I even know someone who smokes menthols because he said it makes people less likely to bum cigarettes off of him.

That's why I switched to menthols back when I smoked. That, and I just liked them more. I didn't like the ultra menthol ones like Kools or Benson & Hedges, but Marlboro Milds were just about perfect, and the amount of "Oh...those are menthol? Nevermind" was the cherry on top.