How would (or do) you explain a P.V. mod to the police???

[Astronomer]

yeah I laughed... so did he.

It is the only time I have ever seen anyone with an PV around here... just not common in my neck of the woods.

 

[oldsoldier]

Haha! Are you serious, that's awesome, I woulda been laughing so hard. I had no idea they were that popular yet.

A lot of cops vape because they are prohibited from smoking in their (city/county/state owned) car.

 

[Pmack]

Why is that any different than seeing a regular person using a PV? Cops are normal people too. They don't live in solitude with no access to the outside world...

Didn't mean it to be an insult at all, i've got buddies that are cops. I just thought the way he explained the situation and the cop holding up his own eGo as kind of cool.

 

[noahstudios]

I guess everyone has different ways of dealing with cops. I know when I was paranoid and trying to avoid them, I got pulled over and questioned much more often. Now if I notice a cop I give a nod, or say Hey if it's possible. When I'm going 6 over the speed limit and see a cop, I continue to go 6 over. I vape at stop lights right next to cops. Never an issue. They seem to know when you are trying to act a certain way, and if you just have that "I'm not doing anything wrong" attitude/look, they just give a nod or ignore you. I can relate to being afraid of cops, because I used to have reasons to. If you aren't doing anything illegal, then there should be no worry. If you get pulled over it's a GOOD thing to joke a bit as long as you don't go overboard. I remember being asked if I had any hookers or grenades in my trunk, once. I laughed and said "Not to the best of my knowledge". After he explained why I was pulled over and told me he'd let me off with a verbal warning, I asked about his question. He said that if someone chuckles he knows it's all good, but if they are dead serious and give him a very short No, then he searches the trunk because it looks suspicious. So to the poster that said always give them short to the point answers and don't small talk, no wonder you get hassled...

 

[MickeyRat]

Hmm... I will bite my tongue and not say anything about all the name calling and disrespect for the people who make it so you can sleep safe at night....

After looking over this again, I feel this deserves a bit of a reply. I understand LEO's problems with people's attitudes completely but, one thing to remember is that you are the only people that can put cuffs on a person against their will and incarserate them legally. That won't happen for no reason but, I hope those in this profession understand that it's a little intimidating. People deal with that discomfort differently. It's very small percentage but, the idea of a bad apple with that power is downright frightening. So yeah, you get bravado and disrespect sometimes. It's a product of fear. I don't blame you for getting tired of it though.

To those that are using a PV especially something like a box mod. What you are doing is perfectly legal and you have a right to do it without being hassled. However, this is an opportunity to educate someone. You're using a device that looks pretty strange and for all a LEO knows, it's the latest in crack pipe fashion. Just politely explain it to them. There's no reason to cop an attitude and every reason not to.

 

[Brewzz]

22 years of military service taught me the difference between respecting the uniform/position and respecting the person. By virtue of their position, cops are initially granted a certain level of respect slightly above that of any other stranger on the street.
If approached, questions are answered directly, truthfully, and politely.
No information, beyond the minimum required to answer the question, is volunteered.

edit to add:

As with most people, LEO or not, common courtesy and politness will usually get the same in return, as will rudeness or arrogance.

 

[AsphaltCowboy]

Great info guys!! I drive a truck over the road and had not thought of that! We get hassled by DOT all the time and being a "professional" driver, illegal substances are a sticky subject!

 

[Evie]

I have two friends who are Memphis PD officers. I pulled out my PV and asked, "What would you think if you pulled someone over and they had this in their hand?" They asked what it was so I told them it was a PV and it had helped me quit smoking. They asked how it worked so I took it apart to show them the different pieces and explained what they did. Then I asked, "OK, if you weren't my friends, how could I explain this to you so you wouldn't think it was something else?" Their response: "Like you just did."

Advice they gave me: Don't try to hide your PV, that makes it look like you're doing something wrong. Just be honest if asked about it and they'll likely respond with curiosity.

 

[Strigol]

I work in a municipal court here, and I have turned myself blue in the face trying to explain simple things to people about LEOs If you're polite and nice to them, 90% of the time they'll check your license / tags and let you go. It's all the A-holes that get the tickets.

That said, I'm brand spanking new (my first PV is in the mail) and looking at the hundreds of models out there, some of them resemble crack pipes or bongs. If you're asked about it by someone in uniform, just explain the thing, be polite about it, and 90% of the time you'll be on your merry little way in a few minutes. However if you're an ... about it they're going to ask every question they can and make the next few minutes hell for you.

 

[BigFish]

Frank is right.. the Chicago cops have a... reputation.
A friend of mine is a 20yr CPD officer. His general response to something like this would be, "Don't look like you're doing anything wrong. Though he never told me what "wrong" looks like...

 

[Trbobitch]

I couldn't agree more.

 

[subversive]

You dont show the police anything.. or tell them anything. You let them ask questions FIRST. Do not reveal any information beyond the basics of their questions. Yes or no answers are good enough for almost anything a public servant can think up on their own.

Dont brag, dont indulge, dont chit-chat, dont reveal, dont do anything with police because they will just make your life miserable and frankly, they dont deserve your time. Let them get on with real work investigating crimes.

And never give them the satisfaction because thats what they're looking for.. remember, these people are either bullies from high school or suffering PTSD from some foreign conflict... they're seeking what you aren't.

Most of all.. dont think you can trust them for a split second, because you cant.

why don't you try pulling a strange car over on a dark, deserted road in the middle of the night and see how you feel about it?
people are people. not every cop is going to be a great person, just like anyone else in the world. you're not the one out there dealing with unknown people who are possibly violent and dangerous and already agitated by your uniform. when i was younger and up to no good, i hated cops. you know what happened? i grew up. when your house/car gets broken into, or you get assaulted, or need help during a natural disaster, or crash your car...guess who you will be able to call?

"they don't deserve your time." i'm sure you feel you deserve their assistance when you want it, though, don't you?

 

[mlinky]

Most all the stories I've read about cop encounters on this forum have resulted in the police taking a business card or jotting down the ECF website in their little book. Many, it seems, either want to quit smoking or know someone who does. I believe they must pass some sort of intelligence test unlike the majority of us.

That's my experience. I was at an arena and was told "no smoking" and I told him it was an e-cig, and he said that he knew what they were but hadn't seen one IRL. I had my eGo at the time. Took it apart, showed him my juice. He called some of his buddys over and I showed it to them too. Blew some "smoke" rings. They liked the cinnamon smell. Several were smokers and interested for themselves, another had friends/relatives that were smokers. I gave them the ECF addy.