I don't understand people

[Anjaffm]

I am so happy that I am in Germany, Europe, where people mainly mind their own business and where busybody behavior is not appreciated or socially accepted. Neither is going into hysterics (as in fake coughing and such nonsense). You just don't do that in my country. It is not proper.

Case in point:
Today, I went to a fair-type event in the inner city of the small town where I live. Took my PV (EVOD on eGo type VV battery) with me and was happily using it while walking trough the fair (outside).

Usually I may get a few curious or admiring (pretty-looking setup) glances from strangers. Today, however, I was approached by two people (separately) who asked me about it, with interest.

One gentleman passed me with his family, stopped to look, and said "Oh, you wish to stop smoking?". "Well," said I, with a smile "I have not smoked over two years now. This device is so lovely!" and a short explanation about no longer burning anything or sucking tar into my lungs. A short conversation ensued, he told me about colleagues using it and said he would like to tell his mother. She might want to get one.

Later, I was sitting on a low wall, vaping and waiting for my friend. An elderly gentleman approached me and, encouraged by my smile, asked me whether this was one of those e-cigarettes. A similar conversation ensued. He was quite interested and sat down beside me, so I explained the device (battery, atomizer, liquid, the 5 ingredients of the liquid - propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, destilled water, food flavoring and nicotine, if you want it. I want it - and that nothing is burned and no smoke is produced. The usual "Well, they do not say good things about them in the media" was countered with my usual "Well, yes. That is because those are quite harmful. For the tax coffers." He looked a little wistful when he told me that he stopped smoking 35 years ago "and those did not exist, then". I congratulated him, and we parted with a smile.

Yes, I am very happy indeed that I live in a country where hysterical behavior is not condoned, especially in public, and where people show interest instead of going into hysterics at the sight of a small electrical device. And as for anybody confusing vapor with smoke: ey, do those people not have any sense of smell?

 

[mountaingal]

I was vaping just outside the concert seating area in a pathway and had one concerned parent ask me what was in 'that thing'. I carry cards with that information and urls to more info on them and gave her one while I explained. When she left she was OK with it and thanked me for explaining it to her.

Can you post the card you carry? We could all print them up and educate the world.

I try to be respectful of "no smoking" signs and not vape in that area. All the "No smoking" casinos in Florida let me vape while I gamble. And I have done it in airports and on planes.(I blew the smoke downward on the plane and not upward.) The airport is kind of strange because of all the kids around. The few times I have been asked not to "smoke" I just tell them it's an electronic cig and it's like a smoke machine at concerts. I am usually then allowed to continue. But, I am sure I will come across someone who needs good info on what vaping is.

 

[herb]

Dealing with that issue daily. YMWV and keep in mind if they dont see the device, they assume its smoke. I do. Cause where I live people smoke a lot of analogs and its more "tolerated."

There is also lots of flavors out there that will drive people up a wall. Regardless of how little you think its smells, etc. I've had to nix several that I like in favor of keeping the peace with my coworkers. Oddly enough all of them will tolerate any analog smoke without complaint ... cultural adaptation. This is still (relatively speaking) extremely new territory, regardless of how close it may come to being like "smoking."

The school campuses and other major groups have, for the most part, already inlcuded new language regarding "vaping" in their guidelines. Now they just need to upgrade their signs I guess to brag about being more than just "smoke free" .... Man that sign is gonna be a long read ....

Seeing the device would probably shock them even more the way many of these mods look , the problem is that as long as you can see what appears to be smoke when your vaping it's not going to be accepted by the masses, plain and simple.

If you think that most will become aware of or take interest in educating themselves what the differences are you'll likely be waiting forever , it's very unfortunate but it is what it is.

Now if there was a way to vape without the appearance of what looks like smoke i think that would open up a whole new World .

 

[Anjaffm]

Can you post the card you carry? We could all print them up and educate the world.

it may be this one

CASAA is a great source of information on vaping. And they fight for our cause. Have you joined them yet? It is free. (you can donate if you wish, of course ). Heck, I am a member, and I am not even in the States

........

If you think that most will become aware of or take interest in educating themselves what the differences are you'll likely be waiting forever , it's very unfortunate but it is what it is.

Now if there was a way to vape without the appearance of what looks like smoke i think that would open up a whole new World .

You can't fix stupid. But you can most certainly educate

And if you vape a higher PG ratio, it does not produce as much vapor.
In addition, you can always stealth vape. Inhale vapor (not as much as usual) - hold - breathe in again (without vapor) - hold - breathe out = very little vapor / no vapor if you are practised.

I would not, however, stealth vape outside. Especially not to please some hysterical teenagers or supposed adults acting like hysterical teenagers or like two-year-olds throwing a tantrum. People who object to my vaping outside could just go and jump off a bridge. Maybe I object to their hysterics?

 

[Vaslovik]

People in the USA seem to love minding everyone's business but their own.

People will mind their own business only while it's worth minding. When it's not they will mind your business. This minding of your business most often takes the form of *concern* about your moral, mental, and physical well being, to the exclusion of your privacy, and right to be left alone, as they indulge in their own self-destructive habits while intruding upon you.

 

[AmandaD]

Unfortunately So Cal is one place where no-one minds their own business - very different to Europe The hysteria over smoking sadly had spread to anything that looks like it might be a cigarette, whether or not it can be smelled. Luckily one can stealth vape without producing any clouds - it also helps if it's pink and sparkly

 

[CMD-Ky]

Never let facts interfere with one's favored opinion.

 

[ClearlySuperior]

I was in the TB drive thru about a month ago on the way home from a friends house.. Took a rip off mine and I saw the wind take the cloud and it went into the ladies van behind me and she throws her hands up and shakes her head, rolls up her window, then rolls it down and threw what looked to be an empty pack of cigarettes at my car. I was laughing so hard I ended up killing my car as I went to move up so I waited about 3 minutes before starting her back up as a "thank you" to the kind lady lol

 

[Ryedan]

Can you post the card you carry? We could all print them up and educate the world.

it may be this one

You beat me to it Anja .. That's the one

 

[kateress]

I just got my first mod last night and I have to say that already I feel so weird about vaping in public, even outside. Went to my parents' for fathers day and my mom said "it looks like some drug thing....it's pretty though". And then another person I know also said it looks like some kind of drug pipe. The whole reason I got this thing was to quit smoking cigarettes. I needed to quit anyway but I'm not going to have a choice soon. I'll be working in the healthcare industry where you cannot smoke anywhere on the grounds, even in your car. This mod was going to be my saving grace, but now I feel all weird about using it since even people I know are being strange and wary of it. Can't wait till I work from home and can vape to my heart's content.

 

[wheelie]

Was bowfishing, shooting carp with my bow and arrow and a guy walked up to me and asked " Who makes your fish caller." Told him I did not understand and then he pointed to my ecig. Told him it was my electronic cigarette. He said "oh, I was so impressed thinking you were calling the fish in". Still laugh about it weeks later when I think about it. So around the house I call them my "Fish Callers".

 

[Alicia McDaniel]

I live in a very small town, where it am the only person who vapes. Now in the 2 neighboring towns we do have a couple vape shops, but it surprises me how often people think I'm smoking. It seems like everyone but the "kids", like older high school kids, have no idea what vaping is. It amazes me when people wrinkle their noses or cough a little, until I explain exactly what it is I'm doing. I try to be very curtious, and if I'm in public near people, I explain that I'm a vaper and if my vape bothers them to just let me know, but that the only effect they would get is the smell of whatever flavor it is I'm currently vaping. That even if I was to blow the vapor directly in their face, it wouldn't even burn their eyes, and I have yet to have one person say it bothers them. But the second I do not explain because I'm far enough away that they wouldn't even begin to smell it, people freak out! It's irritating to me. I had less problems and judgement passed on me as a smoker than I do as a vaper!

 

[DaveP]

I vape everywhere and have had no one come up and lambast me about my ecig. Sometimes I see people eyeing me with curiosity, but the ones that do approach me are curious and they know it's an electronic cigarette.

I sometimes wonder if more publicity will bring out the haters or create an atmosphere of understanding. Anything that stops people from smoking cigarettes is a good thing, IMO. The FDA has had 5 years to find fault with ecigs and haven't published any negative results other than the spectrographic analysis from 2009 that showed trace carcinogens equal to Nicorette gum and that was just miniscule by products of nicotine extraction.

As more people take up vaping public exposure will increase both the accurate information to the public and will probably increase the pressure toward people who vape in public. It would be a shame for something that is a reliable vehicle for quitting tobacco to be banned everywhere.

 

[wv2win]

I was vaping just outside the concert seating area in a pathway and had one concerned parent ask me what was in 'that thing'. I carry cards with that information and urls to more info on them and gave her one while I explained. When she left she was OK with it and thanked me for explaining it to her.

Can you post the card you carry? We could all print them up and educate the world.

I try to be respectful of "no smoking" signs and not vape in that area. All the "No smoking" casinos in Florida let me vape while I gamble. And I have done it in airports and on planes.(I blew the smoke downward on the plane and not upward.) The airport is kind of strange because of all the kids around. The few times I have been asked not to "smoke" I just tell them it's an electronic cig and it's like a smoke machine at concerts. I am usually then allowed to continue. But, I am sure I will come across someone who needs good info on what vaping is.

I would suggest you get the CASAA business card that has a very good brief explanation of what vaping is and is not:

CASAA E-cigarette Information Cards

 

[RosaJ]

I'm in Jersey so in this nanny state everything and anything is basically banned in public parks or just in public in general lol... And the people, well let me not even start, ok I will, they are just as worse as these politician passing knew jerk reaction laws. I was vaping outside a starbucks and manager comes to me tells me to stop smoking since this is a smoke free zone and people were complaining. No one complained and had a bunch of smokers as me what I was doing.. any ways, I look at the manager and say well thank god i'm not smoking and killing myself, couple of people who over heard me started laughing, Showed him my Mod and he said wells its still smoking so I need you to stop or leave. I chose to leave, but this is the cliff note version. So yes I do agree with you on some people.

Starbucks banned vaping as well as smoking even outside about a year ago. That's why they'll never get any of my money. Vape on!

 

[Jman8]

Vapor ignorance is stupidity and I'm not about to let that stupidity get in the way of my desire to vape publicly.

OP did zero wrong, and yet here is what I'd call prime example of why vaping outdoors isn't 'answer to issues with vaping indoors.' I notice none of those comments are found in this thread. I rejoice, while also making mental note that I'm thinking those who roll over easy on indoor vaping bans, are partially responsible for any hysteria around outdoor usage (and/or bans).

I've had zero issues to date with vaping indoors. If I had issue with it outdoors, I'd be ranting too. I would've apologized for experience OP had, but would've done all I could to educate on the near zero harm I caused and explained my honest intentions. I then would take another puff as I spoke to these people.

Anyone that dares to shame vapers vaping, be that indoors or outdoors, I'm inclined to take issue with. As long as shaming is on the table (even for smoking) then common courtesy is seemingly off the table. I still think vapers ought to be courteous in public, but not afraid (ever) to vape. Not even a little bit.

 

[dice57]

Yeah, had one gal freeze like a deer in the headlights, I just try and ignore them, unless they initiate communications.

 

[Synikk]

Vapor ignorance is stupidity and I'm not about to let that stupidity get in the way of my desire to vape publicly.

OP did zero wrong, and yet here is what I'd call prime example of why vaping outdoors isn't 'answer to issues with vaping indoors.' I notice none of those comments are found in this thread. I rejoice, while also making mental note that I'm thinking those who roll over easy on indoor vaping bans, are partially responsible for any hysteria around outdoor usage (and/or bans).

I've had zero issues to date with vaping indoors. If I had issue with it outdoors, I'd be ranting too. I would've apologized for experience OP had, but would've done all I could to educate on the near zero harm I caused and explained my honest intentions. I then would take another puff as I spoke to these people.

Anyone that dares to shame vapers vaping, be that indoors or outdoors, I'm inclined to take issue with. As long as shaming is on the table (even for smoking) then common courtesy is seemingly off the table. I still think vapers ought to be courteous in public, but not afraid (ever) to vape. Not even a little bit.

This post has finally put me at ease at trying it to kick my habbit, so thanks a lot mate

 

[Vaslovik]

Starbucks banned vaping as well as smoking even outside about a year ago. That's why they'll never get any of my money. Vape on!

That's how they lost my business too.

 

[coalyard]

If they could see your breath they'd want to ban exhaling too.

Give them time. Especially if you don't agree with them IYKWIMAITTYD.