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

[JENerationX]

Some of you clearly didn't read the thread. Had the OP sat down next to her and started blowing vapor in her face, I would agree that it puts vapers in a bad light and would consider it rude. He didn't. There were other places to sit, she chose to sit next to him and from what I can surmise she was looking for a fight. When her "cough cough" was proved invalid, she was unhappy. If we allow someone to tell us what we can and can not do in a public place, where there are plenty of other places to sit, then we're basically saying that there's something wrong with what we're doing.

 

[eagarcia123]

thats quite rude of her lol.... there were other ways of addressing that she didnt want smoke or vapor all up in her face.
if I was in your shoes, I would have provari-slapped her and took a vape right after that

 

[45root]

Some of you clearly didn't read the thread. Had the OP sat down next to her and started blowing vapor in her face, I would agree that it puts vapers in a bad light and would consider it rude. He didn't. There were other places to sit, she chose to sit next to him and from what I can surmise she was looking for a fight. When her "cough cough" was proved invalid, she was unhappy. If we allow someone to tell us what we can and can not do in a public place, where there are plenty of other places to sit, then we're basically saying that there's something wrong with what we're doing.

Thats how I see it. plus from another post he addded explaining how the bus stop is set up, he is sitting outside of the little enclosed are because he is "kind of claustrophobic." So I agree it seems she came looking for him. Kinda like when my GF asks me a question knowing what the answer is just so we will argue.

It just seems sometimes people pick a side and run with it instead of reading the situation.

 

[Orobas]

Everybody's mad.

 

[RANGERmsr]

Haha....Orobas, now I want popcorn!

 

[Robino1]

Very interesting thread. OP, I bet you didn't see this coming, did you?

I can see both sides that are being presented here.
Could it have been handled a tiny bit differently? Sure.
Was the lady wrong in what she did? Yes.
Could SHE have handled it differently? Yes.
Are we human in that we make mistakes? Absolutely

What is done is done. Maybe some lessons to be learned in this debate: Do stand up for your rights, do it in a respectful way. At the first sign of coughing, maybe it should have been addressed right away before it escalated to the degree where someone thought they had the right to hit someone with a pair of gloves. It could have gone something like this:

Lady: "cough" "Cough"
Vaper: "Are you ok, Mam?"
Lady: "Your smoke is bothering me!"
Vaper: "It's not smoke. This is my ______ and I use it because ______. It is only vapor coming out to trick my body into thinking that it is smoking. I couldn't see me killing myself with cigarettes anymore and I don't want to hurt my loved ones by the second hand smoke."

Ideally the lady would then be more informed of what was actually happening and might pass the information on to others.

That would have been the ideal outcome. Who knows if it would have turned out that way or not. One can only hope.

Just my

 

[Dudeonline]

Very interesting thread. OP, I bet you didn't see this coming, did you?

I can see both sides that are being presented here.
Could it have been handled a tiny bit differently? Sure.
Was the lady wrong in what she did? Yes.
Could SHE have handled it differently? Yes.
Are we human in that we make mistakes? Absolutely

What is done is done. Maybe some lessons to be learned in this debate: Do stand up for your rights, do it in a respectful way. At the first sign of coughing, maybe it should have been addressed right away before it escalated to the degree where someone thought they had the right to hit someone with a pair of gloves. It could have gone something like this:

Lady: "cough" "Cough"
Vaper: "Are you ok, Mam?"
Lady: "Your smoke is bothering me!"
Vaper: "It's not smoke. This is my ______ and I use it because ______. It is only vapor coming out to trick my body into thinking that it is smoking. I couldn't see me killing myself with cigarettes anymore and I don't want to hurt my loved ones by the second hand smoke."

Ideally the lady would then be more informed of what was actually happening and might pass the information on to others.

That would have been the ideal outcome. Who knows if it would have turned out that way or not. One can only hope.

Just my

When I first started vaping this is exactly what I did. Instead of understanding, I am met with either blank stares, or someone trying to beat me down with their own brand of ignorance. These days when I encounter these types of people I keep my mouth shut...most of the time.

Usually the fake coughers, if ignored, move on to whatever they were doing before they saw me, or they just say some flippant comment and walk off. I have never once, not once, met anyone that went so far as Granny Crabapple. But, hey, I suppose my "ignore them and they'll go away" approach won't work every time.

My point is, I tried what you, and others have suggested. I guess I'm just in a city where that approach does not work for most, so I have found other means of handling situations.

Words below this line don't necessarily apply to anyone in particular.

It seems that some folks in this thread have gotten the wrong idea about me. I don't vape in private places such as bars, grocery stores, restaurant, etc... unless I ask for permission, or I sneak a vape in the bathroom.

In this situation I DID NOT blow vapor in her face. I DID NOT sit on the bus bench. I sat on the far end of the 20ft half-wall, and she sat right next to me, downwind of my vape, and I was vaping far before she even got there, so she did see very well what I was doing before she sat down. Am I completely innocent in this situation? No. I could have stifled my laughter, but I have a feeling that it would have done nothing to diffuse the situation anyway.

Yeah. I stood up to an old lady. Why is that so wrong? People under 50 aren't the only ones that can be bullies, and this woman was definitely trying to bully me mentally and emotionally, and when that didn't work, she took the physical route. Old folks aren't always harmless, and intelligence and insight doesn't necessarily come with age. IMO, labelling me as the one in the wrong simply because I'm younger is just as ignorant as some of the things ANTZ believe. People of all ages can be bullies, people of all ages can display massive amounts of ignorance, and I don't care if you live longer than Methuselah, you have no right to assault anyone without provocation. period.

 

[Robino1]

When I first started vaping this is exactly what I did. Instead of understanding, I am met with either blank stares, or someone trying to beat me down with their own brand of ignorance. These days when I encounter these types of people I keep my mouth shut...most of the time.

Usually the fake coughers, if ignored, move on to whatever they were doing before they saw me, or they just say some flippant comment and walk off. I have never once, not once, met anyone that went so far as Granny Crabapple. But, hey, I suppose my "ignore them and they'll go away" approach won't work every time.

My point is, I tried what you, and others have suggested. I guess I'm just in a city where that approach does not work for most, so I have found other means of handling situations.

Words below this line don't necessarily apply to anyone in particular.

It seems that some folks in this thread have gotten the wrong idea about me. I don't vape in private places such as bars, grocery stores, restaurant, etc... unless I ask for permission, or I sneak a vape in the bathroom.

In this situation I DID NOT blow vapor in her face. I DID NOT sit on the bus bench. I sat on the far end of the 20ft half-wall, and she sat right next to me, downwind of my vape, and I was vaping far before she even got there, so she did see very well what I was doing before she sat down. Am I completely innocent in this situation? No. I could have stifled my laughter, but I have a feeling that it would have done nothing to diffuse the situation anyway.

Yeah. I stood up to an old lady. Why is that so wrong? People under 50 aren't the only ones that can be bullies, and this woman was definitely trying to bully me mentally and emotionally, and when that didn't work, she took the physical route. Old folks aren't always harmless, and intelligence and insight doesn't necessarily come with age. IMO, labelling me as the one in the wrong simply because I'm younger is just as ignorant as some of the things ANTZ believe. People of all ages can be bullies, people of all ages can display massive amounts of ignorance, and I don't care if you live longer than Methuselah, you have no right to assault anyone without provocation. period.

I hear you loud and clear. By no means was I even thinking that you were this way all the time. I don't know you at all All I know is the situation as it was presented. My only thought was of any way to diffuse the situation before it became physical on the lady's part. (if someone reads this without reading the whole thread they are going to say "What happened?!?" ) Yes, ignorance and stupidity have no age limits. I have encountered older people that are just miserable to deal with. They are miserable in their own life so they want others to be miserable too. There really isn't anything you can do that will make them happy.

If you ever have the chance to see that person again, you should smile, say hi. Maybe do a little wave with your PV. Then leave it. After a while, you might be surprised that you have worn them down with kindness. I had been able to do that with a certain client in a salon that I worked at (receptionist) This person was so miserable and grumpy. She was a weekly client. It took me two months to get her to say hi back to me. By the time I left that job, I was the only person she would allow to make her appointments.

Sometimes older people are very lonely and bitter.

 

[RANGERmsr]

When I first started vaping this is exactly what I did. Instead of understanding, I am met with either blank stares, or someone trying to beat me down with their own brand of ignorance. These days when I encounter these types of people I keep my mouth shut...most of the time.

Usually the fake coughers, if ignored, move on to whatever they were doing before they saw me, or they just say some flippant comment and walk off. I have never once, not once, met anyone that went so far as Granny Crabapple. But, hey, I suppose my "ignore them and they'll go away" approach won't work every time.

My point is, I tried what you, and others have suggested. I guess I'm just in a city where that approach does not work for most, so I have found other means of handling situations.

Words below this line don't necessarily apply to anyone in particular.

It seems that some folks in this thread have gotten the wrong idea about me. I don't vape in private places such as bars, grocery stores, restaurant, etc... unless I ask for permission, or I sneak a vape in the bathroom.

In this situation I DID NOT blow vapor in her face. I DID NOT sit on the bus bench. I sat on the far end of the 20ft half-wall, and she sat right next to me, downwind of my vape, and I was vaping far before she even got there, so she did see very well what I was doing before she sat down. Am I completely innocent in this situation? No. I could have stifled my laughter, but I have a feeling that it would have done nothing to diffuse the situation anyway.

Yeah. I stood up to an old lady. Why is that so wrong? People under 50 aren't the only ones that can be bullies, and this woman was definitely trying to bully me mentally and emotionally, and when that didn't work, she took the physical route. Old folks aren't always harmless, and intelligence and insight doesn't necessarily come with age. IMO, labelling me as the one in the wrong simply because I'm younger is just as ignorant as some of the things ANTZ believe. People of all ages can be bullies, people of all ages can display massive amounts of ignorance, and I don't care if you live longer than Methuselah, you have no right to assault anyone without provocation. period.

I'm with you on this one. Whether we are 1 or 100, we are people. What she done simply wasn't acceptable IMO. I have to admit you probably handled this better than I would have, but now I'm "on guard" for a situation like this, and I thank you for sharing. Maybe I won't disgrace us vapers if this happens to me. Although I don't necessarily believe in "an eye for an eye" I have found that sometimes people don't understand things unless you present to them the same way they presented to you. So I would have been "tempted" to tell her "to move,and mind your own business". My luck would have been she would have "knifed" me instead of "gloved" me though. "LOOK OUT SHES GOT A PAIRING KNIFE"

 

[Jfresh859]

When I first started vaping this is exactly what I did. Instead of understanding, I am met with either blank stares, or someone trying to beat me down with their own brand of ignorance. These days when I encounter these types of people I keep my mouth shut...most of the time.

Usually the fake coughers, if ignored, move on to whatever they were doing before they saw me, or they just say some flippant comment and walk off. I have never once, not once, met anyone that went so far as Granny Crabapple. But, hey, I suppose my "ignore them and they'll go away" approach won't work every time.

My point is, I tried what you, and others have suggested. I guess I'm just in a city where that approach does not work for most, so I have found other means of handling situations.

Words below this line don't necessarily apply to anyone in particular.

It seems that some folks in this thread have gotten the wrong idea about me. I don't vape in private places such as bars, grocery stores, restaurant, etc... unless I ask for permission, or I sneak a vape in the bathroom.

In this situation I DID NOT blow vapor in her face. I DID NOT sit on the bus bench. I sat on the far end of the 20ft half-wall, and she sat right next to me, downwind of my vape, and I was vaping far before she even got there, so she did see very well what I was doing before she sat down. Am I completely innocent in this situation? No. I could have stifled my laughter, but I have a feeling that it would have done nothing to diffuse the situation anyway.

Yeah. I stood up to an old lady. Why is that so wrong? People under 50 aren't the only ones that can be bullies, and this woman was definitely trying to bully me mentally and emotionally, and when that didn't work, she took the physical route. Old folks aren't always harmless, and intelligence and insight doesn't necessarily come with age. IMO, labelling me as the one in the wrong simply because I'm younger is just as ignorant as some of the things ANTZ believe. People of all ages can be bullies, people of all ages can display massive amounts of ignorance, and I don't care if you live longer than Methuselah, you have no right to assault anyone without provocation. period.

Dude I agree. I work with seniors for a living, and to be honest, all some if these people fill their time up with is being miserable. She should have stayed away if it bothered her, she didn't.
This guy didn't beat this elderly woman up did he? Did he knock her around any, no. It is in fact funny that she's coughing from "smoke" and there was in fact no "smoke". I would have lmfao for sure.
She was in the wrong.
Laughing was wrong, but it's not a crime, and if something is funny, I tend to laugh...
Just my 3 bucks worth I guess.

 

[Caridwen]

Dude I agree. I work with seniors for a living, and to be honest, all some if these people fill their time up with is being miserable. She should have stayed away if it bothered her, she didn't.
This guy didn't beat this elderly woman up did he? Did he knock her around any, no. It is in fact funny that she's coughing from "smoke" and there was in fact no "smoke". I would have lmfao for sure.
She was in the wrong.
Laughing was wrong, but it's not a crime, and if something is funny, I tend to laugh...
Just my 3 bucks worth I guess.

Odds are if they're miserable seniors, they we always miserable.

The irony of someone sitting at a bus stop breathing bus/car fumes complaining about vaping is pretty funny.

 

[GoneWiththeWind]

when i vape in public-i blow away from people and use discretion in order to avoid any hassels. if i get a funny look/response i simply explain that its an electronic cig, not the real thing. 2 years and not a problem yet.

no-that is not water vapor we are exhaling. when i vape against my heater/fan and the vapor hits my face-my eyes tear. same reaction from my son if he sits close to me.

 

[kristin]

We used to go into this little corner bar where just about everyone smoked, including the staff. It was always packed and fun. There were other bars in the area that chose to be smoke-free that people bothered by smoke could go. But that wasn't enough for them. They wanted the "right" to go anywhere they pleased. It was "rude" for those of us who went to that little bar to smoke and irritate the people who didn't want to be exposed to smoke. So, they passed a law that banned smoking in ALL bars. Now, that little bar is nearly empty all of the time. The non-smokers aren't showing up and the businesses are suffering. People just stay home, because they are tired of having to go outside in the cold Wisconsin winters. The same is true for a lot of the area bars. We could no longer go out, relax and enjoy ourselves, so that the non-smokers could go out, relax and enjoy THEMSELVES. They took away our last sanctuaries for no reason (they weren't going there anyhow) and we just rolled over and let them, because we were shamed into it and we didn't want to offend anyone. How is that fair? Who is REALLY being rude and disrespectful in this scenario? How did they respect our desire to have our own places to go and be left alone? You give them an inch and they take a mile. I'm telling you - if we act like what we are doing is wrong and rude, it will NOT protect us, they will USE THAT AGAINST US.

You have to understand the ANTZ mentality. If he would have stood up and walked away when she started her fake coughing, she wouldn't have seen that as him being polite and considerate. She would have seen that as a WIN. Yes, we have to pick our battles. Being stubborn and defiant isn't the right call in all cases - ESPECIALLY INDOORS. But you have to learn to recognize when you are simply being bullied and not consider it rude to defend your actions. I defend the OP in this particular situation because of the details of how it happened. Had he sat down next to her and purposely started blowing vapor in her face (which may not be harmful but certainly could be scary for someone who doesn't know what is in the vapor) or if he was being asked not to vape in a business and refused by telling them to go f themselves, my reaction would be completely different. There is definitely a time and place for everything. What I disagree with is the idea that we must ALWAYS give in and walk away (in order not to be "rude") or that "being polite" in all cases will protect vaping.

And no - it's not "just water vapor," but let's have some perspective here. Why are people fussing so much over a little vapor when they are already inhaling all of the air pollution found in an urban setting? It's like you're drowning in the ocean but complaining that the salt water is making your eyes burn. They are fussing because we are EASY TARGETS. We can be as polite and respectful as possible and have all of the studies showing safety in the world, but they are still going to try to ban using it because it LOOKS like smoking. The ANTZ have made it abundantly clear that this isn't about health risks anyhow - it's about morals and money.

 

[Marvin & Sennie]

I COMPLETELY agree!! This is the thing, I understand OP's position as well, especially after 35 years of smoking and countless rude comments by haters. Don't matter though, it's ingrained in my head and heart to ALWAYS back down from my elders. Just an FYI I didn't teach my daughters the same thing because I never wanted them to have that "less than" mentality. But even at my age if I even thought about talking back to my Mom I'd STILL swallow teeth!! lol

I hear you loud and clear. By no means was I even thinking that you were this way all the time. I don't know you at all All I know is the situation as it was presented. My only thought was of any way to diffuse the situation before it became physical on the lady's part. (if someone reads this without reading the whole thread they are going to say "What happened?!?" ) Yes, ignorance and stupidity have no age limits. I have encountered older people that are just miserable to deal with. They are miserable in their own life so they want others to be miserable too. There really isn't anything you can do that will make them happy.

If you ever have the chance to see that person again, you should smile, say hi. Maybe do a little wave with your PV. Then leave it. After a while, you might be surprised that you have worn them down with kindness. I had been able to do that with a certain client in a salon that I worked at (receptionist) This person was so miserable and grumpy. She was a weekly client. It took me two months to get her to say hi back to me. By the time I left that job, I was the only person she would allow to make her appointments.

Sometimes older people are very lonely and bitter.

 

[JENerationX]

We used to go into this little corner bar where just about everyone smoked, including the staff. It was always packed and fun. There were other bars in the area that chose to be smoke-free that people bothered by smoke could go. But that wasn't enough for them. They wanted the "right" to go anywhere they pleased. It was "rude" for those of us who went to that little bar to smoke and irritate the people who didn't want to be exposed to smoke. So, they passed a law that banned smoking in ALL bars. Now, that little bar is nearly empty all of the time. The non-smokers aren't showing up and the businesses are suffering. People just stay home, because they are tired of having to go outside in the cold Wisconsin winters. The same is true for a lot of the area bars. We could no longer go out, relax and enjoy ourselves, so that the non-smokers could go out, relax and enjoy THEMSELVES. They took away our last sanctuaries for no reason (they weren't going there anyhow) and we just rolled over and let them, because we were shamed into it and we didn't want to offend anyone. How is that fair? Who is REALLY being rude and disrespectful in this scenario? How did they respect our desire to have our own places to go and be left alone? You give them an inch and they take a mile. I'm telling you - if we act like what we are doing is wrong and rude, it will NOT protect us, they will USE THAT AGAINST US.

You have to understand the ANTZ mentality. If he would have stood up and walked away when she started her fake coughing, she wouldn't have seen that as him being polite and considerate. She would have seen that as a WIN. Yes, we have to pick our battles. Being stubborn and defiant isn't the right call in all cases - ESPECIALLY INDOORS. But you have to learn to recognize when you are simply being bullied and not consider it rude to defend your actions. I defend the OP in this particular situation because of the details of how it happened. Had he sat down next to her and purposely started blowing vapor in her face (which may not be harmful but certainly could be scary for someone who doesn't know what is in the vapor) or if he was being asked not to vape in a business and refused by telling them to go f themselves, my reaction would be completely different. There is definitely a time and place for everything. What I disagree with is the idea that we must ALWAYS give in and walk away (in order not to be "rude") or that "being polite" in all cases will protect vaping.

And no - it's not "just water vapor," but let's have some perspective here. Why are people fussing so much over a little vapor when they are already inhaling all of the air pollution found in an urban setting? It's like you're drowning in the ocean but complaining that the salt water is making your eyes burn. They are fussing because we are EASY TARGETS. We can be as polite and respectful as possible and have all of the studies showing safety in the world, but they are still going to try to ban using it because it LOOKS like smoking. The ANTZ have made it abundantly clear that this isn't about health risks anyhow - it's about morals and money.

Well said and this is absolutely where I stand on this as well.

 

[shan57]

Casinos where I live have smoking and non-smoking areas. We vape in the smoking areas only. Sometimes non-smokers playing in the smoking areas aren't appreciative of our vaping and are vocal about it. I tell them that it's water vapor and hand out cards that explain it. If they are still hostile, I remind them that they are playing in the smoking section and I point out AGAIN that it is not tobacco smoke and I pocket my device until they or I leave. A lot of times smokers ask about our PVs and we explain and hand out cards. There are still not enough vapers out there so I guess we have to be ambassadors and educate where possible.

 

[RosaJ]

Casinos where I live have smoking and non-smoking areas. We vape in the smoking areas only. Sometimes non-smokers playing in the smoking areas aren't appreciative of our vaping and are vocal about it. I tell them that it's water vapor and hand out cards that explain it. If they are still hostile, I remind them that they are playing in the smoking section and I point out AGAIN that it is not tobacco smoke and I pocket my device until they or I leave. A lot of times smokers ask about our PVs and we explain and hand out cards. There are still not enough vapers out there so I guess we have to be ambassadors and educate where possible.

If we vape or smokers light up in the non-smoking area, the management of the venue has no problem telling us we cannot smoke in the non-smoking area. What if we as vapers and smokers go to the management and tell them we're being harassed by a non-smoker/vaper? I'll tell you one thing, I would do it, and if the management does not come over to the obnoxious non-smoker and tell them to move to the non-smoking area, I certainly would not drop any money in their establishment and would tell them so in their face. It's bad enough that we have to inhale the "second hand smoke" from cigarettes by vaping in the smoking area.

 

[Susaz]

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?

Yes! Plenty here!!! I simply explain it's for my asthma, when they realize it's not a cigarette they stop fussing.

 

[graybuck]

Casinos where I live have smoking and non-smoking areas. We vape in the smoking areas only. Sometimes non-smokers playing in the smoking areas aren't appreciative of our vaping and are vocal about it. I tell them that it's water vapor and hand out cards that explain it. If they are still hostile, I remind them that they are playing in the smoking section and I point out AGAIN that it is not tobacco smoke and I pocket my device until they or I leave. A lot of times smokers ask about our PVs and we explain and hand out cards. There are still not enough vapers out there so I guess we have to be ambassadors and educate where possible.

It would be interesting to see the card that you hand out. Any chance you could post what your card reads.

 

[frosting]

After reading many parts of this thread.... all I can say is "Wowzers"

The drama.... the heat, the emotion, the anger! Better than a soap opera.

On that note I'm on the O.P. side. A quote sometimes seen around ECF

"The beatings will continue until morale improves"

I very much agree with Kristin's fine and thoughtful points. Under such circumstances as outdoors, acting as if WE are doing something wrong when we are not, is wrong and hurts more than helps. If we cower, if we are weak, we will all continue to be beaten. It's important to stand up in those moments when it is truly justified. This little old lady had plenty of space she could of sat. She made the choice to do what she did, and personally I think the O.P handled it perfectly fine. I myself am not sure I could have held so much composure. After she smacked with the gloves I would of called her out then and there about sitting next to me in the first place when she knew good and well I was puffing something. Even with an old lady, while I respect my elders I cannot respect her kind of behavior. Respect is a two way street. Little old lady didn't bring any to the table when she chose her seat after walking a block without so much as a cane. Maybe I would of gotten up and moved, simply to avoid her attitude, but not without a reality check about what I was doing first.