Do you get unwanted attention when using a non-cigarette shaped e-cig?

[DrSeuss]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the whole vaping world. And having bought my first e-cig (predictably making the wrong choice based on posthumously reading the reviews on here!) wanted to introduce myself.

I notice that most of the people on this forum, vape using something which looks more like a permanent marker than a cigarette. Personally, I think that would probably create more confused looks and I am yet to see anyone in the UK smoking something like an eGo in public. Although several of my friends have various cartomiser based cigarette alternatives. But I really wanted to hear from the guys and girls with experience of vaping in public.

Do you take your e-cig's to the pub? Has that ever drawn unwanted attention? Do people assume you are doing something other than vaping thanks to your devices unusual form factor?

Anyway, I am really looking forward an analogue free future (already learning the lingo). Particularly because as an Electronic Engineer by training, I really want to fiddle around with modding and making my own e-cigs especially after seeing the inspirational work of some of the forum members.

 

[zapped]

Its more of a curiosity thing with My Provari.When Im out and about smokers tend to naturally gravitate towards it and me. I'll usually spend a few minutes showing it to them and telling them how it works if theyre interested.

I actually LOVE the look on their face when they try it for the first time and say "OMG! thats way better than the one I tried" I write down the name of the website if theyre interested and smile to myself thinking I might have helped to get someone off smoking.

As far as the people thinking I'm using something else in my pv, I politely explain that I'm not and shrug it off like I would any other idiot I run into during the course of a day.

 

[DrSeuss]

I can imagine you get a lot of attention. Even the green LED on the end of my friends ecig's draws quite a lot of attention. I guess that is mostly the novelty value more than anything else.

I have to say, looking at the larger vaporisers, I am a bit put off by their physical size. Do you find it easy to carry around with you? They don't look very pocket friendly.

 

[exodus454]

I'm always out with my Buzz Pro and Reo Grand. I get questions occasionally but people seem more intrigued than anything. I take both of them to bars, grocery store, walmart, etc and never have an issue.

I think the cigarette look-a-likes are actually more of a target for conversation than a good mod.

My $.02

 

[josho]

I can imagine you get a lot of attention. Even the green LED on the end of my friends ecig's draws quite a lot of attention. I guess that is mostly the novelty value more than anything else.

I have to say, looking at the larger vaporisers, I am a bit put off by their physical size. Do you find it easy to carry around with you? They don't look very pocket friendly.

I have a nice jacket with a pocket inside.. holds my 18650 mod perfectly and can't even tell it's there. Of course, when summer comes around I'll be singing a different tune when it's 102 outside and I cant wear my jacket.

 

[Veyf]

I'm from England as well and when ever I leave the door there is a good chance you will see my vmax in my hand.

The only time I have been asked about it is by another vaper who was using a TW tornado model and was curious what it was and where its from. I gave him a quick summary and passed him a vapeescape card and have yet to see him again.

Looking forward to the next time I bump into him as he lives locally, see if hes upgraded or tried anything else.

If I had a really flashy mod like a GG then I'd love to take it out and about.

 

[zapped]

I have a leather flashlight holster that clips on my belt and is a perfect fit for my PV. The size and form factor thing really is all just in your mind.Most everyone Ive talked to says they got over it pretty quick once they realized that technology isnt capable of giving them what they want in such a compact size.

3 months into using a Provari again I dont even notice the weight anymore.I think a cigarette would feel bizarrely light in my hand now.

 

[Riff Raff]

I do get the occasional odd look but like the others have said smokers seem to be very interested in what it is and how it works. I use a Silver Bullet with a sleeve and kick so its not really discrete, at work I have attracted a ton of attention and interest and because of that I now have 16 co-workers vaping and off analogs. That was not my intention just in my mind a perk to know that I helped someone get off cigarettes.

 

[Baditude]

The size and form factor thing really is all just in your mind.Most everyone Ive talked to says they got over it pretty quick once they realized that technology isnt capable of giving them what they want in such a compact size.

3 months into using a Provari again I dont even notice the weight anymore.I think a cigarette would feel bizarrely light in my hand now.

I agree with the bolded text. Being self-conscious of other's thoughts or opinions about our choice in personal vaporizer is completely in our minds. Take a look at my gear setup in my photogallery (click the link in my sig below). My stuff looks nothing like a cigarette.

Yet just the other day I was waiting for a carryout order to by completed at a small Chinese restaurant. I parked myself near the exit, a good 15-20 feet from a middle-aged couple who had just received their eat-in order. I took out my Smoktech v.v. Gripper and began taking occassional puffs, not making huge clouds of vapor, but actually controlling the size of the vapor to be minimally apparent.

I could tell the man was watching me and making comments to his female counterpart. Finally, he spoke up, "Sir, can you kindly put that out, I am allergic to cigarette smoke."

I replied back, "It's not smoke, it's water vapor. This is a personal vaporizer." Him: "Oh, excuse me. Go ahead." Me: "Since you asked politely, I will put it away." And I did, no big deal.
____

What amazes me to this day is the concept by vapors and observers alike who assume what we are using will be interpreted as an illegal device. How is this so, and why is this so? How many of us have actually seen one of those devices to even make that assumption? And do people really believe someone would be so brazen or stupid to use one of those devices in full view of the public? I don't get it.

I vape where I want, although I generally don't vape where smoking is not allowed. Exceptions would be my place of work or the cinema. There I stealth vape. At the cinema, I always sit in the back row near the exit and away from others if possible, and wait until the lights go down. I make certain my vapor is as inconspicuous as I can. At work, I vape in a hidden corner of the locker room where my locker is located. I can easily view the only entrance at the other end of the room to see who might enter.

 

[amyc75]

I'm wondering about this too. I have only met one vaper IRL prior to becoming one myself. As I work in an assisted living facility, I will be going outside to vape, I'm sure (back to work today!) and a lot of my coworkers smoke. Should make for some interesting conversations...and hopefully some conversions. A lot of people tell me they wish they could quit but haven't found anything that works for them.

 

[Baditude]

I believe the success of personal vaporizers in the successful conversion of cigarettes to vaping is due to being more than just another nicotine delivery device. The nicotine patches and gum did nothing for me. But I was easily off of the smokes within a few days of begininng vaping.

I believe that two other components be present in order to be successful. First is the continuation of the hand-to-mouth behavior that our minds associate with smoking; this component is deeply engrained in our psyches from years of smoking, and we miss that when we attempt to quit cigarettes by other means.

The second component is that we are able to trick our body into believing that the warm vapor from our vaporizers is just as satisfying as the smoke from cigarettes. There's always been something satisfying inhaling and getting that "something" into our lungs, be it smoke or vapor, and then exhaling a plume out of our nose or mouth.

That is the reason that I feel vaping has worked for me, where the other nicotine replacements failed to get me off of cigarettes. In addition, I can easily adjust my "dose" of nicotine by vaping more if I need it. Can't really do that with the patch or gum.

 

[Riff Raff]

I have to agree 100% with you Baditude. Vaping is the only thing that has kept me of analogs and still working like a charm. I am very happy about that too.

 

[JenP]

Hi, I;m from Sydney Australia and I've only been vaping for about 6 weeks. Started on a V2 cigs because they looked like cigarettes, but quickly got annoyed with the short battery life and limited flavors with the cartos. Have just bought an Variable Voltage Itaste Version 3 (native 510 with no magnet adapter needed) with dual coil IClear clearomizers and DIY ejuice supplies. In that short time, I've converted 4 people to vaping and have given away my V2 ecigs starter kit.

 

[JenP]

What I'm most happy about is not smelling like an ashtray....!!!

 

[tj99959]

Vaping seems to be a little more mainstream here in Utah than it is in most places. It's not unusual at all to encounter several others that are vaping when out and about. Funny though, what you almost never see here are the cigarette look a likes. eGo's are everywhere, and even Silver Bullets, Provari's, and VMods are common.
The normal reaction I get is "what are you vaping today" rather than "what is that".

 

[DrSeuss]

It is good to hear that people are not overly concerned by vaping in public from unrecognisable devices. It makes sense that people are less likely to be offended if your pv appears very different to a standard cigarette.

I am still a little frustrated by the size and shape of the popular pv's, I normally smoke rollies and quite like not having my pockets full of stuff. But can see that the benefits of the larger vapes gives you a more fulfilling (less frustrating) experience.

 

[Worzel]

It does get annoying after a while. I have my "home" vape, or "RoboSmoke" then I have my "away" cig alike. I am a girl. I like girly things when I am out in public, and my blue billy club is not very girly

 

[tnt56]

I like it when someone comes in the shop and complains about how heavy the Vamo is. I hand them my Kicked SB with a Phiniac tank and extension sleeve on it and then let em compare. Wow I guess the Vamo isn't that heavy after all. As far as the public is concerned I will not give up my rights but I will respect others. I just think it gives us a better outlook than some. I'll show the same amount of respect that others show me.

 

[Fjork]

One of my supervisors at work continually comes into the warehouse (where I work) and proclaims (very loudly) "HEY YOU CAN'T TAKE .... RIPS BACK HERE!! If you do you have to invite me!". I use a 500mah ego battery with a vivi nova 3.5 ml tank. He's not stupid and is obviously joking but that's probably the worst/silliest reaction I've had so far. My coworker vapes an iHybrid so he has to be careful (or rather chooses to be) not to fog the place out (though I enjoy the .... out of his Pluid clouds and anxiously await the day when I too shall vape Pluid from a sick nasty mod). Forgive my incorrect/inappropriate use of parenthesis.

 

[zapped]

One of my supervisors at work continually comes into the warehouse (where I work) and proclaims (very loudly) "HEY YOU CAN'T TAKE .... RIPS BACK HERE!! If you do you have to invite me!". I use a 500mah ego battery with a vivi nova 3.5 ml tank. He's not stupid and is obviously joking but that's probably the worst/silliest reaction I've had so far. My coworker vapes an iHybrid so he has to be careful (or rather chooses to be) not to fog the place out (though I enjoy the .... out of his Pluid clouds and anxiously await the day when I too shall vape Pluid from a sick nasty mod). Forgive my incorrect/inappropriate use of parenthesis.

Sounds pretty stupid to me. You might try catching him at a good time and tell him you dont appreciate him making a false connection between the two, especially since what youre doing is legal while the other isnt.