A joyful elderly man in a flat cap sitting on a park bench in Washington Square Park, smiling as he offers a cigarette, surrounded by a diverse, massive crowd of amused and curious onlookers, sunny day, lively park atmosphere, photorealistic.
Elderly Man's Cigarette Invitation Draws Massive Crowd in Washington Square Park
In November 2025, a remarkable social gathering unfolded in New York City's Washington Square Park when 75-year-old actor Bob Terry from Park Slope invited strangers to join him for a cigarette break. What began as a simple invitation turned into an event that attracted over 1,500 participants.
The Unconventional Invitation
Bob Terry, a man with a 60-year smoking habit and a growing social media presence, distributed flyers inviting people to share a communal cigarette break. The elderly actor, who had recently gained attention online, wanted to create a social experience centered around the increasingly rare act of public smoking.
The Unexpected Turnout
The response to Terry's invitation was overwhelming. More than 1,500 people ranging in age from 18 to 78 gathered in the iconic Greenwich Village park. The diverse crowd created a lively atmosphere, with music including Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background as attendees engaged in conversations and shared their smoking experience.
The Event's Conclusion
The massive gathering lasted approximately 30 minutes before New York Police Department officers arrived to disperse the crowd. Despite the large turnout and the controversial nature of the event, the gathering remained peaceful throughout its duration.
Terry's Perspective
Despite organizing the smoking event, Terry maintained a nuanced perspective on tobacco use. He had reduced his own smoking to half a pack of Marlboro Reds daily and emphasized that the event was intended to foster social connections rather than promote smoking. He specifically advised non-smokers not to start the habit and encouraged current smokers to either quit or cut back.
Remarkably, Terry's doctors have noted that despite his long-term smoking habit, he maintains relatively healthy lungs, though they still recommend he quit smoking entirely.
Social Commentary
The event highlighted the enduring social aspects of smoking culture, even as public health campaigns continue to discourage the habit. The massive turnout demonstrated that despite declining smoking rates and increasing restrictions, the communal experience of smoking still holds appeal for many people seeking social connection in an increasingly isolated world.
The gathering served as a reminder of how simple human invitations can sometimes spark unexpected community responses, creating moments of shared experience that transcend the controversy surrounding the activity itself.
The prompt for this was: Elderly man handed out flyers to invite people to have a smoke with him, and and a massive crowd showed up
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