Vaping in public

[SteelerFan]

Are you shy? are you nervous? is it a stigma? should it be alllowed? do you worry what people may or do think? do you think vapers should follow the same guidelines as smokers? how about professional settings?, ie restaurants, the movies, public trans......

 

[vsummer1]

I am not nervous or shy, but I am respectful. Sometimes blowing plumes of vapor can be unsettling for others in say, a restaurant? They assume where there is smoke there is fire. So if I do, I tend to be a bit more stealthy about it so as not to garner complaints. Nothing will have a place ban them quicker than people complaining to management.

I would rather say I am sorry than ask and be told "no". So I just vape like it is the most normal thing in the world, and try to keep the vapor to a minimum. In all the time I have been doing it, only 2 places have asked me not to.

 

[nova_did_it]

I vape in public. It doesn't bother me but I do field a lot of questions about... "what is that?" I'm always respectful of other people. I won't vape where it specifically says no smoking....although I have stealth vaped before ..oops. I'm not sure if I've got funny looks... I never looked. Lol

 

[Baditude]

I am not shy at all. I've been vaping in public from the beginning, starting with cigalikes and on up to mods the size of a Provari or MVP with a tank. I carry my vaping device with me everywhere, usually in a front pants pocket. I occassionally have a vape while in the grocery or department store, occassionally at a bar or restuarant (depending upon the establishment's wishes), concerts & festivals, just about everywhere.

I routinely vape in the cinema, however I do it discreetly and stealth-fashion. I always sit in the back row away from other viewers, and only after the movie has started and the ceiling lights are out. I do the double inhale technique to hide the vapor.

Vaping is not yet widespread in my city. I have yet to see another vapor "in the wild", however I have at our local vape store. I don't get any strange looks while vaping in public. In fact, the few times that people have taken notice they have asked what it is that I'm using, where did I get it, how does it work, and how much does it cost. I often have business cards of my local vape shop and will offer them a card.

I've only been asked to "stop smoking" once. A customer was eating his meal in a primarily take-out Chinese restaurant while I was waiting for my carry-out order. He was seated at a table at least 20 feet away from me and I was standing at the exit door. I took a couple of vapes and he saw me. He asked that I stop smoking as he was allergic to smoke. I politely said it's not smoke, but water vapor from an electronic cigarette. He then appologized and returned to finishing his meal, and I out of respect to his wishes I did not vape any more.



Provari Mini, iTaste MVP, Smoktech Gripper

 

[Archimedes]

I vape in public often but, as most others on this forum seem to be, I am respectful with my vapor production. If I'm inside somewhere I stealth vape if I can't wait until I'm done with whatever I'm doing there. Forgot to mention that I vape rather indiscriminately at concerts and the like.

The other day I was questioned about what it was by someone and they asked why anyone would spend that much money on one if it put out barely vapor compared to a Blu (they turned out to be a smoker trying to quit using gas station cigalikes) so I felt obligated to blast a plume out in CVS. He was so impressed by the delicious smell and thick vapor that he wanted to know what site I got it from. Hopefully he'll be an ex-smoker soon enough! I suggested he come onto this forum too to ask anything in the future about upgrading his setup or if he wants the support of other vapers.

 

[Limner]

I don't really think of things like this as "vapers should or shouldn't". What I should or shouldn't do is another matter. For me, it's mostly a matter of relying on my own sense of courtesy. Other people will have different ideas about it, and that's fine.

Restaurants? I'm not sure anyone near me would be thrilled being surrounded by clouds of my flowery-smelling vapor while trying to enjoy their steak and potatoes.
Movies? The people behind me probably want to see an unobstructed screen.
Professional settings? I'd ask whoever's in charge there, unless I'm the guy who owns that setting.

As for shyness, I didn't need to begin vaping to possess that character trait, but I'm not nervous about vaping in public. It's not a stigma where I live because vaping isn't familiar enough to most people to condemn in any meaningful way.

I'm a bit surprised I haven't been questioned by anyone about it when I do vape in public -- I've got a stack of business cards banded into little packets in my wallet for ECF, CASAA, discount cards to online stores and local B&Ms to give out when somebody finally does ask me about it.

 

[vladzilb]

I typically look down when I go out to have a vape while at work but that's because I'm reading ECF threads on my phone

I work in a large building in NYC so I have to stand outside with the analog smokers. Only been vaping two months but the smell of analogs is starting to bother me. I do get strange looks from people who are passing by as well as the analog crowd. NYC hasn't caught on to vaping yet. I respect all the non smoking laws and haven't tried in bars, restaurants, movie theaters, etc., we'll except a few occasional stealth vapes.

 

[madqatter]

I smoked in public, so I have no problem with vaping in public.

Outdoors, I feel free to vape wherever I want. The only thing that would stop me would be something like unavoidable proximity to someone to whom it is nauseous (this has not yet happened, but I would not be obnoxious or rude).

Indoors, I would only vape with prior permission of the homeowner, proprietor, manager, etc., and only in a place where I would not mind other people vaping (I really wouldn't want someone else vaping banana menthol near my steak, for example, so I'm not going to do that to someone else).

 

[happydave]

i vape in the car or walking around on the street. but i refrain inside any sort of public building, unless its like a hotel room or something. IDK but for me half the fun of smoking was getting up and going outside for a bit.

 

[nosmoke12]

Only been at it for a month or so but so far I've yet to ask any indoor place if it is alright, I want to ask my managers but I work at a grocery store so I'm assuming the answer would be no, I have on occasion done a few stealth vapes at work and restaurants/bars. I'm not shy about it, as other people mentioned, I smoked in public so I vape in public, out walking, in my car, standing outside etc. Have been out of lincoln since I started and so far no one has approached me about it or said anything and I haven't seen another vaper in this town yet, hopefully I'll see some fellow ones when I move back to lincoln next week though!

 

[silentt]

Public where smoking is allowed= huge clouds of amazing vapor.

Public where smoking isn't allowed= hold the vapor in so it isn't that visible.


Don't ask for unwanted attention and educate the people interested. Live life positive and positive things will come to you.

 

[eolgaming]

I was nervous about doing this in my home town.. I just moved across the country and no longer am nervous... I was just worry about being judged by stupid old people who wouldn't listen to me saying ts nearly harmless. lol

 

[DrBeaker]

I'm shy and timid about vaping in public. I almost quit my job because my boss thinks if it has nicotine in it and it looks like I'm smoking a big crack pipe it must be bad. I do everything I can to be stealthy and not allow him to see me vape. I don't use my big battery and vivi nova around him ever! I've tried to educate him...

 

[JackShift]

i feel like im doing somthing wrong and im pretty shy to do it in places that dont allow smoking but i still stealth vape, but in public where smoking is allowed i feel free to vape and blow big clouds and all the O's i can. if anyone ask's about it i just educate them on what it.

 

[Jumpin' In...]

I'm not shy or nervous about vaping in public. I'll vape wherever smoking is allowed. I would even vape in some places where smoking is NOT allowed, such as in a open-air, no smoking public park or on the sidewalk just outside of a store if I don't think anyone would be bothered. I won't vape indoors in a place I don't own without first asking permission, but I would more likely just go outside if I really needed to vape. I might stealth vape in some circumstances (getting stuck in an airport between flights comes to mind), but I have yet to do so. I'm less likely to vape if I think people will be bothered by it - even in my own house.

BUT...I might be more likely to vape if people are unreasonably .....ing about it.

 

[happydave]

my boss said it was fine to vape in the lunch room or warehouse just not in my cube because of the confined area me and like 8 other people worked in. still went outside though.

 

[SonicTraveller]

I just started vaping, so it still feels strange to me to vape in places where I'm not supposed to smoke, but it also felt strange back when I smoked cigarettes and ended up smoking in a bar that allowed it. I have no problem vaping in smoking areas though. I just try to be respectful everywhere else.

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

I have seen a few in public and always try to give them positive recognition. A few have approached me, seeing my PV. I never vape where I couldn't smoke. I am an ardent anti "stealth vaping" person, I just think it puts vaping in a bad light. I also do not get militant with people, as there is no 'right to vape'. I wish people would stop saying that. I always ask if I can vape in someone's car. I never assume that I can vape anywhere I want. Saw a guy vaping in Walmart and suggested that he shouldn't do that. Just my two cents.

 

[timboroks]

I vape in public, class, work, while taking a #2, etc... and I do it proudly.

 

[ericm12121977]

The law of stealth vaping? Yes it is polite to not do vaping in restaurants and in crowded movie theaters. But when do you finally have enough of being controlled by ignorance? When do you finally say you have had enough of being dominated by so called elected officials who tell you what is right and wrong in your choices?

I live with a woman who needs/wants nicotine constantly. She used to smoke 2+ packs a day. It made it pretty much impossible to go anywhere without having to see her tensions rise, see her become paranoid and yes this is extreme in most cases. But she is on medication, she is in therapy and doing everything she can to be "normal". Vaping has saved her life as well as our lives together.

Yes she stealth vapes everywhere we go. Restaurant bathrooms, almost entirely through a movie when we go out to a movie theater. She knows when she can blow huge clouds and when to keep the vapor to the minimum. She wears her PV proudly around her neck and doesn't hide it ever. Even where she works she shows it off and even explained what it was to management and how it has saved her life. She respects the rules of work and goes outside when it's scheduled break times but she does stealth vape to keep her needs met. We have never been asked to leave any establishment, never been asked to not do it in these establishments and have really only run into people who want to know more about that "thingy" hanging around her neck.

We are advocates for vaping, if only on a small scale by touting the advantages to local people, to smokers who want to listen. We don't force the issue, we respect their right to choose. But in the short amount of time that we have been vaping (10+ months) we have helped many friends and family make the transition and we will continue no matter what. Even my own mother who has been smoking for nearly 50 years and has emphysema and other medical conditions has switched to vaping and her health is improving and her doctor is even seeing the advantages of vaping and has recommended it to similar patient's since they were unable to give up smoking.

Use common sense in your choices but remember that from time to time you have to push back against a corrupt system and do what is right for what you truly believe in.