pulled over for vaping

[Emyllis]

Im sorry, but Im to livid atm to not share this.

So I just jetted over to friends house less that a mile away from me. While stopped at a red light a cop stops in the lane to my left. There I am, minding my own biz, singing along to some tunes, and vaping off my 401. My window is rolled up while doing this, so its probably pretty clear that Im not smoking a gig, or Id be dying of nasty smoke inhalation. I notice the cop notice me, and then sternly glare at me. The light turns green and I make a right turn. The cop then cuts a cross 2 lanes (putting lives at risk, pift.) and proceeds to follow me a block or so. He then pulls me over, stating "I have reason to believe you are driving under the influence of ............. please step our of your vehicle so I can search it." blah blah blah. I gave him my ecig spiel but he didnt seem to buy it. Long story short, he stole 15 mins of my time while searching my car and found nothing... because the was nothing to find ARG! He then tells me 'it appears you're vehicle is clean but I will need to inspect your smoking apparatus" which I proceed to hand him. He gives it a long look over while Im explaining the parts and what exactly it is. He hands it back to me, seeming unconvinced, and tells me "You can be on your way now but in the future, avoid using this thing while driving if you wish to have no further issues such as this. Have a nice day." UM WTF!?! Is he telling me that my vaping while driving is more dangerous than a regular cig while driving!?! ARG stupid people.

Anyone else have any similar issues like this?

p.s. sorry, just had to vent to an understanding crowd =)

 

[jbailey]

Yeah, I was kind of curious how often this happends. I wonder if it makes a differnce what kind of led you have.

 

[opaqueRED]

this is both angering and really amusing at the same time. much worth a laugh.

when i got my stuff from V4L they had a bunch of business cards with disclaimers on the back. if memory serves, there were also telephone numbers. i'd suggest maybe getting a couple of these in case it happens again? i dunno.

even if you got ticketed for it, you'd have a pretty awesome case in court. something i'd love to read about in the papers, or potentially see on local or national news.

sounds like something NBC would eat up, really.

 

[doots]

Sorry for your experience. I am sure it was very unpleasant,

That is why I never vape at red lights...

 

[Shortstuff116]

I know that if that happened to me, I would go directly to the police station some day soon (the station of the officer that pulled you over) and ask to speak with the Chief of Police there. My intention would be to have a friendly conversation ensuring him (or her) that I am not there to complain but to educate and inform him about your electronic-cigarette.

The point of this conversation would be to explain everythihng you can about the fact that they are 100% legal to own and use and request that all of his officer and staff be instructed and informed about them as well. I would personally provide a period of instruction or more to his officers if he would allow me to.

The officer that pulled you over was wrong to tell you not to use it unless you wanted to be pulled over again. You have the right to use your e-cig and not be harrassed for doing so.

Those are my thoughts.

 

[opaqueRED]

...You have the right to use your e-cig and not be harrassed for doing so...

i 100% agree, especially because the cops in my neighborhood are extremely friendly toward people who smoke and drive. ive waved at plenty of cops with my cigarette hand and they smile and return the gesture without a thought.

 

[jbailey]

I'm pretty sure most people dont drive around smoking "illegal" things so I dont get his probable cause here. And i agree with opaqueRED

 

[Automaton]

I'm pretty sure most people dont drive around smoking "illegal" things so I dont get his probable cause here. And i agree with opaqueRED

This. How stupid would a person have to be to be toking on some sort of drug pipe at a red light? How often has he seen someone doing that in his policing career?

Also, being a cop, you would think he could tell the difference between someone who's under the influence of something, and someone who's not. I can, and I'm not a cop. I'm just moderately aware of my surroundings..

Seriously, I don't get why he pulled you over. I agree with the above suggestion to go to your police station and do some educatin'.

 

[Ncjasonr]

Hahaha! That sucks but next time it happens ask him "don't you have ...... and murderers to look for?" just sayin.........

 

[Xanax]

Funny you mention that. I wasn't wearing my seatbelt the other day and a cop passed by me and I thought "oh .... where am I gonna hide my e-cig" like it was illegal or something. Sucks that police are so misinformed or just plain uninformed that I instinctively felt that way. I didn't get pulled for the seatbelt or otherwise. Just thought I'd share my experience.

 

[mini_art]

Yup head on down to the station and talk to the chief there. They need an education.

 

[LowThudd]

If he had threatened me w/ being pulled over if I continued to vape, I would have asked him for his badge number and reported him to his watch commander(or the chief depending on how small your town is). That is obvious harrasment, because if it were illegal to vape he would have ticketed or arrested you. He obviously KNEW what you were doing was legal and he was just suffering from BCS(Bully Cop Syndrome). I hate it when cops get ...... at you because they HAVE NOT caught you doing something illicet. There is no excuse for his behavior IMHO.

 

[Mr. Android]

Honestly I can understand from the cop's perspective as an uninformed person. It wasn't that he thought you were endangering the life of yourself or someone else.

Having never seen a PV before, it probably looked like a etc.. Especially if you look at the size and shape of misshaped ones like the Ego or Hello 016, they look like .......... so when he looks over and sees smoke coming out of something that looks like a pen, that is where his first thought would go.

Education would have rectified this, but we can only hope for so much.

 

[Lezil]

This. How often has he seen someone doing that in his policing career?

ive smoked a pipe in a car, sometimes right in front of a cop.. ahhh the old days

 

[Automaton]

Well, then you've got bigger balls than anyone I've ever met.

 

[DaMulta]

I went to court with a friend the other month, and on the way in had to go thew the metal detector.

I had my Phidias Woody on me which kind of looks like a dug out. I just pull it out and placed it in the bin. The guy looked at me like WTF I can't believe you just threw your dug out in the bin. Yet, he didn't say anything, and waved me into the building. I guess he didn't want to deal with the paper work.



I can't honestly believe that I have not been pulled over vapping on a mod for almost a year now. I just do it soooo wide openly. hell I do it everywhere I'm at openly. I swear more people don't notice you if your not using the normal battery, and using a big battery mod instead. At least that is how it is with me.

Just to say< I have been vapping at a light next to a police officer, and they didn't say a word to me.






---
There was this one time a cop did say something to me. I was at a 4th of July show on school grounds(2009), and it was my first month in. I had a normal 510 e-cig, and was told to quit smoking. I told him I wasn't, and he more or less told me I don't care what your smoking lol.

Then we had a little talk about it, but he didn't wasn't me using it cause he didn't know if or didn't go against school tobacco no smoking policy
---


I have found over the year I have been vapping. If I have to say what it is, I just say "it's a liquid nicotine device. An alternative to smoking which is really popular in the EU. "

Then they say Ahhh cause I said it's popular in the EU meaning it is something I guess lOL.

Then I tell them that" it's PG which is in some inhalers, toothpaste. mouthwash, food, hospitals clean the air you inhale with it blablabal the list goes on." with a little bit of hard candy flavoring so really it's harmless to say.


Normally that stops the conversation up about it right there.

If they pop up with the FDA thing I tell them why it needs to maybe regulated. I tell them that the bad finding was really small,(a ton more safer than smoking) but that PG can come in different ways. There is one that they use in Fog machines, and in antifreeze which is what they always say. Then there is the clean Food grade which is what is in E-Cigs. So you can kind of see why there might be some regulation if some company wanted to buy the cheaper fluid to cut cost.

If you wanted, I mean I just buy bulk from a company. If you wanted too really you can buy from Totally Wicked for a premium on their UK line of liquid. Which just happens to be made in a FDA approved company that makes Nicotine Gum and Patches.



lol I don't know if any of that helps yet there ir is

 

[cyberwolf]

Honestly I can understand from the cop's perspective as an uninformed person....Education would have rectified this, but we can only hope for so much.

It's the fact that he refused the education that is aggravating. While he admits that the OP was doing nothing wrong, he still warns her not to do it again. Sounds like he is attempting to be judge and jury rather than just enforcement.

 

[HeatherC]

That seems rather extreme. Although I have noticed difficulty DRIPPING and driving....LOL

 

[Lezil]

Well, then you've got bigger balls than anyone I've ever met.

or maybe im just stupid?

 

[Emyllis]

First, I use my 401 while driving BECAUSE it looks like a cig, so as NOT to cause confusion. However, I tend to hold the LED end of it, thus its clearly not a 'cherry' im holding or Id be burning myself.

Also, I live in a huge city... San Jose CA (silicon valley) so I can sort of understand his concern as we do have more than a few shady individuals in the area. Still, that fact that my car did not reek of any sort of drug, should have been enough to shew him off. Eh.

Anyhow, oy. Spent a fair amount of time on the phone with my local station just now and some... dare I say 'awesome', things happened. To cut the long story of a phone matrix nightmare short... I have an appointment with an 'officer of public relations' on 08-12 to inform them of these wonderful devises. They honestly had never heard of such a thing and would really appreciate a demonstration/presentation on the issue.

Honestly, Im excited to help out the cause and Im now choosing to view this happening as fate, heh. This could be just the thing we all need to help spread the word. Currently, in my location there is zero talk of any sort of ban or restriction on them. I am thinking this is a good chance to beat the FDA to the punch on it. My only issue is, I really dont know if I can represent this whole community of vapers fairly and fully as I am still in my first month of vaping.

I may be needing some experts on the issue to help draft my presentation. I really dont want to screw up a first impression. meh. I'll let you all know what happens from here =)