Coming home on the tram, we were three-quarters of the way home when we both suddenly smelled cigarette smoke. Turning around to confirm this, we saw the person right behind us had lit up a cigarette. We both gave him the evil eye and turned back around discussing loudly how some people were morons for thinking they could illegally smoke on public transport. It occurred to me that it wouldn’t be enough to make such comments so I turned back around and demanded the guy put out his cigarette.

After another drag, he put the cigarette out, whining how it was needed “you know, ‘cos of the heat, mate”. He was accurate about the weather - it was well over 35C at the time but how he equated relief from hot air with the sucking of heated air into his lungs, we’re not quite sure. Two stops later, he stood to get off the tram and once more lit his cigarette inside the tram as he waited for the doors to open. It took quite a bit of restraint to not simply stand, put one foot against the small of his back and rocket him unexpectedly outside onto the street as soon as they opened…

After he’d alighted (pun intended), I turned around to look at all the junk he’d left behind on the tram. Suddenly I realised that amongst all the litter he’d deposited on the floor and seat opposite him, he’d also left a very recently purchased packet of smoking tobacco to make his own cigarettes. Evidently he’d just bought it (because the tobacco was packed neatly except for the removal of one cigarette’s worth) and obviously was so keen to smoke it, he’d not been able to wait until he got off the tram. However, as a consequence he’d ended up leaving the tobacco pouch behind so it was a very expensive single cigarette.

It’s nice when karma comes into play with SPOTDs sometimes.

Categories: SPOTD