Have you ever been handed a free cigar by a random stranger in public

[Cyclone]

So this morning I was walking from the wife's office to my client's office across the downtown core.

I was at the corner of Burrard and Robson (Vancouver BC ) when I smelled the sweet smell of a cigar.

Looked around and noticed some dude in his early 30's with a Starbucks and a robusto. As the light turned green, I ended up walking beside him...

"Hey, what are you smoking?"

"Some Cuban"

"No SH.IT, I smoke a ton of those..."

And so I started walking and talking with this dude... I figure he was French / Spanish / WTF do I know?

I think I freaked him out... He reached inside his jacket and insisted I accept another robusto... I couldn't get out of him what it was....

Basically, a sometime smoker who also smoked a pipe cuz his wife let him smoke that inside...

I gave him my e-mail address to flip me a line and I would hook him up with some useful URLs ( like Heartfelt beads which his humidor desperately needs)

I'm smoking it right now... dunno what is other than cap looks OK... Fairly light... Unbanded... Tastes decent enough...

Funny way to start the work day.

[systm]

Yea actually.
Was working about, I wanna say two weeks ago, one of our semi regular coffee addicted patrons strolls in and asks " are you the one that smokes cigars?" I was a bit taken aback as I don't really talk about it too often any more but gladly told him I did. The guy then hands me a Gran Habano #5 Corojo Churchill. Probably one of my faves.

He still comes in pretty often. Thinking of firing back with a few of my own tomorrow.

[baldanders]

When I used to have to take the bus home after work I had a 45min-1hr wait for the bus and would smoke a cigar while waiting. People gave me random smokes from time to time and I always have a few extra on me and gave out many to random people that would ask me what I was smoking. Now that I drive to work I give one every Friday to a homeless guy that panhandles in front of the coffee shop I go too

[tomc3084]

That's hilarious.......

[Don Fernando]

There was one guy in Philly that did that to me, turned out he knew me from the pictures and is a member of CA ;) I like to hand out smokes when people ask me what I smoke.

[Savvy]

When I was at the Amsterdam herf a couple weeks ago I gave some cigars to complete strangers. A husband and wife were there from Texas, so I talked to them for a little while, and before they left I gave them a couple cigars for the road. Definitely fun to do.

[kenstogie]

I gave some a couple of cigar to some strangers at Mega Mob Herf (2007?) They weren't a part of the herf.

[kydsid]

Hi my name is Jason and I am a giver.......

[replicant_argent]

nope, but I dig being on the other end, and usually it is a guy with a uniform on.

[tobii3]

-(P

Light a cigar up on a drop zone after an Airborne Operation.

NOBODY is a stranger.

Well, maybe Pete...but he's just strange, period.

:D

[KenyanSandBoa]

Can't say that I have, but is sounds like a damn good way to start the day.

[Noodles]

Nope but I've handed cigars to total strangers. Once I handed a guy a Monte #2 at Casa Fuente. The few minutes he was suppose to be hanging out turned into a two hour conversation. That was apparently the cigar he smoked during his honeymoon.

[Mugen910]

I've done it a few times...It's nice to do random acts of kindness to offset my random acts of meanie.

[Skywalker]

http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/gladiatormovies.jpg
You ever been in a cockpit before?
Do you like movies about gladiators???
You ever seen a grown man naked?
Have you ever been in a... in a Turkish prison?:D

[TripleF]

Didn't vote, cuz the option:
"Actually, Yes I've had a stranger hand me a cigar" wasn't available.


However, that was one of my first experiences in fine hand-rolled cigars.

In Connecticut, I walked thru the park to go fishing, all the while my nostrils experiencing the pleasant aroma of a cigar. I commented how nice the smell was to the retired gentleman and he opened up a conversation with me that delayed me from getting to my fishing spot, but ended up in him giving me a magnificent cigar. It was the generousity we all share on here......and I may never see this stranger again, but what an impact he had on me.

cheers!

[cobra03]

I was sitting at my local b&m one night. It was just me and the owner, when a strange guy popped his head in and inquired if this was a cigar store, despite the large sign that read "CIGARS". He entered the store and began talking to us. He had never smoked a cigar before but purchased a large PG for himself and a short story which he handed right to me. I declined but he insisted i smoke with him so after"twisting my arm" i relented and accepted the gift. After smokeing his entire cigar the man looked at me glassy eyed and advised " these are better than weed" . At this point i found out he inhaled the entire cigar......:pu

[mmblz]

I struck up a conversation with a guy in a restaurant in San Fran (we were both sitting at the bar). He ended up giving me a cigar after dinner and we smoked out on the pier and drank rum. It was pretty cool.

[kelmac07]

At this point i found out he inhaled the entire cigar......:pu

:r :r Just spit water all over the computer screen. That was funny!!!

[maninblack]

Never had this happen in my little podunk town (I'm the only one that walks around town with a huge stogie hanging out of my mouth) but it would be nice if it happened.

[cobra03]

:r :r Just spit water all over the computer screen. That was funny!!!

Lol yeah next time your at Winstons, ask Kevin about that guy. :r

[Jbailey]

About a week a go I was smoking a trini Colonial at a bar and the guy next to me told me how wonderful it smelt. I asked if he wanted one but he said now. He went on about how he remembered his dad always smoking cigars but they never smelled as good as mine. We kept talking about beer and I asked if he was sure he didn't want one. He said yes, so I've handed cigar to a stranger.

I've done this a few times before too.

[CigarNut]

I voted "No" as I (thought I) had not been gifted a cigar by a random stranger. And then, after thinking about it got a an hour or so I realized that I had been gifted a cigar by a stranger -- at the Sosa Cigar Bar at Disney World. A guy sat down next to me and we started chatting and he gave me an Opus X to try...

Must not have been too memorable as I do not really recall the cigar very well. Will probably have to give them a shot again :)

[Mr B]

I voted yes even though the guy was not a total stranger. He is one of my customer on the other side of the U.S. I had a phone relationship w/ him for years but never met him. He is the reason I started enjoying cigars. I had, had some nasty "Gas Station" sticks before, ya know Swishers and the like but never enjoyed a real smoke.
One day, about 3+ years ago, he asks me if I enjoy cigars. I tell him yes. The next week a box shows up w/ 2 cigars in it. One is a Macanudo Gold Label (I know, I know) but was was tasty to my noob pallet. The other was as unbanded cuban that was fantastic! Thats waht actuallu started me down the slippery slope lol

[hotreds]

Wrong question. No, I have never been given a cigar by a stranger. However, if someone is smoking a cigar, I usually ask him/her what he/she is smoking, and usually I get offered a cigar. However, I would not consider this being offered a cigar out of the blue by a stranger as the question intimates.

I know, I know, I'm being picky!

[JohnnyKay5]

no

[thebayratt]

The worker at a B&M gave me a Oliva G yesturday while I was sitting down enjoying my Oliva V.... But I come in there a good bit and I halfass know the man.

[massphatness]

Nope
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[pitbulljimmy]

Nuh - uh. Never happened to me..... 'sept this one time I was bombed.... But that's totally different.

[Mark]

Never received a cigar from a random stranger, but I bombed the guy sitting next to me on the plane a month back :D Best plane ride ever! Always travel with a herfador, in case you end up sitting next to a BOTL!

[taltos]

Back in the early '80's I was travelling from Beaufort, SC to Boston for the Christmas holidays and was travelling in uniform since at that time we got a cheaper ticket if we were in uniform. We got a long layover in Atlanta since we were waiting for a connecting flight from Albany doing a turnaround in Atlanta. The Atlanta airport had a military lounge and I was in there drinking coffee and smoking a cigar. I had been talking to an Army CWO whose flight was called and he handed me a cigar when he was leaving.

[Texan in Mexico]

Hotreds - we are two of a kind, I was thinking the same thing!

I have received cigars after talking to someone about what they are smoking.

I try to give one to one of our finest in uniform when I am in the airports - have handed them to soldiers down here in Mexico too.
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[Garbandz]

I was given a Gorilla Finger by Don Fernando once......I gave it back,of course.......Took days to get the odor off my hands............:r :r :r

Yes,I have given sticks to and received sticks from strangers.......

[Starscream]

A stranger walked up to me at an ARCA race, saw me smoking a stick, and handed me Fuente (one of the black labels, I think sun grown). He owned a B&M in Wilmington, NC, and told me to check them out if I was ever down in that area.

[boogyman]

I give cigars to homeless when ever I can. That's if they say they smoke when I ask. I carry cigars with me just for that reason.

[Wolfgang]

I was hanging out in the lounge in Jamaica smoking a fine cigar and a guy sat near me and asked where I got it because the cigars at the resort were ridiculously priced. ~60 for a fake cohiba lol

I handed him my herfador and told him to pick something. He took a Jose L. Piedra Cazadore which was great. We soked them together and talked for about an hour. Later when I got back to my room I was going to smoke something else, opened my herfador and there was a $5 bill in it. Best surprise ever. Unnecessary but cool none the less.

[GTCanuk]

Yes, but it was a Gurkha so that really doesn't count :=:

[md4958]

Does Shack count as public? If so then yes.

I have been on the giving end several times though... it feels good to see their faces light up, knowing you just nudged them that much closer to the edge of the slope.

[Nurse_Maduro]

I haven't had one handed to me, but I've been on the other side many times.
The first time, I was walking through a flea market while smoking a Hoyo Dark Sumatra Media Noche, and I'm sure I was bristling because I figured I'd catch hell from other people about it. Nope. In fact, I got a lot of compliments on the smell, so I went home, grabbed a few more and started passing them out. It's a great way to unexpectedly make someone's day.

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty lucky. I don't think I've ever caught hell from someone about my cigars.

[Ratters]

I've accepted cigars from strangers as well as given them. On several occasions. That's the great thing about cigars. When you have a cigar you always have a friend nearby, even if neither of you know it yet. :ss

[jbo57]

No, the sticks I've been given are by people I was herfing with, and I've been greatly blessed...however, I've given away a couple to people I didn't know in public.