Do NOT ask forum members to take up a collection for your bail. Here's something to read before you take off. This is on Crown 7's new blog:
Are CROWN 7 Products Airworthy?
June 20, 2008
At CROWN 7, were accustomed to answering questions from people about our line of
tobacco-free and smoke-free electronic cigarettes, cigars and pipes. A lot of questions. And, when were asked questions so often, it seems like we start to come up with a lot of questions of your own. Once in a while, those questions surface after reading news reports like the one below.
An unruly JetBlue passenger from Queens who lit up a cigarette mid-flight Tuesday forced the 145-passenger flight to be diverted after she became violent and uncooperative when asked to stop smoking. WCBSTV.com news report.
That news report prompted one CROWN 7 staffer to raise this question:
What might happen if an enthusiastic electronic cigarette aficionado took one of his
tobacco-free, smoke-free and flame-free CROWN 7 cigarettes aboard a U.S. commercial passenger aircraft and started to use it?
DISCLAIMER: No one associated with CROWN 7 recommends you attempt to enjoy any CROWN 7 product while aboard a passenger airliner. If, however, you insist on doing so, we think you should understand the possible consequences of your actions. The list of possible consequences includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Youll probably get yourself into a heap of trouble. In trouble with who? you ask. First of all, with the airlines flight crew members. Most crew members in particular, the flight attendants will, like most members of the general public, be unfamiliar with the concept of electronic cigarettes and the fact that they are tobacco-free and smoke-free and, did we mention flame-free products which rely upon rechargeable
batteries to function.
Youll probably need to hire yourself a good lawyer who may or may not be able to get you out of the above-mentioned heap of trouble. Why might I need a lawyer? you ask. Because, these days, everyone in the airline business treats people who break the rules or appear to be breaking the rules with iron fists. That means theyll probably take whatever actions are necessary up to and including having you arrested upon landing to prevent you from using your electronic cigarette.
Youll need to have a lot of free time and a lot of spare change to cover your legal expenses. Even if your lawyer cites the FAAs underlying safety rationale (i.e., smoking is prohibited in specific areas at all times to reduce the possibility of fire) for prohibiting smoking aboard commercial airliners, it will likely cost you a lot of time and money to fund your legal effort. And do you really want to become the first person to prove his actions were in keeping with the letter if not necessarily the spirit of the law as outlined in the above-referenced FAA regulation.
CONCLUSION: Until a much larger number of Americans including the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security and airline flight crew members become familiar with the CROWN 7 line of tobacco-free, smoke-free and flame-free electronic cigarettes, cigars and pipes, we recommend you take the following measures:
Light up your CROWN 7 only when youre on the ground; and if you cant go without your CROWN 7 for the length of time it would take your airline to get you to your next travel destination, drive your car. After all, youll probably pay less for high-priced gasoline than you will for a high-priced lawyer.