Commuting - Asked this morning while biking to work

Biking to work this morning, after cresting one of the big hills on my route, a homeless man on the sidewalk asked if he could bum a cigarette. Breathing hard from the climb, all I could muster was "sorry, man". But really? You need a smoke so bad you're going to ask the guy on a bicycle?

Awesome morning in STL for a ride -- even met up with one other commuter on the way for a few blocks.

Biking to work this morning, after cresting one of the big hills on my route, a homeless man on the sidewalk asked if he could bum a cigarette. Breathing hard from the climb, all I could muster was "sorry, man". But really? You need a smoke so bad you're going to ask the guy on a bicycle?

Awesome morning in STL for a ride -- even met up with one other commuter on the way for a few blocks.

How did he know you were a smoker? :D

Biking to work this morning, after cresting one of the big hills on my route, a homeless man on the sidewalk asked if he could bum a cigarette. Breathing hard from the climb, all I could muster was "sorry, man". But really? You need a smoke so bad you're going to ask the guy on a bicycle?

Awesome morning in STL for a ride -- even met up with one other commuter on the way for a few blocks.

Argh! Nicest day of the week and I've got to take the car. The upshot is that I'm taking the car because a fellow cyclist at work gave me his workstand he no longer uses. It just about killed me to drive on 44 this morning. :-(

What's your route? I almost never run into homeless folks on mine.

What's your route? I almost never run into homeless folks on mine.

My route is from Richmond Heights, through Forest Park, and then along the Bike St. Louis "route" into downtown (I think it's West Pine to Boyle, Boyle to Lindell, Lindell/Olive into the city). Ah-ha! Found it on bikely... I added it long time ago: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Clayton-Richmond-Heights-to-Downtown

I vary the beginning sometimes, but once you get close to the city there are only a few ways in north of 40.

What about you?

How did he know you were a smoker? :D

Might have been the fact that I wasn't breathing at that point :)

I'm an avid cyclist, and hate to admit, struggling with quiting smoking... :-|

How did he know you were a smoker? :D

Smokers think everyone else smokes as well. Yes, I know thats a stupid answer but why would anyone intelligent take up smoking, smoking is only for the dumb masses.

What's your route? I almost never run into homeless folks on mine.

I work in a homeless shelter so dealing with the homeless on my way to and from work is an occupational hazard!

When I arrive at work I am greeted by all the clients I work with. Many have serious addictions, severe mental illness, chronic health concerns, suffer from years of physical, sexual, psychological and social abuse. Others are user/dealers, parolees, former prisoners, refugees, failed immigrants, street workers, unemployed/unemployable/ working poor and every day common folk who fell on hard times.

So as I ride to and from work I am saying hello and goodbye continuously and the best thing is someone will always be there to open the doors for me so I can bring my bike into the shelter. They also offer me smokes on occasion even though I do not smoke!

I used to ride this one route 3 times a week during the summer when I rode downtown. There was this intersection where a homeless man always sat out on the corner. For the first two weeks when I rode by he always said, " Hey man, you gotta' cigarette?", to that my reply, "Nah man I don't smoke.", " ah alright." After those two weeks, I guess he got used to seeing me ride by and stopped asking for a cigarette. Instead, his question changed to "Hey man you got the time?" Since I don't wear a watch and I couldn't pull my cell outta my pocket, I would usually guess the time. Eventually, when approaching that corner, I would try to recall what time it was when I last checked to give him the accurate or approximate time of day.

OP,
He didn't want a cigarette. He was simply trying to get you to stop so that he and 2 of his friends hiding in the bushes could mug you, take your bike and valuables then harvest your organs to sell for meth.

Is there a premium for bike-commuter organs?

Is there a premium for bike-commuter organs?

there should be, since they're so pristine. Especially our livers ;)

Quitting smoking is as hard as starting to floss....

I finally gave up with the help of bicycle cummitng and sunflower seeds. (really the sunflower seeds are great, keep your hands busy, and keeps you form eating all the time)

he thought you were homeless (and thus a smoker) because you're riding a bike, just like a lot of cagers. Sad but true

i get asked by homeless dudes all the time for cigarettes. i was leaving the bar one night when a dirty homeless guy came up and demanded i give him a smoke. i was like "yeah dude, i'm on a bike. do you really think i smoke?" the guy called me a vagina and glared at me as he walked away. since i actually do smoke, i made sure he saw me light up before i pedalled off.

i really hate bums.

This morning I was sitting on a bench by a lake just taking in the view. A homeless guy walked past pushing a bike and commented, "its alright for you, you have a nicer bike then me". Didn't really know what to say...

I work in a homeless shelter ...........................

BLESS YOU.

I'm an avid cyclist, and hate to admit, struggling with quiting smoking... :-|

Someone I know actually used starting cycling to quit. I think it went something like this: I'm going to quit. Since I'm quitting I've got gobs of un-budgeted money. I'll use that to buy a road bike. Since I'm not smoking maybe I'll get in shape too.

Maybe you too should stop smoking, save the money, and buy your dream bike? I suppose if you already own your dream bike, well, then sorry.

Someone I know actually used starting cycling to quit. I think it went something like this: I'm going to quit. Since I'm quitting I've got gobs of un-budgeted money. I'll use that to buy a road bike. Since I'm not smoking maybe I'll get in shape too.

Maybe you too should stop smoking, save the money, and buy your dream bike? I suppose if you already own your dream bike, well, then sorry.


Well the plan is to start cycling enough to hate smoking, which it is working, I now only smoke a few cigs a day (down from a pack). The nicatrol inhalers I got should take care of the rest....

Oh, and I won't really be saving "gobs" of money by not smoking, I rolled my own cigarettes so I spent <$15 per month on them...

Though the money saved in medical costs down the road I'm sure will be a lot...

Well the plan is to start cycling enough to hate smoking, which it is working, I now only smoke a few cigs a day (down from a pack). The nicatrol inhalers I got should take care of the rest....

Oh, and I won't really be saving "gobs" of money by not smoking, I rolled my own cigarettes so I spent <$15 per month on them...

Though the money saved in medical costs down the road I'm sure will be a lot...

Well you were already avoiding a lot of the medical trouble by rolling your own. I'm assuming you were using decent tobacco not that nicotine laced paper they put in cigarettes.

I'm sure the medical costs will be higher now, but that's the price of living longer ;).

Have you ever noticed that hand-rolled cigs go out if you stop smoking them., while the corporate cigarettes are forumlated to burn themselves all the way down. Considering how many acres of woodlands have been torched by cigarettes, I have to consider manufacturing self-burning cigarettes to be nearly criminal.

I'm an avid cyclist, and hate to admit, struggling with quiting smoking... :-|

Me too. And I'm a heart attack survivor. Stupid me.

Have you ever noticed that hand-rolled cigs go out if you stop smoking them., while the corporate cigarettes are forumlated to burn themselves all the way down. Considering how many acres of woodlands have been torched by cigarettes, I have to consider manufacturing self-burning cigarettes to be nearly criminal.

I'm a hand-roller too and always have been. I'm a very light smoker these days, but there's no way I'd ever want to smoke one of those foul gunpowder **** - bleeek. I still remember being given a factory made ciggie by a friend and having the thing burn down to the filter with an audible crackle in the matter of a few seconds.