I gotta work on my approach ...

[rico942]

I don't see many "vapers in the wild" where I live, mostly because I don't get out much ...

But tonight I realized at 11 PM that I had no milk for the Fruit Loops in the morning, and was forced to unseal the front door ...

Went around the corner to a 24 hour gas station, the kid behind the counter was very polite, and didn't make fun of me for paying a ridiculous markup for a half gallon of cow juice ...

The place was deserted, and as I was leaving, the kid stepped outside to play with his phone, then I saw a modest plume of vapor that engulfed his head ...

So I walked back toward him and said "Watcha got there, bud ?" with my best friendly expression ...

Well, the kid totally panicked, started sputtering, and finally managed to explain "Honest mister, I'm not smoking, its only vapor, see ?". He was obviously fearful that I was some old fart who would rat him out to his boss for "smoking" at the doorway ...

As quickly as possible, I established my credentials as a fellow vaper, and we had a nice chat about gear and juices, and the absurdity of the BT cigalikes that are sold there ...

Anyway, I realized that there is an understandable paranoia on the part of store clerks when they step outside to vape, and this poor kid has probably been assaulted before by nannies and do-gooders with an anti-smoking fetish ...

Next time maybe I should send up a little cloud first, to clear the air ...

 

[Bunnykiller]

I usually pull out my mod, point it in their general direction and give a nod of approval...

 

[rice721]

I lol'd at the "ran out of milk for fruit loop" comment.

You probably did scare him.

On a side note, alot of uneducated and misunderstood people out there when it comes to vaping. I honestly don't like blowing cloudz in public but can't help it when thats the only setup I have with me when out and about, I sometimes get that what is wrong with you look by random people even smokers when vaping outside. Probably just need to get used to it.

 

[joeybear]

People who vape are becoming like Jeep Wrangler and Harley owners, always giving a nod or smile in passing and/or talking about their vaping. It's kinda cool that there's an instant familiarity with people and a way to meet new people and possibly make friends. Get out of the house more often

 

[Rixsta]

I usually pull out my mod, point it in their general direction and give a nod of approval...

This everytime, better than any words !

 

[rgerber]

Oh boy....I can see it coming, "Psssst! You wanna see my.....mod..."

 

[ScandaLeX]

I don't see many "vapers in the wild" where I live, mostly because I don't get out much ...

But tonight I realized at 11 PM that I had no milk for the Fruit Loops in the morning, and was forced to unseal the front door ...

Went around the corner to a 24 hour gas station, the kid behind the counter was very polite, and didn't make fun of me for paying a ridiculous markup for a half gallon of cow juice ...

The place was deserted, and as I was leaving, the kid stepped outside to play with his phone, then I saw a modest plume of vapor that engulfed his head ...

So I walked back toward him and said "Watcha got there, bud ?" with my best friendly expression ...

Well, the kid totally panicked, started sputtering, and finally managed to explain "Honest mister, I'm not smoking, its only vapor, see ?". He was obviously fearful that I was some old fart who would rat him out to his boss for "smoking" at the doorway ...

As quickly as possible, I established my credentials as a fellow vaper, and we had a nice chat about gear and juices, and the absurdity of the BT cigalikes that are sold there ...

Anyway, I realized that there is an understandable paranoia on the part of store clerks when they step outside to vape, and this poor kid has probably been assaulted before by nannies and do-gooders with an anti-smoking fetish ...

Next time maybe I should send up a little cloud first, to clear the air ...

You may have merely just startled him cause as you said, you walked off. He might not have been looking in your direction- as you said, he was in his phone until you got your sexi on with that what you got there bud as you were approaching him!


Seems vaping is dissolving into a secret club only acknowledged by others with a head nod.

 

[dionysuskiss]

Sadly, I'm not surprised at the clerks initial reaction. This is another example of how much damage, the demonization of vaping, has caused. We are made to feel that, what we are doing, should be hidden behind closed doors. Die hard smokers and non-smokers alike, have no problems preaching about the evils of vaping. It's leaving a lot of us on edge. I try to educate, as best I can, but I am only one person.
But yeah, I usually hold my mod up first, or send out warning plume, before approaching someone

 

[rico942]

The odd thing is this, anyone with normal or corrected eyesight should be able to tell the difference between a substantial vapor cloud and the typical wisp of smoke from an analog. So the excuse "I thought you were smoking" really just doesn't hold up ...

I knew immediately that the store clerk was a fellow vaper when his head vanished ...

And I still maintain that vaping is 99 percent safer than criticizing strangers in public ...

 

[ScandaLeX]

The odd thing is this, anyone with normal or corrected eyesight should be able to tell the difference between a substantial vapor cloud and the typical wisp of smoke from an analog. So the excuse "I thought you were smoking" really just doesn't hold up ...

I knew immediately that the store clerk was a fellow vaper when his head vanished ...

And I still maintain that vaping is 99 percent safer than criticizing strangers in public ...

Many vapers only exhale a typical wisp of smoke so yea....it can be assumed they're smoking a cigarette. Not everyone is out there trying to chuck clouds.

 

[sawlight]

A few years ago we had an ambulance next door, as we are a close neighborhood we all go out to check on the neighbors. As I'm standing there talking to the folks across the street here comes "the cop with a chip on his shoulder", "What do you have there?" he says pointing at my Provari and carto tank (like I said, years ago). "That's an electric cigarette, why do you ask?" Not being happy with his approach. He replies "Well, I've never seen one like that before!"
Yeah, I'd imagine there's a lot of things that fool hasn't seen! He didn't seem to last long on our police force, I'm alright with that.
But yeah, I'm certain you startled the clerk, he probably thought it was a nosy cop looking to harass him for the fun of it.

 

[rico942]

Many vapers only exhale a typical wisp of smoke so yea....it can be assumed they're smoking a cigarette. Not everyone is out there trying to chuck clouds.

That's me, tootle-puffer extraordinaire ...

It is unfortunate that so many gas station cigalikes are designed to look like analogs, I can see where this sometimes causes confusion ...

As I'm standing there talking to the folks across the street here comes "the cop with a chip on his shoulder", "What do you have there?"

I encountered this guy's bad-tempered cousin while sitting in my car in a parking lot, vaping and minding my own business. I was waiting for a take-out order at a pizza place favored by the local cops, when this beefy ex-schoolyard bully waddles up to my door shouting "You can't smoke that here" ...

"That" implied I was doing something disgusting and highly illegal, within the confines of my own vehicle. I'm sure he could have made it stick, but I was saved by the bell. His radio squawked, and he rumbled back to his cruiser in pursuit of bigger fish, I suppose ...

I was telling the pizza shop owner about it later, and he said "Yeah, that's the who always tries to leave without paying ...