DOT Proposed Rule: No E-Cigs on Planes

[LuckyCharm]

I've been away for a while, but in case nobody's brought this up yet, here's a new proposed DOT rule explicitly banning e-cigs on aircraft.

Public comments are being solicited until Nov 14, 2011. Recommend everybody go there and comment -- keep it professional and informative!

Cheers,

~~Cheryl

 

[Credo]

Bump!

I can see why it might be rude to puff vape around in a small enclosed area.
On the other hand, I think this should be left up to the individual airlines to decide...not regulated by the DOT.

I can even see where individual passengers operating a heating element and battery in an air craft might cause problems some day.

What I can not tolerate is calling vaping SMOKING!

If they do ban the PV, it needs to be done 'seperately' from smoking.
vaping is NOT smoking, and we don't need to be lumped in that category.

Down on the ground, in terminals and airports...we need to be able to at least go somewhere and puff! No reason not to do this. Unlike smoking lounges, they don't have to bother with separate ventilation systems, litter, and other expensive stuff. The person doing the vaping just needs to be considerate and not puff vape into another's personal space!

Please make comments with logic in mind.
This isn't really about the right to whip out an e-cig and blow plumes of vape in your neighbor's face. It is about vaping being considered as one and the same as SMOKING by courts and policy makers for evermore.

So the bottom line is...if it gets banned for some reason, so be it. If it is considered SMOKING...we're headed for trouble on a grand scale....with health insurance, and so much more.

 

[Credo]

Bumping this because it seems pretty important to me.

 

[Fenix-T]

TBH, if I was a non vaper/smoker, I wouldn't want someone's clouds going by my face on a plane.

Edit: nvm, just seen what you're really upset about. Good luck with that.

 

[Credo]

Bump:

Fenix-T,

I dropped in on the DOT link and browsed many of the comments being left there. Many of them make good points from the extreme left of, "I should be able to do anything I want...anywhere I want...too many govt. regs...etc."

Very few focus on the danger of lumping lots of things under the same rule that don't really belong together.

Good luck indeed. We need it. Hope more folks drop a comment at the DOT link provided by the OP which drives home this point.

Vaping is NOT SMOKING. Hopefully the DOT will not try to ban them at all, and leave it up to individual airlines to decide on a policy (they already have the right to ask passengers not to vape if they so desire, why is a DOT rule needed?). If they must ban the PV, please have some convincing SAFETY reasons for the ban, and Keep it separate from smoking.

 

[LuckyCharm]

Oops, I should have mentioned that to comment, just go to the proposed rule itself and hit the big orange "Submit a Comment" button. (You may have also found that by unchecking the "Public Submission" box and pulling up the original proposed rule.)

Thanks!

 

[Neo]

Thanks for posting this. I filed a comment.

 

[OrthodoxAtheist]

From my own perspective, with my unit and juice, they would be absolutely clueless if I went to the bathroom for 2 minutes and had a quick chain vape. Consider those who stress out on planes and how this could help them relax. I understand not vaping away in the cabin consider, as mentioned in prior posts, planes nowadays are akin to chicken coups, but in the stalls or between cabins for a quick vape should be permitted. Its not like the vaping community is so vast that we'd cloud up the plane. Nonetheless, I'm not surprised. I expect vapers to be demonized just like smokers, but at least the medical community is starting to wake up to the logic in encouraging smokers to move over to vaping. They are the ones that are really key to helping people improve their health, wallet and happiness in supporting us. It isn't like the DOT has a history of good decisions anyway.

 

[LuckyCharm]

I know that one courageous soul actually vaped in a plane restroom one time and blew enough vape into the detector to set it off. I don't think any action was taken, though, because of course there would have been no "smoke smell" when the door was opened, and the crew may have just assumed the detector had malfunctioned. I think this could be avoided simply by not blowing massive clouds of vape directly into the detector, though.

Also, especially when everyone's asleep, it could be possible to "stealth vape" in your seat by doing it underneath a blanket and/or blowing the vape down your shirt or something. At any rate, it shouldn't be something to kick someone off a plane for, or arrest them, as would happen if you were smoking.

Cheers,

~~Cheryl

From my own perspective, with my unit and juice, they would be absolutely clueless if I went to the bathroom for 2 minutes and had a quick chain vape. Consider those who stress out on planes and how this could help them relax. I understand not vaping away in the cabin consider, as mentioned in prior posts, planes nowadays are akin to chicken coups, but in the stalls or between cabins for a quick vape should be permitted. Its not like the vaping community is so vast that we'd cloud up the plane. Nonetheless, I'm not surprised. I expect vapers to be demonized just like smokers, but at least the medical community is starting to wake up to the logic in encouraging smokers to move over to vaping. They are the ones that are really key to helping people improve their health, wallet and happiness in supporting us. It isn't like the DOT has a history of good decisions anyway.

 

[dee5]

You can also stealth vape simply by holding your breath for about 6 sec's after you vape, when you exhale no vapor will come out. My worry with this proposal is that they wouldn't allow e-cigs on board period. Then it wouldn't matter if you stealth vaped or not--- you ain't gettin' any if your kit is packed away in the belly of the beast!

 

[Credo]

You can also stealth vape simply by holding your breath for about 6 sec's after you vape, when you exhale no vapor will come out. My worry with this proposal is that they wouldn't allow e-cigs on board period. Then it wouldn't matter if you stealth vaped or not--- you ain't gettin' any if your kit is packed away in the belly of the beast!

Unless someone uses an e-cig to try to blow up a plane, they'll probably let you check it on no problem.
I've never had a problem carrying real smokes on board...lighters and matches vary however.

They do let laptops and cell phones on (also a lithium battery...).

It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out.

 

[dee5]

I've never had a problem vaping on a plane either......yet. If they are banned on flights though, I'm concerned that they won't let me carry mine on board and I sure as hell don't want it confiscated! Flying is such a PITA these days...

 

[Credo]

Bumping this. Nice to see the message count at the DOT rise

 

[Vocalek]

I know that one courageous soul actually vaped in a plane restroom one time and blew enough vape into the detector to set it off. I don't think any action was taken, though, because of course there would have been no "smoke smell" when the door was opened, and the crew may have just assumed the detector had malfunctioned. I think this could be avoided simply by not blowing massive clouds of vape directly into the detector, though.

Also, especially when everyone's asleep, it could be possible to "stealth vape" in your seat by doing it underneath a blanket and/or blowing the vape down your shirt or something. At any rate, it shouldn't be something to kick someone off a plane for, or arrest them, as would happen if you were smoking.

Cheers,

~~Cheryl

The big problem with this is that if DOT succeeds, getting caught vaping could result in a $2,000 fine. It's one thing to pay up that fine because you actually did introduce tar, particulates, carbon monoxide, and toxins into the cabin air. It's something else to pay up because "it looks like smoking."

So does standing outside on a cold day and breathing.

 

[Credo]

The big problem with this is that if DOT succeeds, getting caught vaping could result in a $2,000 fine. It's one thing to pay up that fine because you actually did introduce tar, particulates, carbon monoxide, and toxins into the cabin air. It's something else to pay up because "it looks like smoking."

So does standing outside on a cold day and breathing.

Thanks for pointing out the fine part. I had not browsed the finer points of the rule.

Another question. If the rule passes, and airlines are forced to 'enforce' this rule, are they also liable for the costs of enforcing it? Do they get a piece of that 'fine' (since they bear the initial burden of enforcing/reporting any rule enfractions)? In other words...who gets the proceeds from such 'fines'?

Amazing...you can still get your Bloody Mary on a plane....despite all of the evidence that alcohol can be hazardous to both the user and people around him. They can still serve scalding hot coffee despite multi-million dollar settlements over people being hurt preparing and consuming it in various vehicle types, but somehow this bit of water vapor is up for such a harsh OUTRIGHT ban?

Sorry if I sound like a broken record...but in my opinion:

First they need to pry the PV away from smoking and look at it independently of any other rule, device, or behavior.

Next, allow airlines to make their own policies on the devices for a while. I personally wouldn't mind paying a little more for a seat in a 'vaping friendly' area, and I'm sure many non-vapors wouldn't mind getting a slight discount to sit in a 'vapor friendly area' when overflow situations occur. Other viable solutions could even include policies similar to what many airlines do with alcoholic beverages, "If you buy it from our attendant (cartos, liquids, batteries, etc.), you can vape it on our plane (then they know and can control exactly what chemicals are in the things)."

IF it can be proven the devices and/or their use/possession is a SAFETY or HEALTH HAZARD, consider DOT level bans then. In the mean-time...it IS NOT SMOKING. That distinction needs to be made, and SOON.

 

[smuro04]

I posted a comment.

I basically relayed some of the information that I saw posted in this thread, mainly that smoking and vaping are not one and the same. Tried my best to keep it informative and professional.

 

[air1]

I posted a comment. Hope it's read.

 

[Antoly]

Once I was vaping right below a smoke detector in my home and got the alarm. If smoke detector reacts on air transparency no difference is smoke or vapor. Just be warned.

 

[dee5]

To heck with vaping in the bathroom "closet", vape in your seat! Just hold your breath, hold your breath, now let it out slowly while blowing down- no one will ever know.

 

[Sophey]

First they need to pry the PV away from smoking and look at it independently of any other rule, device, or behavior.

This is what bothers me most when it comes to all the bans. Smoking and vaping are not even close to the same thing.