First time vaping in a pub

[soundasleep]

Hi all from down under!

A few weeks ago I was travelling through regional Victoria for work (if you've never been to Oz, think large stretchs of nothing but brown land and the occasional pub). I stayed at two difference hotels and had dinner at a different restaurant each night (except for the last as I was buggered and went room service).

I "stealthed" in every one and didn't have a single problem. I figure if you're not being a .... and blowing huge amounts of vapor, nobody complains.

I have noticed that Aussies seem less inclined to ask questions than the Yanks seem too, but the only thing that happened was a slightly odd look from one of the waitresses until she obviously realized it wasn't a ciggie (lack of sidestream and obvious LED give-aways) she went back to what she was doing and didn't say a word to me.

Last week I vaped away at the Kylie Minogue concert, and the no-smoking multi-story car park afterwards and again, a couple of brief odd looks, and that was as far as it went!

 

[fsroq]

Thats a nice country where people mind their own business and are not looking around to find something they could complain about.

 

[Uncle Willie]

Living in a State that has had a smoking ban now for some time, and being new to the PV scene in the last 90 days, I stopped thinking about smoking in bars and restaurants a few years back .. have not really thought about toking a PV in public for that reason ..

Anything that produces what looks like smoke is going to, at some point, draw attention to you if you are in a non-smoking area .. thus, even some cig smokers may be ...... that you're "breaking the law" .. since they may not know, or even care, what you are REALLY smoking ..

Better to stay on the side of caution, IMO .. and avoid a possible confrontation .. after all, most seem to be using a PV as a more healthful alternative to the real thing, so not toking up in a banned area may be denying you a nico fix for the moment, but it does keep the blood pressure down on the non-PV educated crowd ..

 

[soundasleep]

Great points there. When you think about it, the only real difference between a Nicobate Inhaler and a PV is the visable "smoke". I totally understand that unless you've been exposed to vaping before (and the majority of the population hasn't) you see vapor and you think it's smoke.

That was my point about not acting like a ..... I'd never use my Provari in a restaurant since I know I have almost no chance of controlling the fog it puts out. A 510-T on the other hand, or even an eGo is a lesser extent, is much easier to hide. All the restaurants I vaped in, to others it looked more like I kept sucking on a black straw, rather than a ciggie. Always breathed out through my nose, so nothing really visable from more than a table away and most importantly - no smell.

Here in Aus, JuiceWhore is the Queen of ejuices so I know my fog does smell like a popular chocolate bar (mwahaha!) but it gets lost in the much stronger food smells already present.

Don't get me wrong, I love blowing massive clouds of fog - at home. Most of my friends don't mind if I vape at their houses since I stealth like in restaurants. We need to remember that "everybody else" doesn't know what the hell we are doing. It's bad enough that the eGo cases I carry my vials, attys and cartos is just a syringe shy of looking like a drug kit!

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

I love that. Thats the kind of thing we should be doing.

Then, what is NVC?

Where can you get these cards?

National vapers club:
National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!

I dont know where to get the cards, I picked mine up at the philly vapefest.

 

[fsroq]

National vapers club:
National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!

I dont know where to get the cards, I picked mine up at the philly vapefest.

Thank you for the information. Must have a look at NVC. Maybee I am going to print my own information card, to hand it out to some people who are looking at a strange way to me when vaping. Do you still have one, Would love if you could scan it and send me a copy to my email.

 

[fsroq]

Great points there. When you think about it, the only real difference between a Nicobate Inhaler and a PV is the visable "smoke". I totally understand that unless you've been exposed to vaping before (and the majority of the population hasn't) you see vapor and you think it's smoke.

That was my point about not acting like a ..... I'd never use my Provari in a restaurant since I know I have almost no chance of controlling the fog it puts out. A 510-T on the other hand, or even an eGo is a lesser extent, is much easier to hide. All the restaurants I vaped in, to others it looked more like I kept sucking on a black straw, rather than a ciggie. Always breathed out through my nose, so nothing really visable from more than a table away and most importantly - no smell.

Here in Aus, JuiceWhore is the Queen of ejuices so I know my fog does smell like a popular chocolate bar (mwahaha!) but it gets lost in the much stronger food smells already present.

Don't get me wrong, I love blowing massive clouds of fog - at home. Most of my friends don't mind if I vape at their houses since I stealth like in restaurants. We need to remember that "everybody else" doesn't know what the hell we are doing. It's bad enough that the eGo cases I carry my vials, attys and cartos is just a syringe shy of looking like a drug kit!

I have a simple madvapes VV box, not exactly beautifull, lol. Sometimes when going to bars/restaurants, I take that with me to make it very clear to people just looking at it, that it can be anything except of a cigaret. That helps a lot to avoid the non smoker nazis to put themselves in red alert.

 

[soundasleep]

I like your logic there. Sounds like a great idea that works.

Maybe we need more boxmods and eGos and less 510 and similar analogue replicas. Except of course it's the later that appeal to so many smokers. Oh the irony!

 

[fsroq]

It would be perfect, if not my wife is telling me all the time how rediculous it looks with the box.
But then I feel myself very well compensated, every time she has to leave outside to smoke a cigaret because she can´t resist anymore. Lol.

 

[MASTER0FDAMPF]

Thank you for the information. Must have a look at NVC. Maybee I am going to print my own information card, to hand it out to some people who are looking at a strange way to me when vaping. Do you still have one, Would love if you could scan it and send me a copy to my email.

This was the best I could do from work...hopefully it helps.

 

[tomadc]

DIYFlavorshack has a pretty good statement on the back of their business cards. I will post when I get home.

 

[brittanyNI]

Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

I made that mistake with the first business I started -- I went to the town and asked if it would be okay. Several months later they still didn't know the answer so when I started it up anyway I had already established the precedent of acceptance of their authority and they told me I couldn't until I got their ok.

I think it is worthwhile to consider that there are some other elements to smoking bans besides fear of second-hand smoke.

On the one hand are people who believe smokers are enjoying themselves and simply cannot bear the thought of someone experiencing a purely selfish pleasure. On the other hand are those who want smokers to be "punished" for their iniquity; and making them go hours upon hours without a cigarette in airports and stuff like that is seen to be well-deserved punishment that serves them right!

In either of these cases, the people will object to using an e-cigarette EVEN THOUGH it does absolutely no harm to outside parties.

Long before there was a body of research about the dangers of tobacco and second-hand smoke; many religions forbade the practice and rules pertaining to it were even included in Emily Post's Etiquette. There is an element of society that simply sees smoking as sinful in its own right. Even though they have seized upon the current data about second-hand smoke as justification; it is really only justification. Either they dislike your selfish pleasure or they feel you are sinful and deserve punishment.

Vaping evades these people by skirting a law they erected under the guise of public safety to punish you. So even though vaping circumvents the official justification for such laws; it does not escape the scrutiny of the REAL reason many people advocate them.

So I never ask permission. Asking permission is granting authority they might not have. If someone gives me static, I explain myself and then will put it away IF required.

 

[scinsc]

Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

I made that mistake with the first business I started -- I went to the town and asked if it would be okay. Several months later they still didn't know the answer so when I started it up anyway I had already established the precedent of acceptance of their authority and they told me I couldn't until I got their ok.

I think it is worthwhile to consider that there are some other elements to smoking bans besides fear of second-hand smoke.

On the one hand are people who believe smokers are enjoying themselves and simply cannot bear the thought of someone experiencing a purely selfish pleasure. On the other hand are those who want smokers to be "punished" for their iniquity; and making them go hours upon hours without a cigarette in airports and stuff like that is seen to be well-deserved punishment that serves them right!

In either of these cases, the people will object to using an e-cigarette EVEN THOUGH it does absolutely no harm to outside parties.

Long before there was a body of research about the dangers of tobacco and second-hand smoke; many religions forbade the practice and rules pertaining to it were even included in Emily Post's Etiquette. There is an element of society that simply sees smoking as sinful in its own right. Even though they have seized upon the current data about second-hand smoke as justification; it is really only justification. Either they dislike your selfish pleasure or they feel you are sinful and deserve punishment.

Vaping evades these people by skirting a law they erected under the guise of public safety to punish you. So even though vaping circumvents the official justification for such laws; it does not escape the scrutiny of the REAL reason many people advocate them.

So I never ask permission. Asking permission is granting authority they might not have. If someone gives me static, I explain myself and then will put it away IF required.

Just a great post! I agree one bizillion percent.

 

[earthpig]

Yeah^
As their chowing down on a piece of pie after they stuffed themselves full of a 4 course meal minutes before, they want me to not enjoy myself.
I have no mercy and vape, but then again, I do so as to not blow a odored vapor their direction, and I spare doing so in front of the children, and may stealth vape at that time.
BUT I Do Do So in restaurants, and if told to stop, I won't return to their establishment.
AND I want to hear I can't from ownership, not some flunky manager who may have a bone to pick (the owner has a financial stake, not the manager).

I don't forget so quickly as they put in place smoking bans, and shoved us outside under tents(if available) in the Chicago winter (down to -30 deg). So we are stared at as a waste product and second hand citizens through a restaurant/pub window as we suffer.
All this and knowing with proper ionization aircleaners the whole point can be mute, but the powers that be in political circles weren't using logic...just emotions and bad data.
AND all of this while taxing us upwards to 10X the price of the initial product, for our sins.

Do I sound bitter?

 

[soundasleep]

Do I sound bitter?

Yes, but I doubt any smoker or ex-smoker will question your logic for a second.

 

[earthpig]

It is just that I won't be easily sent outside in the cold again, or put up with the 10X over cost tax base.
I will get proactive and somewhat vocal (but respectable in the process).

 

[garryt]

Unfortunately, there are now pubs / restaurants in the UK displaying signs such as "no smoking, INCLUDING e-cigs"
They really annoy me. They have .....ed and moaned about the loss in trade since the smoking ban, but will not allow e-cigs.

If they will not even allow e-cigs, then in my opinion they can get stuffed and will not get my business - in fact, I hope they go bust!!

Any pub / restaurant that allows e-cigs would get my business back and that would mean probably £150+ from me alone per month. Do the want to survive or not?.....

 

[earthpig]

When Illinois placed in a smoking ban, the business losses along with a dwindling economy drove ~ 20-30% of the bar/restaurants out of business. On top of it, the Bar Restaurant Assoc. made no attempt in Illinois to fight the ban. Since i lived 10 miles way from the Wisconsin border, we would just go up there.
It was almost comical (but sad) when we could sit in a restaurant in Wisconsin and litterally lok across the street at a empty and starving business in Illinois. Their B/R Assoc fought tooth and nail in Wisc, as did all of the business owners, and they held in for ~ 2 more years before they finally lost.
They in turn would get my business after the fact for at least the owners making an attempt and putting up the fight. They did what they could.

Now with e-cigs I won't bother with anyplace that refuses me the ability to vape. I don't ask first, since it gives the folks an opportunity to think about it, and when I have asked I was refused in the past (won't visit there again). It' only happened once.
In general, I vape everywhere. I've never been asked to stop. I don't make a spectacle of myself and i don't blow vape at folks, since some do have odors some might not appreciate, wether safe or not.

Bottom line is, I find when I make an attempt to ask it has a chance to be refused.
When I just start up, no one has ever called me on it. In fact the opposite happens and waitresses (who were 70% smokers in restaurants) ask questions and I let them try one.

Coffee refills and service has been excellent, since they get to play with em.

 

[soundasleep]

Unfortunately, there are now pubs / restaurants in the UK displaying signs such as "no smoking, INCLUDING e-cigs"
They really annoy me. They have .....ed and moaned about the loss in trade since the smoking ban, but will not allow e-cigs.

That makes no sense at all. Vapor isn't smoke so it's not covered by smoking bands (I'm assuming here the English laws are similar to the ones here in Australia or New Zealand).

Let me get this straight: pub owners are complaining about losing sales due to the smoking ban, and then VOLUNTARYLY extend the ban to cover a device that is "safe" to by-standers. Yep, makes perfect sense.

I agree with the last few posters, don't ask permission (beg forgiveness if necessary). I'm yet to have a problem and I think if I did, and even after an explaination was asked to stop, I just wouldn't go back there. Aussie's tend to be pretty laid back though...

 

[garryt]

I agree mate.
These idiots beggar belief sometimes.

We have a group of people that we regularly socialise with. We would go out for a meal twice a month to the same restaurant and prob spend £300 collectively between us each time (£600 per month)

This ended with the smoking ban, so they lost £600 per month. They will now not allow e-cigs, so we will still not go. Basically by not allowing the e-cigs they are still losing £600 per month which they could have got back by allowing them!!

Idiots, if they go bust I'll laugh..........