I smoked for decades. I smoked in the days when it was acceptable everywhere -- stores, restaurants, planes, offices. I chain-smoked in my own office and carried my ashtray to the conference room for meetings. I was the head of my department and my mostly non-smoking subordinates put up with my constant blue fog ... and stayed quiet about it. Because every officer of the company also smoked.
As times changed, I very reluctantly changed with them. When the big boss finally said, "We smoke only in the smoking area from now on," I did as I was told, though I was less productive because I took so many breaks. When the law said, "No more smoking in these public indoor places," I grumbled, but I complied. When the law went further and said, "No more smoking in these public outdoor places," I ranted at the hypocrisy and injustice, but I complied. I sought out places where I was still allowed to smoke. And I became increasingly aggressive if someone asked me not to smoke in those places, even when the request was polite and respectful. If the request was less than polite, so was I.
Six months ago, I became a vaper. I do not smoke. I no longer behave as if I were a smoker.
So far as I (or anyone else to date) can determine, my exhaled vape is not dangerous to others and is no more likely to irritate even an asthmatic than heavy perfume or aftershave. Its sometimes lingering odor is certainly less offensive than body odors or cooking smells we encounter daily. For me, vaping serves the same function as chewing nicotine gum or using a prescribed nicotine inhaler, but is significantly more effective.
So I vape anywhere I would chew gum, wear scents, or sweat. I vape in stores, restaurants, bars and auditoriums, but not in spaces where other people are very close, because exhaling obviously into a stranger's breathing space is rude, even without the plume of vapor. I have NEVER been approached and asked to stop. I have often been asked, "Is that one of those electronic cigarettes? Do they really work?" and I am always happy to take that cue to educate and evangelize on behalf of vaping.
How would I react if I were asked to stop? I'm not sure. I'm inclined to think I would start a conversation, the tone of which would depend on the asker's attitude and reason. We'll see when it happens, I guess.
In the meantime, I will vape on.
