Vaping etiquette

[phantom240]

I vape whenever, wherever. Period. I've only had one person complain. I won't go into detail, but let's just say she was a crotchety one. Everyone else just asks what it is and I've had quite a few good conversations come from it.

 

[Skitty]

I knew one guy with a severe nicotine allergy. This was pre smoking ban, so he literally couldn't even go to a bar, no one could smoke within 30mins of entering his flat... Really bad.

I assume that's a freakishly rare thing, I've never met anyone else with it (or at least that severe), but it's something I'd be concerned about vaping in an enclosed space with people whose medical history I don't know round about.

 

[tj99959]

Just remember that your rights end where another persons begin. So if they wish to not smell your vape ... let them.
It really isn't all that hard to stand DOWN WIND of others when in public. Common sense goes a long ways.

 

[VaperInMaine]

I agree with being polite. I have vaped in stores, making sure not to be obvious, and now blow out vapor. I vape constantly in the car, and have had a few strange looks. I haven't tried during a movie yet, but intend to, I will just have to hide the light completely. Not worried about anyone smelling my awesome vapor, with all the other popcorn smells, etc... When outside, I will use smoking areas, as long as there are no smokers around. I really don't want to smell the nasty smoke. I have had a few people question me, and the general response is positive. I may even have convinced a few strangers to at least give it a try. I did have one guy tell me that my strawberry vapor was making him ill.

 

[RG1971]

I only vape outside, even at home as I never smoked indoors there either as I have kids and never liked my home smelling of cigarettes, and not in smoking areas but also not in anyone's face either. I treat my E-Cig like a normal cigarette, just avoiding the smokers areas. If I did venture into a bar or mall I would not smoke it in there either. Like others have said, best thing is to ask for permission.

 

[madqatter]

I'm brand new to this, about 3 weeks now and was wondering if there was any kind of accepted etiquette when vaping.

You've gotten a lot of different and quite good answers, I hope you don't mind me adding another...

I'm still new to vaping but, even though it's not the same thing, so far I'm handling it a lot like I did smoking. I didn't smoke in front of my friends' children, so I'm not vaping in front of my friends' children. I didn't smoke inside anyone's house (including my own) unless they were indoor smokers, so I'm not vaping inside anyone's house unless they permit it (I may allow it in my own home-- time will tell). I didn't smoke in anyone else's car unless they smoked in their own, so I'm not vaping in anyone's car unless they permit it. I didn't smoke in public buildings and transport, and I don't plan to vape there, either, unless they permit it. As you can see, unless I'm outdoors, explicit permission is going to be a theme for me.

While that may seem restrictive, I think about it this way: I always tried to be a courteous smoker because smoking is harmful, but I'm even more eager to be a courteous vaper, because it appears --to those who do not yet understand it-- to be smoking. I know it's not fair, but anything that appears to be smoking is going to be treated as "guilty until proven innocent," and most of the people I've talked to so far are definitely not familiar with vaping.

I'm not suggesting we should be content with forever skulking in the shadows or anything. I'm just saying that until we can broadly educate the public (so more people are familiar with vaping than are unfamiliar) and correct an understandable misperception (anything that appears to be smoking must be smoking), my general inclination is to go out of my way to be courteous and seek permission first.

That being said, I've been vaping only a week, and I've already gotten to vape in a shopping mall. There was a vape store kiosk and permission was explicit. I've also vaped inside a nonsmoking friend's house. I had been vaping outside, but she actually asked me to do it indoors so she could see me in action. So even my restrictive code has not resulted in much actual restriction.

Courtesy and manners are never a bad thing. How would you feel if the shoe was on the other foot? That is my philosophy on most things, and, generally never misleads me.

I think this not only does a service to the folks around us, it also serves to give vaping a better image while we're educating the public.

I follow the smoking rules. No use in pissing people off who don't understand.... I think it best just to ask, no matter what.

I handle vaping the same way I did smoking: I don't vape inside public buildings, I do it inside someone's home after asking. At a bus stop, I stand well away from shelters/people. I don't vape around children.... the way I figure, if I'm the first vaper someone ever sees/meets in their life, I want their first impression to be remembered as "this guy went out of his way to be considerate".

It's easier for owners to say no than to have to explain a hundred times to patrons why it's not smoking.

Yes, I'm afraid so. This is one of the reasons we ought to be educating as many people as we can, so we won't continue to have this problem in the future!

I rolled down the window and yelled, "it's an electronic cigarett3, nothing illegal!" He yelled back, "oh, I was wondering about that".

Yeah, I can understand that.

 

[RedNBlack]

I guess the rest of the world needs to catch up to this and understand what it is and what it's not. Until then discretion is key.

There ya go spinsheet....
The early adopters waiting on the rest of the world.... to pull their heads out of the sand.

 

[JamezC]

I guess for me that question has different answers depending on the amount of cocktails I have consumed... Haha, normally, I just vape outside when I follow my friends outside to smoke. As the night progresses though, sometimes, I might take a few stealth drags off of my e cig. At work, I pretty much only use it outside. Same thing at my university. They banned smoking on the entire campus even outside, so I just sneak a vape in the bathroom.

One of my classmates vapes in the classroom before class starts. I am not that brave, so I don't do it.

Nothing like a bathroom vape! My university has also banned smoking on campus so that's usually what I do as well.

 

[Ladiekali]

I am mew to vaping. Personally i dont feel comfortable vaping in a store, although i would in the main areas of the mall. I vape in the car, with my kids. Although they are very appreciative of the new rules no analogs in the car or house. I vape at my moms house who only smokes outside. I vape in front of cops. I would not vape in a restaraunt unless there were not many ppl there. I do not feel the need to bape in designated smoking areas, because duh its not smoking. Although i would join a friend if they were to go out for a smoke. I would vape in the bathroom od a nonsmoking establishment. And i would vape in the emergency room if the wait was long. Although i would nit excessively as not to alarm already upset patients. I think just be polite, informative, and friendly about it and there should be no problems. So far ecery one seems intrigued and appreciative that its not a stinky analog.

 

[CMancini]

It all depends on the situation for me. luckily, Maine has no laws regarding vaping except no sales to minor, which I support to an extent anyways, although not fully. I started smoking at 12, and was hooked by 13, would have love to have found vaping when I first tried to quit, 8 years ago when I was 16! I believe no one should vape if they aren't a smoker, but I also believe that anyone of any are, who has been smoking tobacco cigarettes enough to cause dependence, and would like to quit smoking should have every possible option available to them, from NRTs and prescriptions to harm reduction options.
now, back on topic lol! I will vape away at some businesses depending on the business/my relation to business/people who work there/atmosphere. in reverse, if the people give me a dirty look through the window as im vaping outside before I walk in, i'll just avoid the hassle. I will also just not bother most of the time if it will be a quick in and out. The plus side for me, is we have no regulation on smoking in public places/buildings, so even if someone didn't like it, if I politely stop, I will be perfectly fine. At a business I visit frequently, like my grocery store, I approached the management first, and clear it to be okay, and sometimes it is. it is just good publicity for vaping in general, if we ask polite sometimes. I guess it comes down to my mood as well, sometimes I just don't care, its proven to be harmless to others, so especially if I have issues with the store I will just go.

now, when I started to vape at work, I made sure to get the go ahead, because that's my jobs man, I anit getting fired for vaping at work lol. This went great though! I just didn't vape or vaped outside, or just smoked analogs, in the beginning because I didn't think to ask, but then I did. Now I can vape around the warehouse, or sitting in the office, or basically anywhere in the building. this makes me more productive, as I don't need to go outside all the way outside, then smoke, then go back in. also, we have a 9 man crew plus my boss, and 7 of us were/are smokers and so is my boss lol. I have already got one guy vaping, and 2 more said they're gonna start!

 

[markaricavp]

Well being in San Diego and living in Filipino infested areas (I'm also Filipino), there's almost too many vape shops now. Vaping is pretty normal. I've vaped in Starbucks and Walmart, but only locally so far, and also in bars without asking. One of the bartenders complimented on my mod so I assume it was allowed. He vaped too. There are a lot of mechanical mods as much eGo's. Philippine and Korean mods are the norm here. When I "travel", I usually bring my MVP since it doesn't give too much cloud. I could almost vape anywhere with it. I use my mechanical when I'm hanging out with friends or if I know I'll be in one, smoke allowing area. I think NorCal made vaping almost legal anywhere, and SoCal is catching up.

 

[poisonedorange]

I live in the Los Angeles area (suburbs of the suburbs). I won't vape with the people I live around b/c they think they're all gonna die by inhaling anything except the polluted air they breathe. However, in the San Fernando Valley vape all you want. There's a vape shop on every corner.

 

[vaper62]

I like your thread! I personally have gone to my local small town stores/restaurants and "sneak" a vape now and then. But then, in my town, you can still smoke analogs in smoking sections of restaurants. BUT...some excellent points have been made here, and I think I'll start asking permission.