to nicotine rushed to react accordingly)

Anyway, in Holland quite some people see a (large gauge) cigar as a token of poshy wealth and succes, most probably the result of some kind of fraud. The specific region I live has it slightly different, a cigar is well accepted but only then if it's a shortfiller, made of Sumatran tobacco. Much of the wealth in this region has it's roots in former Dutch East India so we're truly talking colonial sentiments here. Sundays might see a Brazil wrapper and a small glass of an older Colheita Port. (pretty much old-skool) A Cuban is considered very expensive by these guys and only for special occasions. Then again, a 'special occasion' has a very liberal definition... For myself I can say when I smoke a great cigar 'in the wild' I couldn't care less about what people think of it... but I do this with upmost respect to the social protocols of the spot/place/venue I am there and then.

[Freddy]

  On 9/29/2011 at 12:32 PM, riazp said:

When i'm smoking a cigar in a public place i'm perceived as a f'n ******* who is giving automatic lung cancer to everyone in a 1 mile radius of my cigar...seriously unless i'm at home or at a cigar bar, I dont feel comfortable anymore to smoke a cigar, unless i'm alone in a corner somewhere away from everyone. It sucks, but thats the reality of society.

My sentiments, zactly

[brazoseagle]

Dj- good times!! Very few places out side of my house/cabin , my local cigar shop/ lounge , and a handful of bars and eateries, even allow smoking anymore. They will outlaw drinking next and then eventually outlawing fun. In 10 years we will all have to sneak into a library on a Friday night just have some fun.

DJ. I think it's funny that separately both of our wives are very tolerant and even tend to like our cigars, but when they are together they turn into scorpion woman making fun of us even talking about cigars.

I have 2 recent stories:

1)I was at a local food joint, higher end, in an area that is the last area around Dallas you can still smoke (Addison), but places are starting to outlaw it voluntarily little by little. Finished a great meal after a business meeting, and headed out to the outside patio for a cocktail and a cigar. We sit down, order drinks and each light up our cigars, the $20 a piece kind. Mind you, we are the only people out there. 5 min, in , the manager comes out and tells us cigars are not allowed, and we needed to put them out. Shocked, I said excuse me, you mean to tell me I could light up a Winston 100 out here but not a cigar, he said yes. Furious, because we were out in open air and all alone, I informed him of the cost of these cigars ( wanker move I know), and I told him he was out of luck because we were not going to put them out. He begrudgingly accepted it and went back in. Over the course of the cigar 6 other people came out to smoke cigarettes , followed by the manager seconds later who made us personally ask each person if our cigars bothered them, which it bothered no one, except the D-bag manager who was the real wanker.

Same thing happened a couple of weeks ago. We were spending a weekend in San Antonio, which historically has been smoke friendly, but found out they past an ordinance 4 days before our arrival banning smoking everyone, with few exceptions. There was a football game I wanted to watch and enjoy a Monte 2. I called everyplace in town that has big screens. I found out you can still smoke at the bar area at Dave & Busters, I even made sure to confirm cigars were ok, they told me it was ok. We got there , ate dinner, then a buddy and I headed to the bar area for a scotch , a Monte 2 and to finish the game. The cigarette smoke was so thick you could cut it with your hand in the air. We sat down , lit up and were in bliss, but it was too good to be true, a manager came up and sternly informed us that cigars were not allowed. Shocked, it smelled like like a giant ashtray in there, and our Monte 2's were actually acting like a sweet pleasant air freshener. I told the manager ithat didn't work for us and to go get whoever his boss was. Minutes later, a regional executive who happened to be in town came over and said the same thing, and again we told them that this place was run by children and we were not putting them out. He said we could either put them out and ruin the cigar or take our drinks outside standing against the wall to finish, where there are no TV's. Long story short, our logic won out, but again we were treated like war criminals having to put on a show and feel inferior and embarrassed making us go around to everyone who was smoking cigarettes to ask if our cigars bothered them.

The moral of the story that is being enforced on us: If you want to enjoy a nice cigar out in public and even in smoke friendly establishments, you will have to pay a price in the form of being made to feel inferior and like a stupid low life parading around to people smoking crappy cigarettes begging for permission to enjoy a nice cigar.

[kmagurk]

its sad how people have been brainwashed by the media. here in the US you can't even go out and do something real stupid and get yourself killed anymore . my kids came home from school one day and told me I was a drug addict because I drink coffee , they had a "guest speaker" at school telling them the evils of drug abuse

[headstand]

We are surrounded by a bunch of prissy, no-good, lefty agitators.

Man, I'm beginning to sound like Piggy!

[Murri]

  On 9/29/2011 at 11:40 AM, Wil said:

The average Joe in the street has never heard of Cigar Aficionado. I think the perception that cigar smokers are wankers is due to the fact that cigars have often been associated with power and wealth. And let's be honest, most powerful and (seriously) wealthy people are wankers.

Did someone just call the Prez a Wanker??

[maverickdrinker]

It was interesting today. Went to smoke some cigars with TMac and CKs at a local patio. A number of people came up to us, complimenting us on not only our cigars but also the aroma.

[DrunkenMonkey]

  On 9/29/2011 at 12:32 PM, riazp said:

When i'm smoking a cigar in a public place i'm perceived as a f'n ******* who is giving automatic lung cancer to everyone in a 1 mile radius of my cigar...seriously unless i'm at home or at a cigar bar, I dont feel comfortable anymore to smoke a cigar, unless i'm alone in a corner somewhere away from everyone. It sucks, but thats the reality of society.

Well put. Crazy times we live in, when the person walking toward you on the sidewalk walks through a plume of smoke from an idling diesel truck without noticing, then sees you with a cigar, downwind from him/her, half a block away, and has just enough time to throw you a disgusted scowl before going into a tobacco-induced 'coughing fit'.