From: DOUGLAS HERBERT <??????????????????>
Subject: PD

Dear Steve and Readers: I've written the digest before, but I have a
tendency to just lurk.  However, a recent event annoyed me enough to
make me write.  I'm a 20 year old college student, and I've been smoking
pipes for around four years.  I've suffered the usual "hey man, what's
in the pipe, heh, heh" jokes with dignity, and assumed that they would
eventually end, probably in around ten years.  Anyway, I recently went
to Memphis, Tennessee, for spring break with a few of my friends.  I'm
in the habit of finding the pipe and tobacco shops in any city that I
come to, just on general principals.  Unfortunately, my three companions
(all female) didn't feel like going to any of the shops.  But we did go
to the Mall of Memphis, and found a large mall-based tobacco retailer
whom we all know and thus shall remain nameless, but their initials are
TB, L.  I entered the store, hoping to find something that would amuse
me.  I didn't.  Instead, the two gentlemen who were in charge acted like
my girlfreind and I were potheads who had confused their establisment
with a headshop or opium den.  They were quite rude and acted rather
superior.  After around five minutes of ill-treatment, I shot off a
complex question involving tobacco blends and flavorings.  They were
stumped.  One of them apparently didn't even know what an English Blend
tobacco was.  Niether knew what "Perique" tobacco was.  I continued to
irritate them with questions they had no answer to for a couple of
minutes, then purchased their Chairman's Blend (which I actually rather
enjoyed) and left, feeling quite vindicated.  The point I'm trying to
make is that because I'm 20 years old and have long hair, don't assume
that I don't know what I'm talking about.  I can discuss the finer
points of pipes, blends, tobacco, smoking, and anything else with
smokers twice and three times my age, and hold my own (if not teach them
a thing or two).  Ladies and Gentlemen, I am a veteran smoker at a young
age, and am quite proud.  Thanks for letting me vent, Steve, it's quite
apreciated.  -Doug Herbert

[ No problem, Doug!  Clearly TB doesn't require your further
business. -S. ]


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