Woo Lady or do I just stink?

[weirdexperience]

I am on holiday in a beach area where I don't know anyone.

I have smoked in and off for some years, currently in an on phase. Since being here I've smoked outside after dark at the end of each day, and to my knowledge I'm not visible by anyone as there are no houses close by. Plus it's dark.

Yesterday I had a shower and washed my hair (by mistake), brushed my teeth, put on a brand new clean swimsuit and headed to the beach. I had not smoked at all that day. My swimsuit does not smell to my knowledge as I never smoke in my house at home and if I ever smoke outside, I take off those clothes immediately and wash them. This swimsuit is new so has never been next to those clothes in the wash. I had a dress on over my suit which is also new, so same applies. My suitcases also don't smell of smoke as they've never been in a smokey environment.

I went to beach and got directly into the sea where I swam for about 20 mins.

I got out and as I was walking back to my things, and before I even passed her chair at a good 8-10ft away, a lady said "you really should quit smoking, it's not good for you". I looked at her and then looked behind me to see if she was talking to someone beyond me who was smoking. But there was no one there.

I don't have yellow fingernails or teeth.

So on a windy beach in a clean swimsuit with clean hair after swimming for 20 mins, and at a reasonable distance before I even passed her, could she smell me, the once or twice a day smoker?! Or, is she some kind of guardian angel telling me to quit before I get sick?!

Smokers might smell but there's no way having showered and put on new clothes then gone in the sea and being 10ft away she smelt her unless she's a police dog

We've lived in our house for 5 years. The previous owners smoked. When we bought it we cleaned it thoroughly and painted everywhere. I can still smell smoke on the stairs (no carpets anywhere in the house) when the house has been shut up for a few days.

No way you would of smelt. I’m a smoker and worked for a company for 14 years part time never smoked on work days until I was home. Most of my colleagues didn’t even know I smoked only the ones I saw out of work. As for telling someone’s a smoker by looking at them what a load of complete rubbish. She’s seen you....smelt smoke from another direction....ect

Smokers do smell of smoke, and they seem less able to smell it on others.
However in this scenario I cannot believe she smelled it off you.

Likely she saw the glow of the cigarettes when you were smoking? Or she has to clean the cigarette butts in the area you smoke?

I think you can take it as a significant enough sign to give up smoking!

@SleepingStandingUp

Smokers might smell but there's no way having showered and put on new clothes then gone in the sea and being 10ft away she smelt her unless she's a police dog

I have a lovely image in my head now of all the pp who swear blind they would be able to smell her too behaving like police dogs. I wonder why people whose sense of smell is so acute that they would be able to smell cigarette smoke in a situation like this have not yet set themselves up in business as human bloodhounds? They could solve so many crimes and mysteries with just a twitch of their super sensitive noses.

@OrangeBlossomsinthesun

We've lived in our house for 5 years. The previous owners smoked. When we bought it we cleaned it thoroughly and painted everywhere. I can still smell smoke on the stairs (no carpets anywhere in the house) when the house has been shut up for a few days.

Maybe your ghost smokes

I'd have assumed she was talking to her DD. You weren't even close enough to be walking past her. If she was addressing you, she'd have waited til you were close by at least.
Bit paranoid I think.

The previous owners of our house also smoked. Despite us painting several times & being very clean you can still smell it when we've been away for a few days in the kitchen. They used to smoke stood at back kitchen door & window.

Her daughter was with her and kind of laughed as if she was embarrassed by her mums comments.

Massive drip-feed! You made it sound like she was alone, and therefore must have been addressing you. Obviously, she was talking to her daughter.

But why not take it as a 'sign' and give up anyway?

If you've been smoking in the dark, she still may have seen enough. You can see the lit end of a cigarette and if there is a small light source you can see smoke waft across it. Unless you're in some kind of black out zone, there's probably enough light to see it. Plus, her daughter may have seen you smoking and said something, contributing to her embarrassment at her mother's comments.

The smell does also linger. However much you clean yourself and your clothes, nicotine and other chemicals linger on surfaces. You then basically re-contaminate yourself after you've washed www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3040625/ Whilst I doubt she could smell you there and then, she's probably noticed in other encounters with you.

And yes, you may have smokers' lines and skin. I wouldn't know whether or not all smokers have this, but enough of them do for it to be noticeable.

So now my earworm is The Joker
"I'm a joker, I'm a smoker,I'm a midnight toker, playing my music in the sun..
Love that song.
PS is your name Maurice? Do you toke(smoke marijuana)?

OP, she's probably seen the glow at night from a lighted fag - well, that's how I know that my new neighbour smokes

Smokers can’t tell that they smell of smoke. The posters on here telling you that the woman won’t have smelled you are probably smokers themselves and therefore in denial about how much smokers smell of smoke. It’s ingrained in your pores, hair, skin, clothes. It also shows on your face. Smokers tend to look like they’ve had a heavy paper round.
It shows in their faces.

Smokers do smell. It’s going to be in your pores, on your breath.

Bet she was thinking how gorgeous you looked in a swimsuit and was trying to compliment you by reminding you that you may be beautiful now but smoking could jeopardise that in the future.

No way could she smell smoke on a beach as you passed by after not smoking for hours and showering! She must’ve seen you.

She sounds batshit, to be honest, but I guess her message is right. Quit if you can, it’s a killer.

@PlanDeRaccordement

Smokers do smell. It’s going to be in your pores, on your breath.

10ft in clean clothes and sea water? I don't think so

If you were outside, on a beach and just come out of the sea I think it's highly unlikely she smelt it. More likely is the other explanation - as other people have said, she saw you smoking. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, but good luck with giving up. Maybe try a new approach?

Yet I used to get compliments on how GOOD I smelled all the time! From colleagues and randoms walking past my desk.

When someone says 'oh you smell nice!' It usually means, bloody hell you got enough perfume on love?!?

Smokers are a slightly different colour to non smokers, I think it might be to do with less oxygen in the blood travelling to the skin and the skin is usually a wee bit less radiant. There is a smell associated with smoking and it is there until the person gives up for a day or so.

However, all this is pretty subtle so I would be a bit surprised if a random lady on the beach, who didn't know you when you didn't smoke, would be able to spot it. Maybe she's an X Man
I think she was talking to her daughter but maybe your guardian angel changed the wind a wee bit so you could hear her and take it to heart.

Christ, what a rude cow she is!

“It keeps me off the crack pipe” would have been my answer.

weirdexperience

Best bit is you want to give up and make the effort and JUST DO IT!!!

Everyone I've known who's smoked feels much better and their not drained by the cost of the dammed things but you'll reduce the risk of heart attacks strokes and of course lung cancer so dont dally anymore please!!

Also this woman, no fibs but my ex missus could dectect someone lighting up around a 100 bloody yards away!, she had a nose better than a bloodhound!!!

Smoke sticks to clothes, hair and any soft furnishings. I can tell who's parents smoke by the smell of the children's clothes. My mum used to wash all of my clothing when I stayed with my aunt ( who was a smoker) when I returned home, ( she didn't smoke in the same room as us) it's only now my aunt can smell it as she hasn't smoked in 10 years and agrees it stinks.

Since being here I've smoked outside after dark at the end of each day, and to my knowledge I'm not visible by anyone

Perhaps she walked past you when you were outside have a fag? Saw the tip glowing and could smell the smoke? That would be what my money is on.

I prefer to think this is the modern equivalent of an episode of Highway to Heaven. She was your guardian angel OP , having a little R&R but still dispensing life-saving wisdom.If you ask around, no-one will have seen her, she won't appear on any CCTV but there will be a tiny golden feather in the sand where you saw her

OP, she's probably seen the glow at night from a lighted fag - well, that's how I know that my new neighbour smokessmile

Snap! Serves me right for not reading to the end of the post