Are you an "oblivious smoker"?

[ColdCuts]

I was just watching an hour-long documentary called The Havana: Cigar Of Connoisseurs (2005). It's a good documentary and it's free if you're an Amazon Prime member. In any case, on the program they interview a number of habanos dignitaries, one of which is Jose Luis Vilallonga. I had to Google him. He was a Spanish aristocrat and bit-part actor who co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. He passed in 2007. Anyway, he had this to say about cigars...

"I smoke two cigars a day. One after lunch, and one after dinner. Sometimes when I go out at night I smoke another one. Three altogether. But, I never never smoke when I'm out on the streets. I never smoke driving a car. I smoke, like many other Spanish do, during the bullfight, which is barbaric, because you don't savor the aroma or taste the cigar." He goes on to explain that he smokes at the bullfights simply because it's tradition.

The documentary immediately cuts to a scene in Cuba of a man puffing away while driving a car. The posh sounding narrator says, "Almost everybody smokes cigars here, whatever the time, whatever the place."

Toward the end of the documentary, Vilallonga continues, "The Americans are what I call oblivious smokers. Oblivious smokers, because they smoke in the streets. They smoke when driving a car. They don't have this european sense which is more civilized, really. Smoking a cigar is like taking a break in the day. I sit here and, three-quarters of an hour, an hour, I smoke a cigar."

This got me thinking. I want to know how it is for you. For me, if I didn't smoke on the streets, it would cut my cigar smoking in half. And, as it is, it's difficult for me to make time for a cigar. I don't smoke inside my home either. Perhaps that's part of it. I guess I admire this guy. If I could sit everyday for an hour after lunch and an hour after dinner and smoke in my opulent living room, I suppose I would. So, are you guys like me, or are you guys like Jose?

[RWhisenand]

I can't help but find it ironic that he smokes during a bullfight, but considers Americans less civilized then Europeans.

[CdnStogie]

I tend to smoke anywhere but 'walking around on the street'... I smoke cigarettes though.

I find cigars are more for a relaxation time for me - I'll light one up on my porch, camping, fishing, golfing... if I have a long drive in front of me I sometimes will have one... But walking downtown - nope.

Has to be 'the right moment' for me to enjoy.

[jhedrick83]

I typically only have time to smoke at home. I prefer to smoke at home anyway as it is all about relaxation for me and forcing myself to slow down and enjoy life.

[tsolomon]

I tried the walk the dog and smoke a cigar while doing it a couple of times and just didn't enjoy it. I do like to just sit and smoke when I have the time to enjoy it. The only exception would be on the golf course as I can drive the cart and smoke at the same time.

[pektel]

I typically only have time to smoke at home. I prefer to smoke at home anyway as it is all about relaxation for me and forcing myself to slow down and enjoy life.

Yep. 99.9% of the time, my cigar time is "me" time. It's not just the cigar for me (well, SOMETIMES it is). More often than not, it's the de-stressing/relaxing/therapeutic effects that the hour-or-so of reflection time spent smoking that I get the most benefit. Smoking cigars - I think - IMPROVES my overall health. :2

[Porch Dweller]

I can't help but find it ironic that he smokes during a bullfight, but considers Americans less civilized then Europeans.
I'm with you on that one.


I tried the walk the dog and smoke a cigar while doing it a couple of times and just didn't enjoy it. I do like to just sit and smoke when I have the time to enjoy it. The only exception would be on the golf course as I can drive the cart and smoke at the same time.

Same here. If I smoke while walking the dog I find I can't focus as much on picking out nuances in the cigar. I can light a cigar, walk the dog, find the cigar boring without much flavor, get back home 15-20 minutes later, sit down on my porch, and suddenly that same cigar has depth of flavor.

[baust55]

I smoke in my enclosed court yard with a fire in the evening , on the porch/deck admiring the plants , flowers , my fig trees or in my Billiards room/ Cigar Lounge .

Occasionally at a Cigar lounge Like Jakes or the Havana Garage. It's all about relaxing!


AUSTIN
S.E.Nebraska !

[icehog3]

The majority of my smoking is done while sitting around relaxing....in my home, at a lounge, at a herf.....but if I am driving anywhere that takes longer than 30 minutes to get to, I am smoking in my truck. Takes the edge off driving for me if there is traffic, and makes it more relaxing/enjoyable in any circumstance.

[the MacDonald]

I used to be an oblivious smoker, but these days I'd agree with Vilallonga. A cigar is an event, not a time killer or an accessory.

[Sweet_Leaf_PDX]

Most of my smoking time is done while sitting around and relaxing. When the weather is nice it's in my back yard and when the weather is bad I will go to one of my local cigar bars or B&M's that have a smoking lounge.

Sometimes I will smoke while playing golf or doing some sort of group outdoor activity. But that is usually if others are smoking so it's more of a social smoke. I find that when I smoke this way I don't get as much out of the cigar, so I try to pick a lower priced cigar that I am familiar with.

[Steve]

Guilty as charged...;)

I enjoy a cigar anytime I have an opportunity; sitting on my deck, on the boat fishing, walking the dog, at the archery range, etc. But then again, I've been accused a few times of being a barbarian :banger

[RUNYYFan]

I used to be an oblivious smoker, but these days I'd agree with Vilallonga. A cigar is an event, not a time killer or an accessory.

Agreed.

Back in the early to mid-1980's, I can recall attending Yankees games in the old stadium where the older gents would have no problem lighting up whatever they wanted. While most of the cigars were the "stogie" type, there was one guy who I remember would always wait until the second out in the bottom of the 9th to start his cigar. And he would sit there in the 300-level as the rest of the fans left just smoking the cigar as if that would be his last night and he was going to enjoy it forever.

To this day, I cannot tell you what the name of the cigar was. But I remember it being a wonderfully rich aroma that was, at least to a kid in his early teens, just great.

[8zeros]

I was once on a business trip that had me in San Fransisco. I proudly walked around smoking the biggest cigar I had. I was not oblivious at all.

[CigarSquid]

I smoke to enjoy and relax. In a car, I only do it on my longer trips and when I am alone.

So, to answer the question; No, I am not an oblivious smoker.

[nutcracker]

A stroll in a park with a cigar is a rare pleasure.
Probably soon to be banned.

[nutcracker]

I spoke with the lady in Barcelona who used to sell the meat from the bullfights. Apparently it was tough and quite revolting. Forutnately bullfighting is now banned in Catalonia.

Smoking a cigar is hardly barbaric compared to torturing a creature for entertainment.
Now that's barbaric.

[The Poet]

Me, I Aqualung. So, no.



Or yes, depending on how one defines it.

[RobR1205]

I accidentally picked the wrong answer in the poll, but I prefer to sit and smoke. I walk fast and take long strides, so I've found that I smoke much faster based on past experiences. Plus I find it harder to monitor the burn when I'm smoking.

[timj219]

I usually smoke on my deck and try not to do anything else though I will sometimes read a book. But I only smoke on weekends or when on vacation. So maybe two or three per week. I used to smoke a cigar while doing yard work but now I smoke a pipe if anything.

[icehog3]

I smoke to enjoy and relax. In a car, I only do it on my longer trips and when I am alone.
So, to answer the question; No, I am not an oblivious smoker.

Sure you are. ;) :r

[Ashcan Bill]

Oblivious is pretty much a life style for me.

:D

[massphatness]

A Spanish aristocrat takes time out of his day to smoke a cigar, relax and enjoy it? Go figure. Not everyone won the sperm & egg lottery and can afforded the luxury of time.

My preference is to smoke in a relaxing environment as I enjoy the chance to savor a cigar and focus on the experience. Some time by the fire pit or on the trail with my dog is optimal, but those opportunities don't present themselves on a daily basis. However, like Tom said, I do smoke when I drive. I look forward to having a cigar on my 45 minute commute home each day. It gives me something to focus on besides the chunk of my life spent cooped up in a vehicle simply driving. I may not enjoy the cigar as much as I do in more relaxed environs, but it adds value to my day & I still enjoy it.

So while I would prefer the genteel lifestyle that would afford me two or more hours of cigar smoking relaxation time each day, I am an oblivious smoker largely by necessity.

[TXSmokey]

I can't help but find it ironic that he smokes during a bullfight, but considers Americans less civilized then Europeans.

agreed, that's why I love to see when the bulls get lose and go up into the stands, or gores the bull fighter.

I usually smoke on my deck, in the mornings when i'm off, and in the evening. I also like to smoke while watching movies at home.

[Subvet642]

I was just watching an hour-long documentary called The Havana: Cigar Of Connoisseurs (2005). It's a good documentary and it's free if you're an Amazon Prime member. In any case, on the program they interview a number of habanos dignitaries, one of which is Jose Luis Vilallonga. I had to Google him. He was a Spanish aristocrat and bit-part actor who co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. He passed in 2007. Anyway, he had this to say about cigars...

"I smoke two cigars a day. One after lunch, and one after dinner. Sometimes when I go out at night I smoke another one. Three altogether. But, I never never smoke when I'm out on the streets. I never smoke driving a car. I smoke, like many other Spanish do, during the bullfight, which is barbaric, because you don't savor the aroma or taste the cigar." He goes on to explain that he smokes at the bullfights simply because it's tradition.

The documentary immediately cuts to a scene in Cuba of a man puffing away while driving a car. The posh sounding narrator says, "Almost everybody smokes cigars here, whatever the time, whatever the place."

Toward the end of the documentary, Vilallonga continues, "The Americans are what I call oblivious smokers. Oblivious smokers, because they smoke in the streets. They smoke when driving a car. They don't have this european sense which is more civilized, really. Smoking a cigar is like taking a break in the day. I sit here and, three-quarters of an hour, an hour, I smoke a cigar."

This got me thinking. I want to know how it is for you. For me, if I didn't smoke on the streets, it would cut my cigar smoking in half. And, as it is, it's difficult for me to make time for a cigar. I don't smoke inside my home either. Perhaps that's part of it. I guess I admire this guy. If I could sit everyday for an hour after lunch and an hour after dinner and smoke in my opulent living room, I suppose I would. So, are you guys like me, or are you guys like Jose?


We're a busy people, we've got stuff to do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwxb0a5HYV8

[Steve]

A Spanish aristocrat takes time out of his day to smoke a cigar, relax and enjoy it? Go figure. Not everyone won the sperm & egg lottery and can afforded the luxury of time.

My preference is to smoke in a relaxing environment as I enjoy the chance to savor a cigar and focus on the experience. Some time by the fire pit or on the trail with my dog is optimal, but those opportunities don't present themselves on a daily basis. However, like Tom said, I do smoke when I drive. I look forward to having a cigar on my 45 minute commute home each day. It gives me something to focus on besides the chunk of my life spent cooped up in a vehicle simply driving. I may not enjoy the cigar as much as I do in more relaxed environs, but it adds value to my day & I still enjoy it.

So while I would prefer the genteel lifestyle that would afford me two or more hours of cigar smoking relaxation time each day, I am an oblivious smoker largely by necessity.

Well said

[icehog3]

I do smoke when I drive. I look forward to having a cigar on my 45 minute commute home each day. It gives me something to focus on besides the chunk of my life spent cooped up in a vehicle simply driving. I may not enjoy the cigar as much as I do in more relaxed environs, but it adds value to my day & I still enjoy it.



Word. :)

[renoles576]

Seems like I'm with the majority here - I smoke outside, front yard or back, and I'm usually sitting and watching the world go by...sometimes with a book, but more often a cup of coffee and some relative silence.

[shilala]

I don't smoke around folks where they might be annoyed.
That said, I'll smoke anywhere so long as I'm not violating directive #1 up there.
Smoking a cigar is always an event to me, but so is every single minute of my life. I don't waste a one.

[CigarNut]

I don't smoke around folks where they might be annoyed.
That said, I'll smoke anywhere so long as I'm not violating directive #1 up there.
Smoking a cigar is always an event to me, but so is every single minute of my life. I don't waste a one.

:tpd:

:tu :tu

[airtrade]

I like relaxing and taking time with it. Watching the world go by my porch.
Sometimes scrolling through this forum.

[MoTheMan]

I pretty much smoke in the car (have an ozone machine to tae out the smell), in the yard, and sometimes when out & about shopping. I do keep an eye out though, 'cause if I'm in too much if a public place, I will likely find objectors to my smoke . . . and, well, you know how it gets here in the Socialist Republic of California . . . !

[Steve]

i don't smoke around folks where they might be annoyed.
That said, i'll smoke anywhere so long as i'm not violating directive #1 up there.
Smoking a cigar is always an event to me, but so is every single minute of my life. I don't waste a one.

amen!

[mahtofire14]

Usually the only place I'm smoking is on the course, in the cigar shop, on the boat, or on my deck. So I doubt I'm annoying anyone. Other than my Fiance, that is........:gary

[montecristo#2]

When I was in grad school I used to smoke while I walked to work. Now I only smoke when it is me time. So I guess I have changed.

If I am walking alone I can enjoy a cigar, but not as much when I am walking the dog. I tend to smoke fastest and do not enjoy it as much.

[Dude Here]

I used to try and smoke several cigars a day, pretty much if I had to do anything outside (yard work, walk, grilling etc.) However, I slowly realized that I was smoking just to smoke and not really enjoying the experience of having a cigar.

Lately, I've only been having a couple of cigars a week and have been really using that time to just sit back and relax.

[Remo]

Not oblivious, I usually plan my smoke and time :tu

[ColdCuts]

A stroll in a park with a cigar is a rare pleasure.
Probably soon to be banned.

Here in NYC, and a bunch of other municipalities around the country, it's already been outlawed. Thanks to Michael Bloomberg, smoking has been banned in all NYC parks, beaches, and pedestrian plazas since 2011. :bs

[longknocker]

I Smoke Occasionally On The Golf Course, But Mostly In The Evening On My Patio To Relax & Wind Down After Work. I Never Smoke In The Car Or While Walking In The Neighborhood.:tu

[ColdCuts]

I don't smoke around folks where they might be annoyed.
That said, I'll smoke anywhere so long as I'm not violating directive #1 up there.

I aspire not to annoy anybody, genuinely. But I live in a very densely populated area and I do all of my smoking outside. So, try as I might, someone is bound to catch a whiff of my cigar. ;s

[mk05]

Can his statement be any more Spanish? It's hysterical because he's Spanish - and an aristocrat - daring to sound proper, but failing to realize how ironic and contradictory his statements are...because he's from Spain.

Americans multi-task. Spanish take siestas. Go enjoy your tapas and wake up at 9pm on a weekday. I'll decide what I do with my free time while we continue to bail you out and let you party on my dime with Italy and Greece.

What a joke.

[icehog3]

That's some funny chit, Marc! :lr

[baust55]

I watched this documentary last night VERY GOOD enjoyed it .
I Liked the interview with JFK chief of staffs . He told how Kennedy sent him out to buy 1200 Cuban cigars and when he delivered them JFK got the papers for the embargo out of his desk and signed them .


ha ironic the snooty Ero creep barbaric bull fight fan would call a relaxing drive with a smoke barbaric.

[jsnake]

I love sitting and relaxing and taking a cigar in and enjoying every detail of it. But sometimes I want a cigar and have stuff to do. So i go both ways on this. I have cheaper cigars that I will pick when I can't sit and relax and others that will only be smoked when I have time to relax and enjoy.

[kgoings]

I pretty much only smoke in my backyard or in the green belt by our house. On a rare occasion I will smoke on the patio at the bar I am at.

I used to smoke while I Golfed but it just took away from the cigar. My cigar time is for me and the cigar.

[ApexAZ]

I'm actually trying to cut back on my cigar smoking, but before I would average 2 a day. Now I'm down to about 5-7 per week, mostly over the weekend. If I'm not smoking on my back patio, I'm usually at the cigar bar, or at the park not far from my work. It's definitely a period of relaxation and letting go of the day's stresses, however I'm never going to be convinced it doesn't carry it's own risks either.

[Brlesq]

Guilty of smoking in the street while walking the dog, but for me and the dog it's a ritual. When he sees me putting on my shoes, a ballcap and go into the den for a cigar, he starts jumping around and wagging his tail because he knows we're heading out. He's a beagle, so he stops to smell something about every 20 feet anyway, so its a slow, leisurely experience. Its a contemplated experience and by no means oblivious. ;)

[badbriar]

Yep. 99.9% of the time, my cigar time is "me" time. It's not just the cigar for me (well, SOMETIMES it is). More often than not, it's the de-stressing/relaxing/therapeutic effects that the hour-or-so of reflection time spent smoking that I get the most benefit. Smoking cigars - I think - IMPROVES my overall health. :2

Absolutely agree! :tu
RR

[ColdCuts]

The only "me time" I can count on without fail is my half-hour walk home from work. I think that walk deserves a cigar. Simple as that.

[equetefue]

I smoke while jogging.. Helps me build endurance. lol lol j/k

In any case, I smoke whenever I feel I can take the time to enjoy the pleasures that typically accompany a great cigar.

[mk05]

...Jose Luis Vilallonga....Spanish aristocrat...Anyway, he had this to say about cigars...

"...I smoke, like many other Spanish do, during the bullfight, which is barbaric, because you don't savor the aroma or taste the cigar." He goes on to explain that he smokes at the bullfights simply because it's tradition..."

Funny since Albert Jr. just put up his Connie #1 photo at the bullfight today in Spain. Made me chuckle.

[MagicDrop]

I only smoke to relax. I buy short cigars because I don't have an hour block ever. I do smoke cigarettes where ever when ever.

[jpb437]

I usually only smoke while visiting friends houses. Just recently I started smoking at my house as well. I did smoke on the way back from the B&M one day and I don't feel bad or less civilized because of it.

[edstoggie]

I don't smoke indoors at home or in my truck but when I'm in New Orleans on Bourbon Street I light it up! The only time I smoke in doors is at my fav local cigar shop and at the Casino because it puts most dealers out of their game.

[mikesr1963]

When that peckerhead starts buying my cigars then I'll start being concerned about when he thinks I should smoke them. Otherwise, he can FO.

[pnoon]

Charming.
:2