Have you ever encountered this brand of "anti-smoker"?

[Dudeonline]

Today I was vaping at the bus stop on my eGo, when this tiny old lady decided to sit right next to me. It was a bit windy out, so the vapor was blowing in her face a bit. All the sudden she looks me dead in the eye and starts coughing softly. I pay no mind. Then she coughs a bit louder. I look at her for a bit and go back to vaping. Then she comically starts doubling over with this ridiculous fake cough, and I can't help but laugh. She get so irate, and hits me with her pair of gloves and says "What's so funny, young man? I shall have you know I am sensitive to cigarette smoke!" It takes every bit of willpower to keep a straight face and explain to her that what was coming out of my lungs wasn't smoke, but water vapor. She just got this glazed over look about her, turns bright red, and sits there, quietly, without so much as her clearing her throat for the next 20 minutes while we wait for the bus. 12 hours later, and I'm still chuckling to myself about it.

Have any of you encountered this ridiculous species of anti-smoker?

 

[Baditude]

Actually, I can't really blame her reaction. She could maybe have asked you to not "smoke" near her, but she was trying to communicate this by her behavior. There was no way someone such as she could have known what you had was not a cigarette or smoke. There are people who are genuinely allergic to cigarette smoke. I consider what you did as being rather rude. No way would I have been so inconsiderate to stranger. Even if it wasn't smoke, some flavors' vapor can have an odor and can be offensive to others.

Not very funny to me.

I vape out in public myself. But I do it discreetly and am always mindful to not possibly offend anyone near me.

If I had been in your shoes (first of all I would not have been vaping so close to a stranger) and she started her act, I would have said do you realize that this is an electronic cigarette and that it is not smoke but actually water vapor. I would then ask her would she mind if I continued. If not, I would have moved.

 

[graybuck]

Disagree, I thought it was a little funny.

 

[kcr]

I know plenty of people who really are allergic to cigarette smoke, and they *love* e-cigs because there is no smoke.

To purposely sit down beside someone and assault them because you *think* they are smoking, when a) they were doing it before you sat down and you still choses to sit there, and b) there is quite obviously no smell of smoke to induce you into a hacking fit is, imho, pretty silly. It isn't that she was vothered by smoke, she was bothered by the appearance of smoking. You can't deal with people like that because they are irrational.

That being said, I wouldn't have laughed at her, I would have explained it to her, if given the chance, or simply ignored her and moved somewhere else.

but, yeah, I have people walk by an outdoor area (where no one was smoking an analog so there was no smell at all--except exhaust fumes) wave the air frantically, cough and say in a loud voice "I *hate* smokers and their awful, stinky smoke!"

I figure if someone is being rude and/or stupid, I don't need to get down in the muck and waller around with 'em;-)

 

[mitsuhashi]

While I do try to be discreet, I don't HIDE vaping. I don't blame OP at all. There are seriously a lot of people who say they can't stand your cigarette smoke, and that the "smoke" is killing them, when they actually don't smell a thing!

Gahh, I read an ingenious punchline this morning, but I forget from who. It went something along the lines of, "Lady, this is a FAKE cigarette! Even the SMOKE is FAKE!!"

 

[chloe2t]

To me, this story is pretty funny. I wouldn't want to blow the vapor in someone's face on purpose, and I'm also pretty leary of believing that the vapor that is blown out is ONLY h20 vapor because i dont know that all the nicotine is always absorbed- but still, FUNNY.

 

[McWhat]

I don't believe it's entirely water vapor either. I was pretty amused by the story. I've known a few nonsmokers who've looked at me all wide eyed and said "Wow, that smells pretty good" or something similar.

 

[hrlw817]

I would have asked first. If she said no, I would try and explain what vapor actually is. If she still said no or was uneasy about it, I would have not have vaped by her. I always ask people if it's ok if I vape, and if I have to, I explain what it is. My dad lets me vape in his house, most of my friends houses, and at work. I was at my uncles today and I asked him if it was ok, explained it to him and he was a little unsure about it. So I just went outside to vape, which is ok because for years, I was used to going over there and smoking outside. We in the vaping world still need to remember not everyone outside the vaping world knows what vaping is, let alone are comfortable with it.

 

[Dudeonline]

I would have asked first. If she said no, I would try and explain what vapor actually is. If she still said no or was uneasy about it, I would have not have vaped by her. I always ask people if it's ok if I vape, and if I have to, I explain what it is. My dad lets me vape in his house, most of my friends houses, and at work. I was at my uncles today and I asked him if it was ok, explained it to him and he was a little unsure about it. So I just went outside to vape, which is ok because for years, I was used to going over there and smoking outside. We in the vaping world still need to remember not everyone outside the vaping world knows what vaping is, let alone are comfortable with it.

Why would I need to ask permission to vape at a public bus stop when she clearly saw me doing it before she sat right down next to me, downwind of it no less?

That's a bit silly.

 

[lindsayfox]

According to at public places if public is going to discomfort with you vaping then you must not do that in front of them.But if the person is intelligent and understands that it is not smoking then you will be relieved and free to smoke.

 

[Matt M]

Even if you were smoking a cigarette:

1. You're outside, and perfectly within your rights to do so.
2. You were there first, if she's got an issue with smoking then she should have sat somewhere else.

I can't stand people like this.

On a side note. I'm pretty sure you cant be allergic to cigarette smoke. It might aggravate other allergies, but that's not the same thing.

 

[DietSalem]

Even if you were smoking a cigarette:

1. You're outside, and perfectly within your rights to do so.
2. You were there first, if she's got an issue with smoking then she should have sat somewhere else.

I can't stand people like this.

On a side note. I'm pretty sure you cant be allergic to cigarette smoke. It might aggravate other allergies, but that's not the same thing.

Well, no, you can't really be allergic to cigarette smoke. But, it's a hassle to always say "Smoke Allerigies" with the quotations. Everyone just refers to it as smoke allergies. Pretty much any doctor will tell you it's not REALLY an allergy, but it kinda works like one and smoke itself can cause allergy like symptoms in people with smoke "allergies". So, most people just call it smoke allergies. Kind of like how the word "Gay" eventually became what it became, only this time it's not offensive. Ha.

As for the story, I didn't particularly find it funny. This happens a lot, but whenever it does you should make sure to IMMEDIATELY tell them the very second they start doing a fake cough that "the reason you're having to do a fake cough instead of a real one is because this isn't smoke." and then hand them a CASAA card.

 

[Matt M]

"the reason you're having to do a fake cough instead of a real one is because this isn't smoke."

They're all fake coughers. The pubs/bars weren't full of people coughing before the smoking ban, and that was indoors. People do it because they can. They are holier than thou. However, in this situation, they fell on their ... because it turned out you weren't smoking. Point proven. People are stupid.

 

[rdean2954]

I'm with the OP, he was there first, she sat next to him and downwind for the sole purpose of causing a scene. Being a little old lady I'm sure she has learned she can use it to get away with her outbursts.

Just because she's old doesn't mean she is your angelic grandmother. Stupid people get old too.

 

[DietSalem]

They're all fake coughers. The pubs/bars weren't full of people coughing before the smoking ban, and that was indoors. People do it because they can. They are holier than thou. However, in this situation, they fell on their ... because it turned out you weren't smoking. Point proven. People are stupid.

I will say, I am nearing one year of being smoke free. Recently I sat in a basement with no ventilation at all with 30 smokers all smoking heavily for about 12 hours. It was hard to even see. I didn't cough even once, not at all. HOWEVER. The next day my lungs did hurt and I had a lot of phlegm like I used to when I was a smoker. I personally have a hard time believing second hand smoke can make someone actually cough unless they're breathing it in shotgun style or something.

 

[datacreek]

Hilarious. Anyone sympathetic to this woman is just reinforcing programmed insanity.

 

[Nurzrachit]

I bet you all would have gotten a huge laugh if he had thrown that poor little old lady under the bus tires. For shame.

 

[cocacola31173]

I know one time I was a casino sitting at the slots smoking. This lady sat next to me and within a few minutes the face making and the hand waving began. I tried to be nice and held the cig with my other hand. Finally she looked at me and said,,,"Could you please put that thing out!" I pointed to the other side of the casino and told her the no smoking section was right over there. Noone likes to play in the no smoking cause the slots never seem to hit. Needless to say she stayed where she was at LOL.

 

[Matt M]

I bet you all would have gotten a huge laugh if he had thrown that poor little old lady under the bus tires. For shame.

Haha! That might be a step too far, but her age doesn't mean she can be an ... just for the sake of it!

 

[Nurzrachit]

Haha! That might be a step too far, but her age doesn't mean she can be an ... just for the sake of it!

I was just kidding Matt. He should have put in a headlock and made her vape it to prove his point.