After being harrased by the cops

[Txrider]

That is kind of true. If you are on the sidewalk outside of a restaurant I *think* it's still considered their property. If they don't have tables outside of course no one will bother you from smoking/vaping/picking your nose outside in front of the establishment but if they have permits to seat people outside and have the seating out there then believe it or not the restaurants have jurisdiction over what they allow. For analog smokers you have to actually stand several feet from the outside tables according to some laws including in New York City. It is kind of tricky because obviously people who pass by and are not patrons of the restaurant can smoke while they walk by but if you're a patron of the restaurant you need to keep a clear distance. Not a lot of restaurants really adhere to this but I have encountered a few who do though. I was told even though I was outside the seating divider almost standing out by the street to move.

I don't want to get into the debate of ecigs being allowed because the above being said is about the jurisdication that restaurants have over their patrons. Granted the police may have attacked a different subject altogether but they may change their stance and just say that the OP was causing disorderly conduct which is well within their right to do.

I think if people are all out to raise awareness or to try and get away with vaping that they need to be clearer on laws and who has what jurisdiction while your on their premises. It's not only about laws it also about the rights of what the owners of these places have over you regardless if something is well within the law to do. A restaurant can simply ask you to leave if they think you are dressed inappropriately irregardless if you're sitting inside or outside or out of plain view. There is no law on how you should dress though is there? So the ecig applies here too, there is no law banning the use of it but if they want to ask you to leave and you don't listen and still do your thing it's perfectly legal for them to remove you.

Definately varies by city and state law as well.

I routinely smoke outside sonics at the tables around here in Texas, never had a complaint. I'm usually the only one at the tables though.

[swoods93631]

Definately varies by city and state law as well.

I routinely smoke outside sonics at the tables around here in Texas, never had a complaint. I'm usually the only one at the tables though.

Ya that would never happen in Cali, most don't know but you cannot even smoke within 25ft of an entrance to a business or your own workplace. I have yet to see anyone enforce that though.

[Tye]

If you get called out for E-smoking, and you avoid confrontation like me, when you get hassled about e-smoking just tell whomever is asking that it is a asthma medication dispenser (or something along those lines).. Don't admit its nicotine content, or similarity to smoking... Say its a discrete inhaler.. You cant prove it, but then again neither can anyone else.. I don't want to bring any negative attention to E-cigs, we will have enough of that once this product goes mainstream (like salvia-divanorem and its ... like effects)

[Tye]

...in-fact, act offended when someone "draws attention" to "your condition"

[bard]

@Tye - I understand your thinking, but it strikes me that you're effectively lying there, which if you get rumbled, won't do anything in the venue in question for the future of vaping. Best bet seems to simply & honestly explain what it is, and if they still ask you to stop, just stop. I've always been honest about what I have, never tried to conceal it, but also, have never tried to be provocative with it. Just a polite & truthful word to the staff seems to do the job (in fact, I've never had that fail on me, but I wouldn't argue with the staff member if it did - it's their right to ask me not to do it in their premises).

[bard]

@TXRider - irrespective of any local laws regarding distance from tables, etc, many premises will actually have their boundary outside the walls; i.e. some of the pavement/sidewalk area may well be part of their premises, and as such, they can still make the rules/ask you to move on/etc. in that area. Not a big deal I expect, as you simply move a bit to the side!

[OutWest]

One of the hospitals here went totally smoke-free and theyve been known to harass people who are walking down the sidewalk and telling them they need to either put it out or jaywalk across 4 lanes of traffic to use the sidewalk on the other side of the street

[Tye]

BARD - What I am doing is lying. What dose it matter either way. The question of whether or not it is legal has been more or less answered. Why do I have to take the time out of my meal/date/movie/ect to discuss the moral and legal guidelines of vaporizing liquid nicotine where conventional smoking is not allowed. Its not my job to teach everyone, Its certainly not anyones job to tell me what to do.. So saying its medicine beiging delived shuts most people up, proving the biased opinion of smoking in the first place... Lying about what it is seems like a better approach that "its a E-cig and I can smoke it here becasue yadda yadda yadda " Im not a child and I do not appriciate being treated as one.. If you dont mind having people tell you what to do and how to live your life, get married. Regardless E-smoking is limited to the establishment that either will or will not allow it in THEIR place of buissness.. If by lying to some jerk-off lets me smoke me E-cig in peace ,then thats what im going to do... PS> I dont get some eliteist kick out of explaining my e-smoking habbit.. If I had it my way people would leave me the fu*k alone. Did I relly deserve condemnation for my comment?

[Sar]

... Im not a child and I do not appriciate being treated as one..

Sorry, but we live in a child-proof society. It is no longer about teaching kids about right or wrong, it is about shielding them from wrong. Parents now feel they have the right to insist that all adults make sacrifices if it helps their offspring -- after all, they've been told it takes a village. We are the village. Nobody cares that my grandmother couldn't open her aspirin bottle by herself because the store only sold childproof packaging. And according to the government, if we are able to save even one child from the evils of tobacco, keeping adult smokers away from e-cigs and addicted to analogs is justified. This is really unbelievable...

[Angela]

Nobody cares that my grandmother couldn't open her aspirin bottle by herself because the store only sold childproof packaging.

.. just to add a little irony to this; my grandmother had severe arthritis and her arthritis tablets were all in childproof containers (as they all are). One of my jobs as a little kid was to open all of her tablet bottles for her and decant them into other bottles