This might get long by way of explanation - I'll try to condense as best I can.
Also, I do not want this post to be alarmist - I'm just investigating due to the circumstances, and posting here for the relevance.
I'm a new vaper, just over a month, and lovin it. I have an eGrip and using VG e-fluid. I don't cloud chase.
An old friend of mine was in town here in Chicago from LA for the holidays. He brought his laptop, a USB audio interface, and a microphone and assorted cords so we could make some laptop rock with another buddy who plays guitar (I play drums and was using an Akai pad controller for drums).
We had 3 sessions about a week apart, and were in a finished, living room-type basement with no funny business happening chemical-wise (this will make sense in a bit). While I went into the bathroom to vape the first session, after a while the guys were cool about it after I had explained vaping thoroughly, and vaped a cloud (as much as I could do being new and with an eGrip with the stock atty) to let them smell it, which they found unoffensive (Dekang USA tobacco mix).
Keep in mind during this that my eGrip does not leak, I vaped sparingly, and I never blew vapor directly at the equipment. But, I was the one controlling both my LA friend's laptop and mine during the sessions, and setting up the microphone and USB interface, so I handled all that plus the cords.
My friend flew back to LA on Thursday, but was pulled out of security check by TSA at O'Hare for having traces of chemical explosives on the microphone. He's flown with it before and never had a problem. Not a big deal, they let him go pretty quick, but this got me wondering...
I Googled "vegetable glycerin" and started reading the Wiki page for glycerol, which a wiki search for VG would redirect to, and read this:
"Glycerol is used to produce nitroglycerin, which is an essential ingredient of various explosives such as dynamite, gelignite, and propellants like cordite."
1) I can't imagine the TSA sniffer mistaking the tiniest trace of vape residue for nitroglycerine, but can see a possible connection based on the info above.
2) The connection seems greater considering my buddy has flown with the mike before and this never happened until after being around me.
3) Why didn't the laptop or the USB interface (basically a mini mixing board, a box a little bigger than a paperback book with knobs) or the cords set them off? Why only the mike? I can assure all that I've known this buddy since high school, and has little interest in chemicals, let alone explosives, and the basement was his father's house, a retired high school teacher.
4) In light of the TSA having no problem with e-cig and liquid travel, all the vapers flying out there, and the possibility of hardcore vapers / cloud chasers having the potential for residue on stuff, why doesn't VG in and of itself set off alarms every day?
I realize this might have been just an isolated false positive situation, but putting it out there just in case - vaping does not need this kind of publicity. In light of this, I've already thoroughly explained the above to my buddy, who was nowhere near being accusatory (it might have been worse though if the TSA hassled him more or prevented his flight).
Thanks for any / all thoughts on this.
Dan
Also, I do not want this post to be alarmist - I'm just investigating due to the circumstances, and posting here for the relevance.
I'm a new vaper, just over a month, and lovin it. I have an eGrip and using VG e-fluid. I don't cloud chase.
An old friend of mine was in town here in Chicago from LA for the holidays. He brought his laptop, a USB audio interface, and a microphone and assorted cords so we could make some laptop rock with another buddy who plays guitar (I play drums and was using an Akai pad controller for drums).
We had 3 sessions about a week apart, and were in a finished, living room-type basement with no funny business happening chemical-wise (this will make sense in a bit). While I went into the bathroom to vape the first session, after a while the guys were cool about it after I had explained vaping thoroughly, and vaped a cloud (as much as I could do being new and with an eGrip with the stock atty) to let them smell it, which they found unoffensive (Dekang USA tobacco mix).
Keep in mind during this that my eGrip does not leak, I vaped sparingly, and I never blew vapor directly at the equipment. But, I was the one controlling both my LA friend's laptop and mine during the sessions, and setting up the microphone and USB interface, so I handled all that plus the cords.
My friend flew back to LA on Thursday, but was pulled out of security check by TSA at O'Hare for having traces of chemical explosives on the microphone. He's flown with it before and never had a problem. Not a big deal, they let him go pretty quick, but this got me wondering...
I Googled "vegetable glycerin" and started reading the Wiki page for glycerol, which a wiki search for VG would redirect to, and read this:
"Glycerol is used to produce nitroglycerin, which is an essential ingredient of various explosives such as dynamite, gelignite, and propellants like cordite."
1) I can't imagine the TSA sniffer mistaking the tiniest trace of vape residue for nitroglycerine, but can see a possible connection based on the info above.
2) The connection seems greater considering my buddy has flown with the mike before and this never happened until after being around me.
3) Why didn't the laptop or the USB interface (basically a mini mixing board, a box a little bigger than a paperback book with knobs) or the cords set them off? Why only the mike? I can assure all that I've known this buddy since high school, and has little interest in chemicals, let alone explosives, and the basement was his father's house, a retired high school teacher.
4) In light of the TSA having no problem with e-cig and liquid travel, all the vapers flying out there, and the possibility of hardcore vapers / cloud chasers having the potential for residue on stuff, why doesn't VG in and of itself set off alarms every day?
I realize this might have been just an isolated false positive situation, but putting it out there just in case - vaping does not need this kind of publicity. In light of this, I've already thoroughly explained the above to my buddy, who was nowhere near being accusatory (it might have been worse though if the TSA hassled him more or prevented his flight).
Thanks for any / all thoughts on this.
Dan