Would you be surprised to know that my local vape shop does not allow employees to vape while helping customers?
Not really, because that is clearly a customer service issue. I'd be surprised if same employees are not allowed to vape in exact same location when no customers are around. And flabbergasted if I were to learn that employees were not allowed to vape while helping a customer who insists on the product being demonstrated (by staff) before they try it.
I see no reason why we shouldnt extend the same courtesy to strangers who know next to nothing (or what theyve heard in the media, which is even worse than nothing in many cases.) about vaping.
I do extend the courtesy to strangers in public and I vape everywhere. I also don't blow huge clouds as I vape on cigalike device. I'm thinking most strangers in public wouldn't know the difference per se, but would clearly see a difference if I stood next to one of you all (who use bigger devices) and we both took 5 'normal' puffs and exhaled. Whereas I feel confident that I can vape within 15 feet of anyone in most every public setting (indoors and outdoors) and get away with it, as in stranger would be clueless to my vaping, I'm thinking that distance would need to be a little more for similar thing to happen with big device vaper. Like 20 to 30 feet for it to be undetected in most, if not all situations.
I reckon that many indoor vapers, though not sure if it is majority, don't mind being seen as vaping in somewhat crowded public place (indoors or outdoors). And unless vaper is intentionally blowing vapor into strangers face that is less than 5 feet away, I don't see the issue myself based on science and 'common courtesy.' But that's the thing, even us vapers who may be on exact same side of this discussion, may have different variations on 'common courtesy.' I'm very much in a live and let live mode when I'm in public. But when rules are in place that appear harsh and rather nonsensical to me (like can't smoke anywhere in public), then I suddenly want to see rules such as 'no electronic devices, this includes smart phones, are allowed here.' Or 'no talking loudly just cause you are used to that in your own home.' Or.... I feel confident that I could come up with some rule that would arguably fit within mold of 'common courtesy' and would impact every human currently alive today. I usually do not care to go in that direction when I'm out and about in public. But sometimes I think it ought to be really harsh for all things people enjoy. Then I realize I'm just being spiteful. And feel very confident that many of these rules that stick (i.e. no smoking in public) are there because some really spiteful people didn't relent on their push to make that a social norm and is part of the world we live in.
If they see us as courteous and polite they are more apt to remember vapers in a good light and possibly even defend us. That chance goes up exponentially if we take the time to answer their questions and educate them about vaping in the process.
I mostly agree with this, and practice this out in public when I can. Yet, education is constantly occurring. All my (non-vaping) friends currently let me vape on their premises, in their vehicles. Yet, some of these will occasionally present me with the story of, "you know they just had a study showing those things contain (insert ANTZ claim of toxicity here)." This is after I've educated and after I've already explained the propaganda war. But I think it is human nature to be open minded, or put another way, easily manipulated. Just look at how many ex-smokers, now vapers are easily manipulated by anti smoking logic. I reckon I could do a whole lot of educating on that front, but that minds are made up on negative data, and yet the once smoker in denial who is now anti-smoker will claim they are the one being open minded at this point, now that they see things from the other side. Whereas I see that as people who are still needing education and will come upon what I would call actual science when they are open to it. For now, junk science and cultural norms are good enough for them. Likewise, my non-vaping friends could be rather easily manipulated to a point where suddenly it makes no sense to them to have Jman vaping in their house, when I just did so 2 weeks before that point for several hours and they sat there with me and had zero issue with it.
If by the same token all they remember is that we were this rude jackass blowing massive clouds directly into their faces then no amount of argument or facts will convince them otherwise and they will stand against us....if nothing more than on principle alone.
And that principle, based on wording you chose here, would be one that is very misguided. Or on par with person that has fear of getting germs from touching anything in public that any other human may have touched. And on principle thinks everyone ought to be wearing rubber gloves, otherwise we will all die from each other's germs. Explaining certain facts, utilizing certain arguments ought to make a difference with such a person. But there is a chance that it may not, and that all people not wearing gloves are incredibly rude people from this person's perspective.
And could you really blame them? Your rights end where mine begins works both ways.
Yeah, I'd like that explained more since your exhaled air and my exhaled air when we walk into a room together are intermingling all the time. And I'm assuming the situation is we are both neither smokers nor vapers. Yet, there are our rights intertwined as if separation is an illusion. Which in reality, it is.