Just something that I was thinking about today:
I was out and about in downtown London and of course, I was smoking a cigarette, just standing on a corner outside the pub where I was meeting a mate to have a few drinks. A guy came up to me and asked if he could bum a smoke, and I quickly handed him one of mine. He asked me what kind it was, as he hadn't seen the like before. I told him and we had a nice little discussion about all kinds of different things, (he's a Liverpool fan

), and then we each went our merry ways.
The point of that little story is that smokers, as a social class are remarkably friendly and generous. Among what other group is it acceptable to ask a complete stranger for something without any thought of repayment? Smoking may be bad for your health and some people don't like the smell, but there is a culture of generosity and friendliness that surrounds it...