A few weeks ago, I went dancing, and I got part way there before I realized I didn't have my PV. I was meeting someone, and didn't have time to go back. So I thought "I'll try to get by without it. If I have to, I still have an emergency cig pack, I'll smoke a few".
And I did. I had 4 cigs that night. Before that, I hadn't had a cig in, oh, maybe 4 months.
They tasted horrible. And I wondered if it was because it was an old stale pack that I'd been keeping in the car, so at the end of the night, I bummed a fresh cig from a friend - and it tasted horrible.
This is a "I never thought it could happen to me" story. I had smoked heavily for 30+ years, and I'd always enjoyed it. I was shocked to find out that I don't like them anymore. I'd heard other vapers talk about that, I just didn't believe it would work that way with me, and I'd been nervous about smoking to find out because I was afraid it would just leave me wanting to smoke another one.
My choice is easy. I'm never smoking again. Imminent death wouldn't change that.
If I get stuck without a PV again, I may try a gas-station e-cig to get by.