Cigarettes & God

I ride the captial metro to campus daily and today one particular rider got under my skin. Public transportation gets it's share of the mentally unhinged and socially awkward (especially on the Dillos because they're free) and I've gotten pretty used to being patient or just completely ignoring problems. Most of the time people are just lonely or want to be heard, so it's no big deal to simply be polite and give them the fifteen minutes of attention. Today a man got on the bus in torn clothes and sandals that were duck-taped to keep them together, with a backpack. I'm not sure, but I can assume he is either poor or wants to give the appearance of being poor. He sits down and opens his backpack and pulls out roughly eight cartons of cigarettes he purchased right before getting on the bus. He then goes on and on very loudly, to no one in particular, about how the corner store had this great buy-one-get-one-free sale on his favourite brand of cigarettes. I think smoking is gross and I think it's grosser when he can't afford shoes but will spend money on cigarettes, but it's no big deal. I know what it's like to struggle with money, but I have no idea what it's like to be as poor as he appeared and if cigarettes help ease his stresses, then so be it. However, it's what he ran off his mouth with next that upset me. There was a guy sitting directly across from him dressed kind of stereotypically punker-style--all black clothes, tattoos, peircings, etc. I guess the Smoking Man assumed he was a heathen because he directed his loudness to him and started going on and on about how he should accept Jesus in his heart. Jesus loves you. If you don't accept Jesus than you are condemning yourself to death. If you don't accept Jesus then you don't love or appreciate life. It's at this point I got pissed. Nothing gets under my skin worse than being outright hypocritical and judgemental, and Smoking Man was achieving both. First, he assumed that the bus rider was a heathen because of his appearance. Secondly, he lectured him based on that assumption. And lastly, he accused him of not appreciating life after touting about how happy he was to get an abundance of cheap cancer sticks. I completely understand I'm speaking from a non-smoker's point of view here, but don't you dare lecture someone you know nothing about on appreciating "the life God gave you" when you knowingly pump poison into your body, you hypocrite. Grrr.