Smoke Breaks @ Work

[mrtr33]

So, something that's been on my mind lately.....

Do any of you ever try to smoke a cigar at work? I'm not talking about the 7.5 X 60 monster vitolas, but something smaller, something in the 4.5 X <50 size range. It would seem to me, if these cigarette smokers can escape for 10 minutes every hour and a half (at least) a day, I can go and have one break for 45 minutes to smoke my cigar.

Thoughts?

[badwhale]

I don't smoke at work unless we're having some picnic bullshit outside...and at that point, nobody's working.

I don't think I'd find smoking a cigar at work relaxing. I would make a habit of it, it would feel just like that, a habit like cigarette smoking. While I don't hate work, I don't want to associate my pleasurable hobby with work.

Will

[craig]

I smoked tin-sized cigars on breaks for a bit. I stopped due to 'cigar breath,' though.

[TachyCoventry]

I work out of my house now and smoke a cigar or two a day. I'm in a completely different group on this one

[Eville]

What is this "work" thing?

[cigarsarge]

I'm lucky...I smoke while I work.

[garryyjr]

I don't smoke at work unless we're having some picnic bullshit outside...and at that point, nobody's working.

I don't think I'd find smoking a cigar at work relaxing. I would make a habit of it, it would feel just like that, a habit like cigarette smoking. While I don't hate work, I don't want to associate my pleasurable hobby with work.

Will

I agree with this. Takes it's 'fun' away

[garryyjr]

What is this "work" thing?

I will find out tomorrow or Wednesday.. I have been unemployed for 14 months.

[Mangyrat]

I smoke at work, one of the few advantages of working out side.

[wild]

If there are no pending disasters, I'll take time out ofter lunch to enjoy a vitola no larger than a robusto. We have a nice patio and park right outside the building.

[WinstonSpencer]

I'm kinda with Will on this one. It would just become habitual and take all the fun out of it. Also, I care too much about what people think and with relatively few smokers at my company, I would get tired of explaining what I was doing to passersby. Lastly, my job involves sensory evaluation of food products so cigar mouth would be a hinderance.

[cinda]

I'm lucky...I smoke while I work.

How do you get away with that ? I am not busting you at all but I figure that breaks a lot of rules where you work.

[mrtr33]

<snip....>
I don't think I'd find smoking a cigar at work relaxing. I would make a habit of it, it would feel just like that, a habit like cigarette smoking. While I don't hate work, I don't want to associate my pleasurable hobby with work.
<...snap>

I agree with this. Takes it's 'fun' away

I'm kinda with Will on this one. It would just become habitual and take all the fun out of it. <snip>

I do see your point. However, I guess I personally don't see it that way. If I were going to a designated smoking area I was banished to, in order to partake of my cigar, then I could understand how smoking would feel like more of an obligation. If I could sit here and smoke at my desk, however, I think it could end up just something else I do - like drinking my cup of coffee. I drink at least one cup every day (not that I would smoke cigars all day), but I truly enjoy the coffee I do drink - we take the time to select good coffee for the explicit reason to enjoy it. Whether we are just sitting outside relaxing, watching TV or working. I don't enjoy it any less simply because I'm drinking it while I'm working. In fact, I would say I'm more productive because of it.

Interesting.

[CoventryCat86]

How do you get away with that ? I am not busting you at all but I figure that breaks a lot of rules where you work.

He lives in a state where they treat people like adults!

[WinstonSpencer]

I do see your point. However, I guess I personally don't see it that way. If I were going to a designated smoking area I was banished to, in order to partake of my cigar, then I could understand how smoking would feel like more of an obligation. If I could sit here and smoke at my desk, however, I think it could end up just something else I do - like drinking my cup of coffee. I drink at least one cup every day (not that I would smoke cigars all day), but I truly enjoy the coffee I do drink - we take the time to select good coffee for the explicit reason to enjoy it. Whether we are just sitting outside relaxing, watching TV or working. I don't enjoy it any less simply because I'm drinking it while I'm working. In fact, I would say I'm more productive because of it.

Interesting.

If I could smoke at my desk (or work from home like Tachy) I'd be all for it! That would be ideal. I'd have to start looking for more inexpensive smokes though.

[cinda]

He lives in a state where they treat people like adults, not like $hitbag, nanny-state Connecticut...

In Connecticut, they banned smoking in bars, restaurants and basically any public place in 2004. Now they're talking about banning smoking in PRIVATE clubs, BUT these $hit-for-brains legislators just voted today to decriminalize smoking pot and to repeal the death penalty.

Okay kiddies, don't smoke cigarettes or cigars, smoking pot is fine and so is murdering people. Oh and by the way, BOHICA we're going to tax the living $HIT out of you, LOLOLOL!

I guess I forgot not all states have the same rules.....oh ya it's going back to 800 a month to keep my husband's big man truck fueled

[Shadykaricta]

This is a good topic! I do not take smoke breaks and would not because I also wouldn't find it relaxing, but for different reasons.

1)My job and position is semi white collar and one of the companies initiatives is "healthy living." They can't make you stop doing things like smoking but they can do little things like withhold a small bit of your pay (Like 50 a month) as an incentive to quit smoking.

2) Due to my position and the kind of people I work with, me taking even 45 mins (even if it was on my lunch break) to smoke one would eventually get back to my managers and interpreted as me not working hard enough.

3) There is definitely a bias against smokers in my company. Cigarette smokers get watched to see how many times they step out and as I said above I know the 30 -45 mins taken to polish off a cigar would bring a negative stigma.

That being said there are two people I know at my job that do take a cigar break on their lunch times. One works in a different capacity ( A bit more blue collar of a position) and has been at that facility for at least 40 years. The other is at a much higher level and has also been on site for a bit. Also to note the later individual does receive criticism for his cigars due to the lingering odor.

(Please note that I do not look down on any line of work be it White or Blue or no collar. I was raised in an environment which has lead me to fully understand that at the end of the day for various reasons called life, you got to get that money however you can. What you do to get it is something you got to live with and answer for.)

[ggiese]

I side a bit with shady on this... If I were to "escape" to smoke a cigar, it's almost guaranteed that I would be "talked" to. I think my boss would be very tolerant, of course, but certainly I'm not accomplishing anything while I'm out smoking a stogie. Besides - I'd be the lone wolf with all of the cigarette smokers. It really is not the same as being with a group of cigar smokers.

To Will's point - I usually have so many things going on at one time that I could not take my mind off enough to enjoy a cigar at work. I just don't picture that smoking a cigar at work would work in a way that would bring me the relaxation I enjoy.

My wife and I were discussing this, though. She has quite a few co-workers that "enjoy" the extra smoke breaks during the day while she's left to pick up their slack while they're gone. She's often commented that she wants to take up cigarette smoking if for no other reason that to have a few extra breaks in her work day to escape the extra work the cigarette smokers pile on her while they're out. Though - she really does not like hanging with the crowd that normally goes out to smoke...

My old boss tells a story of picking up cigarette smoking only because he realized shortly into his Army career that if you smoked cigarettes you did not have to always stand formation. He found it much more pleasurable to smoke a cigarette than stand around at parade rest. ...though he did comment that it sucked when he was in the back of a covered truck, loaded with the wonderful smells of cigarette smoke on top of body odor and diesel fuel.

Does that answer your question?