Thumbs down to Red Lobster in Saginaw, MI

[sheryder]

I was there for a birthday celebration yesterday and politely asked if it was ok to vape. Was told firmly by waitress it was not allowed. Bummer. WAS my favorite celebration restaurant so now will have to pick a new place to celebrate events for myself and hubby, 4 kids, and 10 grandchildren. Whatever. Had it not been a great inconvenience to all the others present and looking forward to the celebration, I would have left right then and told the manager why rather than give them my money for one more meal.

 

[trailblazer6]

Are you permitted to smoke in there and more important was anyone else smoking there ? Guess what I'm trying to get at here is management has the right to permit or ban whatever in there establishment. Just as you have the right to spend your money there or else ware.

 

[champions]

Smoking is banned in Michigan. Perhaps if you had threatened to leave that rude waitress would have had a change of heart just thinking that her tip was about to walk out the door. It would have been an idle threat, but she doesn't know that and guarantee she wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[sheryder]

trailblazer6-Precisely - Thanks for the response. I agree 100%. I note you are from NJ so probably aren't aware that Michigan just put in place smoking ban laws this summer. But when smoking wasn't banned in Michigan YES smoking was allowed in all the Red Lobster's I've ever visited or I wouldn't have even asked. As you said, I DO have the right to spend my money elsewhere and will spend it in establishments that support MY habits/beliefs as much as I can. I don't buy Hugo Chavez gas either....

As vapers, we need to put forward a respectful, informative, positive image and any "in your face" type activity will give us all a bad public review and do more harm than good. My attitude is more "for the good of all" rather than "it is MY right".

Just for the record, I support businesses having the right to permit or ban SOME things in their establishments. Not sure I would support their right to ban deoderant, perfume, closed toed shoes etc. but within reason yes...I support that. I don't support their individual rights when their right would supercede a constitutional right such as the right to bear arms as an example. I DON'T think that I have any right to vape wherever I please just because it isn't banned. I was always respectful of others about my smoking and plan to be with my vaping. I am not in any way an activist nor would I try to vape anywhere it hadn't been allowed prior to the smoking bans here. Haven't smoked in a grocery store or department store or the DMV since the 70's when it WAS allowed and nobody thought twice about it .....

 

[Raven_Blackblade]

Interesting. I vaped happily at Red Lobster here in SLC, Utah.
Back in 2009 I asked if I could vape in McGraffs Fish House. The Owner said no, and I vaped in the bathroom (lol). Last time I went there, I didnt ask, I sat at the bar, and I vaped. No problems rose, and a few waitresses, and the bartender asked where they could get one.
*shrugs*

 

[sheryder]

Makes it hard to know how to handle these situations I guess. Not to say I won't at some point just start vaping in a place that formerly allowed smoking before the bans but since I am new at this right now I've just asked with the expectation of hearing it is ok. Surprises me when I'm told no.

 

[Thejables]

I stealthed in red lobster, my waitress was like.... Why do I smell waffles? .....lmao.

I showed her, and she was cool as long as I stealthed it.

 

[Toritha]

my waitress was like.... Why do I smell waffles?

.

Ummm I dunno? I don't smell anything ....:evilgrin:

 

[NJDev78]

Are you really suggesting that you couldn't make it through dinner with your family at Red Lobster without having to vape at the table?
What would you have told the manager? He has more to lose by allowing you to do it in the presence of customers that don't know the difference. Smokers are now an overwhelming minority. Vapers.....uh..what's that? You need to understand that this is still a relatively new technology that most people are unfamiliar with. You are familiar with this technology through personal experience and likely countless hours or research, message boards, etc. Do you plan on standing up in the center of the restaurant and giving a presentation on the difference between smoking and what you are doing? A business must cater to the masses and you are most likely the only one in that establishment with a PV. Although vapor is "safe", it's still smoke-like in presence. Depending on ventilation it certianly can linger and with some liquids, is not nearly scent-free(WAFFLES!). Most people out there are happy about the change in laws in regard to smoking and will undoubtedly offer little sympathy for us.
Vaping is a great alternative to smoking healthwise, but I wouldn't count on any special privileges that regular smokers don't have.

On a side note, I was in Traverse City in June of 09 and there wasn't a single establishment that allowed smoking.

 

[sheryder]

NJDev78-Interesting...I don't know what places you visited when you were in TC that didn't allow smoking in June 09 but I can assure you having lived near TC for most of my life that the bars allowed smoking and almost every restaurant that served alcohol such as Outback, Ruby Tuesday, Chili's, Red Mesa Grill, and Red Lobster certainly allowed smoking at that time. Most family restaurants had smoking sections even if alcohol wasn't served. There were exceptions that went non-smoking long before it was the "in" thing to do such as Pizza Hut. That all changed this summer when Michigan enacted the big ban.

I stand by my comments in post #4.

Obviously, I could (and did) sit through a meal with my family without vaping at the table. Would "I" have enjoyed it more had I been allowed to vape...certainly. Do I expect special privleges that smokers don't have-no...they could vape with me. The lady with the ounce of musky perfume sitting at the next table or the cleaning product sprayed on the table near me bothers me due to allergies that I take injections for. Do I want them banned in public places? Of course not. I also don't think using a product that has been proven safe enough to be approved for use at concerts, school plays, bars etc. should be ostracized because it "looks like" something else. I just wonder how much .... kissing of the non-smoking nazi's we should participate in. I don't think we need to be "in your face" but I also don't think we should hide it whenever it is allowed. Hence my asking . The more the public sees this new technology and is informed about the benefits the better. Would I stand up in the middle of the restaurant and give a presentation-heck yeah if management asked me to....

 

[NJDev78]

You make some great points. I suppose I've already got that defeated feeling, because I personally don't believe we will ever be able to vape in places that have banned smoking. Trust me, I would love to just as much as you, but I'm afraid that ignorance has always been one of the most prominent features of our species =)

In regards to vaping in TC, I didn't visit any of the chain restaurants you mentioned, just smaller local bars. I also looked back at my calendar and was mistaken, it was September, not June. June was Detroit. Let's just say I preferred TC lol