Begging Cigarettes ?

Delancey

I have noticed how difficult it has become in the last couple of years to have a ciggie in a public place in peace without being hassled by complete strangers of all nationalities asking me if I have any to '' spare ''.
Dublin city is awful for this, especially at Luas stops , rail stations etc but from what I can see the problem is all over the country.

Now I have no problem giving a smoke to friends , family , colleagues , acquaintances , etc but I do get pissed off at strangers asking me for them. They now work out at well over 40 cent each and I am out of work at the moment so obviously money is tight for me.
I have/would never ask a stranger for a cigarette.

Just interested in other peoples views or experiences on this one.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Delancey

I also never give them out , as you said they are too pricey. I don't remember it always being like this ?
Have you noticed the guys with London accents always call you '' Squire '' ?

Kersmash

Never give em out to strangers, unless I'm pissed and in a good mood! If I was ever in the situation where I needed a fag badly, I'd offer to pay for one, none of this begging shíte.

NoDice

I wouldn't ask someone for a cig unless they were really close and knew that I'd give them the clothes off my back if I had to!

But I generally do always hand them out if asked. Especially to homeless people, usually offer them one or three.

On the topic of paying for someone's "spare" (hate that term, If I had 21 cigs then yes it's a spare) smoke, I think it's the strangest thing!!
Was walking home from the bus stop one day and a fella came over to me threw his bag on the ground and shouted "WAIT!!!", I panicked and let out a little yelp, he panicked because I started to walk faster, he shouted "MONEY!! I'll give you money!!!"

Needless to say it was all very confusing and I really needed a smoke after that. As did he. I gave him a cigarette.. I did not want his money.

Delancey

That is kind of you . I'm just ****ing sick of these beggars now.

P_1

Pretty fed up with it at this stage. Generally respond to 'have you got a spare smoke' with 'no, but i'll sell you one for a euro'. That tends to make them go away.

NoDice

Actually here's a very annoying story for you!

My friend and I went for dinner on Paddy's day followed by a few cocktails. We were having a really good evening after work. We went outside and started walking towards my house after paying for the meal. I started looking for my cigs in my bag (which happens to be like the grand canyon with a handle but filled with rubbish) but couldn't find them for ages so my friend said to me "Here girl do you want a cigarette?".

The second she said this a young, skanky looking girl walks up to us and says "I'll have a cigarette!" so she gave her one for fear of us getting beaten up! Her friends then surrounded us!!! No exaggeration!! All asking us one by one for a smoke!! She gave out four cigarettes before we finally worked up the courage to say no!

It was really very annoying.. :mad: I've never seen it that bad before..

bently

I have known a couple of people who have "GIVEN UP" Smoking, and the first couple of weeks they have bummed ciggies off me,when they are desperate,because they equate not buying ciggies with giving up,crafty buggers

tbaymusicman

bently wrote: »

I have known a couple of people who have "GIVEN UP" Smoking, and the first couple of weeks they have bummed ciggies off me,when they are desperate,because they equate not buying ciggies with giving up,crafty buggers

One of my friends did this and got away with out buying a pack for months clever git He is to genuine to give out too do cause when he did buy them he would always be willing to hand them out .Does anyone remember in the good days when we could smoke in a pub you would buy a round of beer then hand out a round of fags too

lord lucan

"Can i borrow a smoke?" When will i get it back?:mad:

Years ago i never had a problem with giving a stranger a smoke but with the cost of them now i don't go around handing them out willy nilly,only friends will get a smoke from me now.

Peter Abs

i think everybody gets upset when asked for a smoke, no matter who it is really, especially if money is seriously tight! but i mean... i've been guilty of askin strangers for a smoke, think of what its like to be compleeetely skint, not even 50 cent in ur pocket to offer to pay for a smoke and just dyin for one... you will do it... not coz ur a bad person.. just coz ur addicted ! thats kinda one of the effects of smokin on pple....

katiedale

Haha this thread just reminded me I charged a bloke €5 for a cig last Tues nite...I'm a baaad person!!

Jaxxy

lord lucan wrote: »

"Can i borrow a smoke?" When will i get it back?:mad:

Years ago i never had a problem with giving a stranger a smoke but with the cost of them now i don't go around handing them out willy nilly,only friends will get a smoke from me now.

This annoys me to no end! "Can I borrow a smoke?" BORROW a SMOKE!? A cigarette isn't something you LEND someone. I don't know why this irks me, it's just a turn of phrase, but it does.

And it took me years before I was able to actually say NO to someone who asked to borrow one of my smokes. I used to give them out to anyone who would ask, because I know how tough it can be if you're dying for one. But now I can't afford to do that. I'll even tell my "quitting" mates to F OFF when they try to "share" my fags with me on a night out. Buy your own, scroungers!

Nulty

I don't really have as much of a problem...

I smoke rollies and I get them from someone who works in the airline business so they're extra cheap (relatively speaking).Mostly when someone asks for one I can say "I only have rollies."

They either:
Can't roll
don't like rollies
aren't that arsed

Just in case they are none of these things, the key here is to act like your not going to hang around and wait for them to roll one. More often than not I get away with not giving them away.

One time a fella asked me for one outside Easons on O'Connell St. I had loads of bags and a smoke in my hand and took ages looking for my 'baci and assorted paraphanalia, in fact I took so long and went so slow that the guy just gave up and pissed off all grumpy and resentful.

:cool:

garrfunkel

The "I only have rollies" bit usually gets people to leave me alone, except occasionally in pubs where they will just take a little tobacco and a skin.

However, if I have normal cigarettes I usually will give one to someone who asks, depending on the amount I have left obviously. Usually its only to drunk or homeless people, never give them out to kids.

Best response to "Av ya any fags?" is "Yeah, loads" and keep walking. It seems to disorientate them long enough to let you get away.

Delancey

Nulty wrote: »

I don't really have as much of a problem...

I smoke rollies and I get them from someone who works in the airline business so they're extra cheap (relatively speaking).Mostly when someone asks for one I can say "I only have rollies."

They either:
Can't roll
don't like rollies
aren't that arsed

Just in case they are none of these things, the key here is to act like your not going to hang around and wait for them to roll one. More often than not I get away with not giving them away.

One time a fella asked me for one outside Easons on O'Connell St. I had loads of bags and a smoke in my hand and took ages looking for my 'baci and assorted paraphanalia, in fact I took so long and went so slow that the guy just gave up and pissed off all grumpy and resentful.

:cool:

Why not just tell him to **** off ?

mojesius

Really bugs me this. It's so bad in Dublin these days - everytime you go outside anywhere for one. I just say no instantly and if the person starts getting arsey I point out directions to the nearest shop.

More annoying is ex-smoker friends who ask for one when you're out for drinks. You give one away, soon enough they automatically go outside with you everytime you're having one with their hand out, apologising.

mojesius

mojesius wrote: »

You give one away, soon enough they automatically go outside with you everytime you're having one with their hand out, apologising.

heh this isn't just people that have quit, it's also the lowest of the low "Social" smokers. "Oh I'll get you back when I get a pack later"


I never ever ever give out smokes to people i don't know. One time I was walking past smyths toy store off jervis st and 2 knacks asked me for one and I just shook my head to say no...they called ME an "ignorant cúnt". If you look at someone asking for a smoke with a look of disdain and just say "no" they normally wont push it.

The worst thing you can do is make an excuse like "Oh I don't have many left" or some bollox. You don't have to explain yourselves to these bums, all this does it's makes you look like an easy target and they'll push the limits until they get one.

Chriskavo

All this begging is another reason to give the filthy habit. I woke up along time ago - sick of being a slave to that habit...outside pubs people sucking and puffing like their lives depended on it. Sad...pathetic. Give em up and be free once and for all.


Now where did I put those pesky fags.....

mojesius

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

The worst thing you can do is make an excuse like "Oh I don't have many left" or some bollox. You don't have to explain yourselves to these bums, all this does it's makes you look like an easy target and they'll push the limits until they get one.

Yup and I see fellow smokers constantly lying to cig beggars. I never lie to them - If more people just said 'no' firmly, this culture of scabbing/ thinking it's ok to call a stranger a 'scabby c*nt' wouldn't be as rampant.

mojesius

Chriskavo wrote: »

All this begging is another reason to give the filthy habit. I woke up along time ago - sick of being a slave to that habit...outside pubs people sucking and puffing like their lives depended on it. Sad...pathetic. Give em up and be free once and for all.


Now where did I put those pesky fags.....

Later this year, after the beer garden season, I'm done with them... they just taste so damn good.

Spook80

i usually give them out too but the ones that annoy me the most are when they ask ya for a spare smoke and then put it in a smoke box which already has a few in it like he's collecting them for later.:mad:

BigBenRoeth

I'm from Gorey so I don't get asked very often.
If it's a scabby looking skanger child then I give them a firm no,If it's a decent enough person I give them out.
The only time I ask a stranger for a fag would be when I'd be at some social event or some situation where I had no fags I would ask someone I had been speaking to but didn't particularly know for a smoke.

BigBenRoeth

I'm from Gorey so I don't get asked very often.
If it's a scabby looking skanger child then I give them a firm no,If it's a decent enough person I give them out.
The only time I ask a stranger for a fag would be when I'd be at some social event or some situation where I had no fags I would ask someone I had been speaking to but didn't particularly know for a smoke.

the_syco

I've gotten into the habit of saying "I don't smoke", even if I have to take the rollie out of my mouth to say it

lord lucan

Mr.S wrote: »

Or

"Sorry that was my last one" with a packet in your hand

I do that a lot!:D

Steodonn

I am guilty of this sometimes but only if I run out when out and realise that I don't have enough money.

If I have loads I give them out if someone asks me nicely. Best excuse if I don't want to is that I tell them I got it of some guy up there pointing aimlessly up the road works best in town as they go off desperately looking for a smoke

keepkeyyellow

I've only ever asked once while drunk and offered to pay, the nice woman gave it to me

And if ever anyone who isn't a friend asks me in college I insist they pay,

But I gave one to a homeless guy last week and he offered me hash..

misslt

I had a guy outside Easons on O'Connell street one day ask me for one

'can i have a fag'

'sorry, this is my last one'

'can I have a drag of that one'

'eh..no' *walks away*

Next thing yer man has a hold of my bag and jacket pulling me back! I was afraid of my sh*ite! Grabbed my bag and jacket off him and ran away. It was so scary!

GA361

I give them to friends without any bother. I've gotten into the habbit of saying that this is my last one. But if a stranger offers to give me money i'd just give it for free because of the geninuity.