Got a stick?

I was on the Metro the other day when a girl in her mid-20s pulled out a packet of gum as a post-lunch courtesy to the crammed passengers within garlic-breath range.

I had the impulse to ask her if I might have a piece, but then I reminded myself of cultural norms (and what possible consequences might ensue for one who breaks the don't-talk don't-look don't-acknowledge-life rules of the Metro system) and that this was an inappropriate circumstance to freshen my breath.

Then I thought: Why is it OK to bum a smoke off of a complete stranger, but not a piece of gum?

Gum costs less, makes you more pleasant to be around, and doesn't cause cancer. Why do we hoard it?

Furthermore, linguistic variances of the word "cigarette" in other countries could lead to dangerous cross-cultural miscommunications with strangers (you should just see their faces when you ask for a "fag" in Alabama).

Perhaps it is the guilty conscience that unites smokers and allows them to violate our normal rules of stranger engagement.

I suppose the only cancer-entitlement we gum chewers have is saccharin. I just don't know if that's enough to help us build bridges to mooching.