Electronic cigarette leads to unexpected landing in Norfolk

[maxx]

It's vague because you read too much into to it, I'm afraid. I wasn't proposing anything and property rights never entered into it in my thoughts at all. I am simply cautioning. If we want people to treat vapers differently than smokers...then we will have to speak up when they do lump it all together. That's not an uprising, it's simply trying to get the facts out there. Now this airplane fellow chose a bad place to do it. Had he done it in a bar or resturant...would everyone still want his head on a platter? No...we would be supporting him. Bad judgement on his part on location.

But it should be noted that we really don't have any facts on this case. For all we know, it was an e-cig that provoked the encounter, but it could have been a verbal threat following that caused the real trouble. It might even be an over-active imagination on the part of the flight attendent. Could be another grab a beer and pull the escape shute attendant, like before. Who knows....

 

[Adrenalynn]

Had he done it in a bar and refused to cease or depart, I'm not entirely sure "we would all be supporting him".

I'm unsure how I read too much into the statements: "there is going to come a time when we will have to get in someone's face" and "We need to be very stingy on giving inches now"

 

[Mary Kay]

I know. I just used you as a foil for getting to the eventual face stabbing of Maroons in my rant. Sorry - you gave me the opening and it was just too big to resist! On the up-side, you play a good "straightman".

So you get to be "Top Banana?" My Abbot to your Costello? LOL I will take it!

 

[JenJen]

I was a closet smoker - believe it or not, but many people who knew me had no idea I smoked. I chewed gum and put on a soft delicate lotion after smoking. I am a bit more open about vaping, but still only vape where smoking is allowed. That is just the way I am. (Although I do vape in my house and car - while I did not smoke inside).

Do I think we should stand up for our rights to vape? Absolutely! Do I think shoving it in peoples faces and making them accept it, even to the point of being rude or obnoxious about it is a good idea? No way. People doing that are only making things more difficult for the rest of us. I am taking a 8 hour plane trip to San Juan Puerto Rico this spring and I plan to vape discreetly in the airports (even if that means heading to the restroom) and while in flight, I will probably make my way to use the rest room a few times for a few calming puffs off my Vapor King. I just don't think pushing a point in a rude fashion is going to help us in our battle... on the contrary, it will hurt us all.

 

[plantlvr]

I agree totally with JenJen, vaping looks like smoking to non-smokers and if you become rude or nasty about it, then us 'smokers' are scum like they think.
Being polite and resepctful seems to becoming a lost art....

 

[Adrenalynn]

Be cautious of the particulate detectors, JenJen. Holding it for absorption into the lungs or using the negative pressure toilets to evacuate the exhale would be recommended. Setting off that detector would ruin your trip.

MK - isn't the "straightman" usually the defacto top-banana of the duo/group?

 

[Beachlover]

I didn't read all of the comments but I think we as pv users should also show some kind of respect if we don't want e-cigarettes to be against the law. A lot of people don't even know about e-cigarettes and those who try to make us a superior group will ruin e-cigarettes for the rest of us who are looking for a healthier way not to smoke regualr cigarettes.

 

[maxx]

I'm unsure how I read too much into the statements: "there is going to come a time when we will have to get in someone's face" and "We need to be very stingy on giving inches now"

Well....I seriously doubt anyone else on this forum read "property rights" into that....LOL

But I know you....and your wavelength is unlike most of us...and that's a good thing most of the time.

For me personally...when someone persists on accusing me of smoking, I am going to correct them. Even if that means getting in their face to do it and adjusting my volume to the situation. How else are people going to learn if we don't educate them? I am also smart enough not to do it while on an airborne plane....which is the one place in this country where the Constitution is essentially suspended.

 

[JenJen]

hehehe! No worries about that, I plan to hold it in to minimize exhale, and exhale into my shirt.

Was reading the comments to that news story...

rh1601 said on January 24, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Gee how did such a dangerous device make it past the strip search and x-ray? what's next no gum? I've been stuck beside a woman who's perfume was worse than a cigar. And they wonder why no one wants to fly?

 

[biidaaban]

When asked if i can vape anywhere, i tell ppl that i can safely. However i only vape in places where smoking is still allowed. In my state that would be casinos. Both of my doctors enocouraged me to vape in their offices and basically said the same thing.

It's not the nicotine that kills you, nicotine isn't the worst addition out there. It's all the crud you put out there when you light up.

My family makes fun of me for using terms like vaping and analog, but i'm trying to make a very clear distinction between sharing 7-10 minutes 7,000 carcinogens and sharing for a fraction of a second 99% water 1% nicotine/flavor. i think i'm going to call me e-cig, my e-vape from now on. ppl are so weird.

 

[Adrenalynn]

But I know you....and your wavelength is unlike most of us...and that's a good thing most of the time.

I'm tossing you softballs here. Underhand slow-pitch. Wait until you meet an... antimilitant militant(?) on the field of battle.

 

[maxx]

...and everyone knocked out of the park....LOL

Transcript from flight:

Loudmouth Passenger: Excuse me stewardess, that man over there is smoking. It's disgusting. I demand you do something.

Attendant: We aren't called "stewardesses" anymore, ma'am. We are flight attendants.

Loudmouth Passenger: Well whatever you want to call yourself, you should do your job or I will never fly this airline again. You know I visit my sister every year and I will spend my money elsewhere.

Attendant: I will take care of it ma'am.

Now attendant is irritated and proceeds up to the vper dude....

Attendant: Sir please put out that cigarette immediately. You cannot smoke on an airplane. How dumb are you?

Vaper Dude: I am not dumb and this is not a cigarette. You see it is just abattery, with a...

Attendant: I saw you smoking sir. I could see it and so can the other passengers.

Vaper Dude: No, you don't understand, it's not smoke its vapor like steam from a cup of...

Attendant: Put it out now sir, or I will notify the captain and you will be arrested.

Vaper Dude: There's no need to escalate this, I was just trying to explain what this is. There's a battery and some wires and some fluid. You don't light it.

Attendant rushes to the cockpit...

Attendant: Captain, we have a passenger in 11-B with a battery, wires and fluid and is threatening to light.

Captain: Norfolk Center, Norfolk Center....we have an emergency onboard. Request immediate landing.


Seriously....how do we know it didn't go down like this....

 

[SnowDragon]

You're spot-on-target as to what transpired on the airplane itself and the airlines response Lynn.

This guy could have been blowing bubbles, playing the harmonica, the possibilities are endless. The fact is the passenger was asked to stop and instead of cooperating became argumentative. This has everything to do with property rights and very little, if nothing to do with vaping or e-cigarettes. Like I mentioned earlier, the fact that this story involved an E-cigarette is unfortunate, but certainly not the focal point of the story.

If there is any issue here it is the coverage of the incident itself.

The headline, "Electronic cigarette leads to unexpected landing in Norfolk" certainly is misleading since it was an uncooperative passenger that led to the unexpected landing. If the passenger had simply stopped when asked, this would have been a non-story and the plane would not have been diverted. The fact that the issue stemmed from the use of an e-cigarette is secondary, the plane was diverted due to a disruptive passenger.

Then adding to the story:

"However, the FDA has issued a warning about the devices. The government says they are highly addictive and contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals.

The American Medical Association believes they should be classified as drug delivery devices"

One only needs to look at the only company which ran the news story WVEC. WVEC is located in the 3rd largest tobacco producing state of Virginia. Virginia just happens to be the home state of Phillip Morris USA, is it just a coincidence that there is an added slant to this story?????

I don't think so

 

[MsOceanCity]

This is precisely why I don't vape in public places anymore. The way they referred to it as "refused to put it out" and "Light up" shows that no amount of explanation can make another individual understand...or listen in the first place.

Vaping on a plane, in my opinion, is only asking for trouble. With the increased security at airports lately, people's general unwillingness to open their mind to new ideas, it was a poor decision on his/her part. If you must vape, go to the bathroom or hold it in your lungs and steath. The flight attendant shouldn't be forced to explain to each and every passenger what the substance resembling smoke is. Smokers have survived for many years with no nicotine on flights.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree completely, Kimmy!

 

[maxx]

This link was posted in the news forum:

Plane lands in Norf. due to e-cigarette | WAVY.com | Norfolk, Va.

It states "Federal agents said they will not charge the passenger."

That tells me that authorities and the airline overreacted to incident...and just want it to go away.

 

[Luma]

Heres my response...

 

[Clover~]

has anyone read the two new comments under the original article? A commenter compared an e-cig to crack...