Any "older" members still recall the time when smoking was acceptable indoors?

[nic_fix]

I remember when you ordered and then disappeared. with no consequences. a long time ago like in the 70's already we tried to dine and dash and got grabbed my the manager. he made us empty our wallets for him. now not that I would condone this at any point in time but I guess we did not realize that was stealing back then.

still for the manager to get your money than tell you can't vape I think was grounds to get upset if you wished to. I think he was on the wrong side that time. smoking is kind of for granted now. everyone knows you can't do it anywhere anymore. many places outside you cannot even do it of course. the thing is legally ecig is different because it may harm us but there is no second hand. not possible. nothing is combusted. ahh, you all know this.

 

[The Torch]

I remember when you ordered and then disappeared. with no consequences. a long time ago like in the 70's already we tried to dine and dash and got grabbed my the manager. he made us empty our wallets for him. now not that I would condone this at any point in time but I guess we did not realize that was stealing back then.

still for the manager to get your money than tell you can't vape I think was grounds to get upset if you wished to. I think he was on the wrong side that time. smoking is kind of for granted now. everyone knows you can't do it anywhere anymore. many places outside you cannot even do it of course. the thing is legally ecig is different because it may harm us but there is no second hand. not possible. nothing is combusted. ahh, you all know this.

You preach to the preachers... trying to get the ignorant to understand the difference between a physical reaction (I.E. ice melting, water boiling, PG/VG evaporating) and a chemical reaction (fire, battery charge, alka seltzer) is quite a challenge. Most people can only understand what they can see and touch, nothing else. Even their sense of smell is driven by sight when it comes to bad memories (and vice-versa).

 

[Nermal]

I can understand restrictions on vaping if someone is making clouds or flaunting their ecig and puffing up in the air, making people look at them. If someone is quietly vaping at low wattage and blowing it down their shirt, then what's the problem?

Well, the blanket rule makes it much easier for staff to enforce. Without it, your poor, young server is in the position of telling one customer to take it outside while the group beside him is happily vaping away.

 

[nic_fix]

actually if the rule is not set in law it must be posted as the request of the establishment. that could buy them a nice lawsuit. long ago I was an attorney. they can't just come up to your table and say you can't do that. it does not really take a burden off the server either as s/he could be implicated as to causing you hardship. as of right now this is akin to saying take your oxygen tank outside. I know this will change for the worse soon enough anyhow. I would like to see some lawsuits to set a precedence. at least make things more complicated.

 

[KattMamma]

Well, the blanket rule makes it much easier for staff to enforce. Without it, your poor, young server is in the position of telling one customer to take it outside while the group beside him is happily vaping away.

True a blanket rule would make it easier. But restaurant and bar staff make similar distinctions all the time :

drinking vs drunk
talking vs yelling
being rude vs causing a disturbance

Most vapers would not blow giant clouds or blow vapor toward other patrons. It would be pretty easy to distinguish those who are courteous to others from those who are not.

 

[Bimini Twist]

I was informed the other day in Chili's by the manager that they had a corporate policy against use of electronic cigarettes inside the restaurant. I just agreed that I would abstain. It did kind of irk me that there was no sign out front as I walked in the door. It's a place where I have been numerous times and vaped without incident. I'll make different choices about my choice of restaurants in the future.

The manager waited until after we had ordered to come over and inform us. That way he still made a sale.

I wonder if cloud blowers have pushed the decisions of restaurant owners to not allow ecigs. I've always tried to be discrete and blow my 9 watt vapor under the table, not up into the air. I've seen some people blow thick clouds into the air. That usually makes people frown at the guy who did it.

I had the same experience at Chili's some time ago. I don't think it's the cloud chasers, myself. Margaritaville in Destin, FL has the anti-vaping policy, too. And their bars & restaurant are open air with the Gulf breeze blowing through! I respect owners' rights to prohibit things on their property and still go to Chili's. I boycott Margaritaville for other reasons.

ETA: Anti-vaping actually is one of the reasons.

 

[KattMamma]

...
I respect owners' rights to prohibit things on their property and still go to Chili's. I boycott Margaritaville for other reasons.
...

I agree - it should be up to business owners whether vaping is allowed. The same thing should apply to smoking.

When Texas passed the state smoking law, it did not ban smoking in privately owned businesses. It only required them to put up a sign to indicate their smoking policy, whether it was "smoking allowed" or "no smoking allowed". I thought this was perfectly fair.

Then cities got up in arms about it and started banning smoking left and right. I thought it was wrong, especially for bars and restaurants (many of which lost a LOT of business due to smoking bans). It's easy enough for patrons to support their positions with their wallets when you let businesses decide their own smoking policy (and vaping policy). There's enough demand for non-smoking restaurants that the free market would take care of itself.

I think all the large Texas cities now have some sort of smoking ban, but there's a number of smaller towns that have no such bans, and you will find restaurants and convenience stores that allow smoking. Not too long ago I even saw a "help wanted" ad that said it was in a smoking office!!