Utah e-cigarette user / idiot arrested for throwing peanuts at flight attendant

[Placebo Effect]

Utah man arrested for tossing peanuts, pretzels at Southwest Airlines flight attendant

They say Sefilian was on a flight from Los Angeles to salt Lake City on Monday evening when he attempted to smoke an electronic cigarette. The complaint says a flight attendant repeatedly told him it was against airline policy and to put away the device.


Authorities say Sefilian became enraged and threw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant.

Hopefully this man is not a member of the Utah Vapers Coalition.

 

[Mr Pink]

Doesn't help the cause, certainly.

 

[Demarko]

I'm guessing it was just the last straw after a long string of things that greatly annoyed him while trying to fly. Remember when flying was a customer experience, and they worked hard to make sure you enjoyed it?

 

[Vocalek]

Peanuts and pretzels? No wonder he was upset! I got Golden Oreos and Cheeze Nibs on my SW flight from DC to Denver.

 

[Jacinda222]

I don't know him. I don't think...

 

[Ande]

There are hundreds of thousands of vapers in the US.

In any group of that many people, there are going to be a substantial number of total tools. They aren't representative of course, but they do make us all look bad.

This is why I don't think we should be stealth vaping on flights, by the way. One mess-up, and you've got a headline that makes the cause that much harder to fight for. We need to fight against unfair regulations, wherever we find them, but we also need to do all we can to make our image accurate: We vapers are mostly smart, well informed law-abiding citizens. We have to make sure people know it.

Best,
ANde

 

[lolady]

I wonder if he was maybe trying to do it without a good support group, and thus doing something like trying to go directly from tobacco cigarettes to zero nicotine electric ones...

 

[Vocalek]

There are hundreds of thousands of vapers in the US.

In any group of that many people, there are going to be a substantial number of total tools. They aren't representative of course, but they do make us all look bad.

This is why I don't think we should be stealth vaping on flights, by the way. One mess-up, and you've got a headline that makes the cause that much harder to fight for. We need to fight against unfair regulations, wherever we find them, but we also need to do all we can to make our image accurate: We vapers are mostly smart, well informed law-abiding citizens. We have to make sure people know it.

Best,
ANde

The only reason this particular story made headlines was because the passenger did not handle the situation well. There is no law against vaping on a plane. There may be rules, there may be regulations, but there is no law against it. The law he broke was to fail to follow the directions of the flight crew. If he had responded, "Oh, I'm sorry. Sure, no problem," and put away his device, there would have been no headlines at all. Nobody would have known about it besides him, the passengers around him, and the flight attendant.

 

[GitMoe]

Did an immediate :face palm: last night when I saw this on the news and the reporter mentioned the e-cig part. Made me sad. Stealth vape people! lol. The clouds of vapor are fun and satisfying but there's a time and place for it. On an airplane certainly isn't a good idea...

 

[Vocalek]

I wonder if he was maybe trying to do it without a good support group, and thus doing something like trying to go directly from tobacco cigarettes to zero nicotine electric ones...

Good point. Many people get incredibly grumpy without nicotine.

 

[VaporTrails]

I heard about this from some co-workers this morning. Once getting home and seeing it was another Utah e-cig user made it worse. I've tried pretty hard to show others how much of a positive impact vaping has vs tobacco, and crap like this makes the headlines. Throwing stuff at the flight attendant? I remember doing that in elementary school, not in a plane.

 

[Vap0rJay]

I heard about this from some co-workers this morning. Once getting home and seeing it was another Utah e-cig user made it worse. I've tried pretty hard to show others how much of a positive impact vaping has vs tobacco, and crap like this makes the headlines. Throwing stuff at the flight attendant? I remember doing that in elementary school, not in a plane.

Yeah but let’s face it, Charlie Sheen uses them and that boy is a lil
Lohan uses em too so.................

I'm sure there’s some mass serial killer somewhere who has one... was in that movie Salt lol. Priests are in the news for being pedos. I mean, just cuz he had a e-cig... really????????

There are alot of unstable people in the world - period

 

[Kurt]

the real story is what has happened to him? was he booked and fined or jailed? or was he just let go after the hoopla he caused on the plane?

In other words, don't assume he wasn't payed to do this to make ecigs look bad. They are always getting more and more creative to come up with things to turn people away from ecigs. They never ever change their original stupid disproved FDA statements, no matter the facts or research, and now they are getting desperate. And stupid will always try more stupid if they are payed well enough for it.

 

[GregH]

The only reason this particular story made headlines was because the passenger did not handle the situation well. There is no law against vaping on a plane. There may be rules, there may be regulations, but there is no law against it. The law he broke was to fail to follow the directions of the flight crew. If he had responded, "Oh, I'm sorry. Sure, no problem," and put away his device, there would have been no headlines at all. Nobody would have known about it besides him, the passengers around him, and the flight attendant.

Yes. I think the point of the story is that a 42-year old adult threw a temper tantrum that might be expected from an ill-behaved 9-year old child. The fact that an e-cig served as the impetus of said tantrum is material and unfortunate for us.

That said, I'm going to show my ignorance. I thought that once the TSA declared the use of PVs to be not allowed on planes, that their use became illegal by default. Is that not how it works? I honestly don't know and am curious.

 

[Placebo Effect]

That said, I'm going to show my ignorance. I thought that once the TSA declared the use of PVs to be not allowed on planes, that their use became illegal by default. Is that not how it works? I honestly don't know and am curious.

Thankfully, as far as I know, the Department of Transportation has to go through a formal process to institute regulations.

 

[Biomom]

Thankfully, as far as I know, the Department of Transportation has to go through a formal process to institute regulations.

TSA: Prohibited Items

e-cigs are not on the list, however, note the TSA officer god-privelages in this statement on the page: "The prohibited items list is not intended to be all-inclusive and is updated as necessary. To ensure travelers' security, Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) may determine that an item not on the Prohibited Items List is prohibited."

I agree with the other posts, "STEALTH VAPE" It is not polite to vape in close quarters, many people are bothered by anything visible or scented coming from another person's mouth in close quarters. Think about cough drops, garlic breath, sneezing, etc. IF they can pin it on an item viewed as "optional" they WILL complain. With the past 2 decades of negative publicity of cigarettes, people are extra sensitive to anything resembling them or smoke.

MOST smoke detectors detect smoke not visible particles (otherwise baby powder would set them off); I vape quickly in the loo and enjoy the rest of the flight. If you're super paranoid, carry a mini container of baby powder and say you're allergic to deodorant or vape into your clothing.

Ecigs are not banned, VAPING might be not allowed. Be sensible and careful, and vapers will win!

 

[ECV's]

A Delta Airline employee walked into my store today and informed us that the airports have now banned electronic cigarettes for EVERYONE in the airport. Customers and Employees. Everyone. How's that? Was it this idiot that cause this? I know I flew on 4 planes earlier this month and did not have any problems with airport personel. They x-rayed my e-cig stuff and gave it back with a smile, every time. Now it may look as if we all will hurt from this.

 

[Placebo Effect]

A Delta Airline employee walked into my store today and informed us that the airports have now banned electronic cigarettes for EVERYONE in the airport. Customers and Employees. Everyone. How's that? Was it this idiot that cause this? I know I flew on 4 planes earlier this month and did not have any problems with airport personel. They x-rayed my e-cig stuff and gave it back with a smile, every time. Now it may look as if we all will hurt from this.

Individual airports are choosing to ban the USE of e-cigarettes except where smoking is allowed, but that doesn't change the TSA's position that e-cigs (and other tobacco products) can be brought on planes.

 

[Kurt]

I just flew Delta a few days ago. Had too much change in the front pocket of my carry-on book bag, so they searched it. took everything out other than books and notebooks. Lots of PV gear: batts, cartos, attys, charger, bottled juices (several bottles of 10 mL or less). Zero comments, questions or problems with carrying on a bunch of vape gear. Of course security is for all airlines, but if Delta had some sort of policy of their own, I would think it would have shown up there.

In airports I either use snus or fill cartos with unflavored 36 mg and use a box mod. Looks like a medical device. If I vape I hold the vapor until none is exhaled, and try to do it away from other people. On a plane if it is a long flight, I might take a few stealth hits in my seat over the course of 4 hours, or use snus or lozenges. Nice thing about vaping, I find that if you really take in several good high-nic hits just before you board, until you get that uh-oh nicotine feeling, it is a good amount of time before you start to crave, since the nic is mostly orally trickling in over a longer period. Most flight of 2 hours or less I don't use anything.