It's been six hours!

"It's been six hours since I had a cigarette!"
I have been commuting to work on my bicycle this summer. It's good for my health. I am rolling into the airport where I work when I overhear this comment. "It's been six hours since I had a cigarette!" The woman is sitting on the ground and leaning against her luggage while lighting her cigarette. She may have been informing her friend that she hasn't smoked in six hours or, more likely, she was calming her nerves by venting. Appreciative that she is no longer restricted to the harsh environment that "non-smokers" live in every day.
As silly as I thought she was I dismissed her as an unusual character. Later that day I was eating my lunch and talking on the phone with my girlfriend. I sat at the picnic table in front of my office under the "no-smoking" sign. Sitting next to me was my colleague - smoking his cigarette. I ended my call and put away my lunch to eat later, in clearer air. That night I had an unusual wryness to my breathing. I blame the smokey air.
I have a parting thought. Is it really that bad to go without a cigarette for six whole hours while you travel? Try taking a day off from smoking.
The good news is I inhaled no smoke today and my breathing is free and clear of any discomfort!
Disclaimer: I smoked for two years while commuting to community college. I quit cold-turkey. I wish I had those two years back to re-do.