Can I borrow a light?

On a walk last night (11pm ish), and never fails... some random guy (Punk_dude_01) crosses the street, puts a cig in his mouth and asks "hey bud you have a light".

annoyed that he crossed the street just to ask me, I pulled out a flashlight clicked it on and said, "yep".

Punk_dude_01 replied, "nah man, a lighter, you got a lighter?"

Me, "nope"

Never mind the fact that I was walking to a friends to enjoy a pipe with him on the porch, I wasn't about to share my pipe matches.

Seriously, anyone who smokes and doesn't have a lighter or matches I have to really wonder about. Are you REALLY that bad at your hobby/addiction? If you consistently don't have 50% of the required items to continue your smoking maybe it's time you give up. Could this be a ploy or cover to start conversations toward other things? Hey man, if you have a lighter that must mean you either sell or will buy other things which burn... huh huh huh.

(Yes all punks laugh like that)


Please random stranger come put your face really close to my hands while I ignite a flame from this rare and expensive thing called a Bic. Then you can blow smoke in my direction and thank me.

For one, I don't smoke cigarettes or anything on a regular basis so I don't inherently understand the, "Oh where is my lighter" mentality.
Secondly I do know a number of other smokers, who all consistently have their own means for lighting.

What gives?

Oh and borrow? What are you going to give the freekin flame back to me?

Maybe his lighter just crapped out on him? I dunno. In my smoking days I was never lacking for a lighter except when I was also lacking a cigarette in the first place, in which case I just bummed both.

Really....

IXVolt said:

On a walk last night (11pm ish), and never fails... some random guy (Punk_dude_01) crosses the street, puts a cig in his mouth and asks "hey bud you have a light".

annoyed that he crossed the street just to ask me, I pulled out a flashlight clicked it on and said, "yep".

Punk_dude_01 replied, "nah man, a lighter, you got a lighter?"

Me, "nope"

Never mind the fact that I was walking to a friends to enjoy a pipe with him on the porch, I wasn't about to share my pipe matches.

Seriously, anyone who smokes and doesn't have a lighter or matches I have to really wonder about. Are you REALLY that bad at your hobby/addiction? If you consistently don't have 50% of the required items to continue your smoking maybe it's time you give up. Could this be a ploy or cover to start conversations toward other things? Hey man, if you have a lighter that must mean you either sell or will buy other things which burn... huh huh huh.

(Yes all punks laugh like that)


Please random stranger come put your face really close to my hands while I ignite a flame from this rare and expensive thing called a Bic. Then you can blow smoke in my direction and thank me.

For one, I don't smoke cigarettes or anything on a regular basis so I don't inherently understand the, "Oh where is my lighter" mentality.
Secondly I do know a number of other smokers, who all consistently have their own means for lighting.

What gives?

Oh and borrow? What are you going to give the freekin flame back to me?

Click to expand...

BrewKnurd said:

Maybe his lighter just crapped out on him? I dunno. In my smoking days I was never lacking for a lighter except when I was also lacking a cigarette in the first place, in which case I just bummed both.

Click to expand...

Could be, but I get asked that question a lot it seems. Is there just a plethora of unreliable lighters out there?

IXVolt said:

Could be, but I get asked that question a lot it seems. Is there just a plethora of unreliable lighters out there?

Click to expand...

Yeah, I really don't know. I've been asked for a light a lot of times as well. I have no clue what the deal really is, I was just throwing out a possibility.

I asked one girl, "Do I smell like I have a lighter?" Went over her head like the Blue Angels, but the baffled look on her face was worth it.

david_42 said:

I asked one girl, "Do I smell like I have a lighter?" Went over her head like the Blue Angels, but the baffled look on her face was worth it.

Click to expand...

Haha, love it.

I'm going to have to use that next time!

I've been without a light before; It was due to my natural tendency to forget things or forget where I put things.
All my lighters are either torch flame for rapidly toasting cigars or soft flame cranked all the way up (and over) for better pipe lighting. I don't smoke at the moment, but when I have a lighter on me or close, I'm happy to loan it out when someone needs a light. Due again to my sometimes forgetful nature, I sometimes forget that not everyone knows to hold their cigarette 5-9" away from one of my lighters until they are already striking the flint or pressing the button far too close to themselves. I should start carving eyebrows on my lighters like a WWI flying ace.

Maybe he had just gotten of a flight and the TSA took his lighter.

I think he was interviewing you http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/interview.htm

I am a smoker, and honestly have anywhere from 2-5+ lighters on me at any given moment. Why so many? You ask. Because at least one of them is either my Navy zippo given to me before I shipped out by my uncle before he passed away or the zippo my grandfather left me when he passed away. And then I have at least two BICs and one of those push button ones with the peizo igniters for when I'm in the car.

So when I ask you for a light, you know I am desperate lol.