My husband's company has an annual Christmas party for all of their employees and spouses/dates and while we skipped last year's this time we bit the bullet, dressed up in our best and headed out....me and my bright-pink eGo with my vaping supplies in tow (yeah, it doesn't all fit in a pretty little fancy bag, but I endured with a bigger one LOL).
I asked at the front desk of the hotel that was hosting the party and they were perfectly fine with me vaping in their party room, lobby...wherever! This was the El Tropicano (Holiday Inn) on the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio and I was very pleasantly surprised that they were so nice and accommodating. (They also have a lovely smoking area right on the Riverwalk so hanging out with the analog-types is no huge trial, either.) One hurdle down!
I had no idea what the folks my husband works for and with were going to think but...well no guts, no glory, right? I had NO idea who to ask about it so after the chit-chat and the dinner I, very tentatively I admit, hauled out my eGo and fiddled with it a bit before sneaking in some stealth vapes...then when most of the other folks had headed to the casino room vaped more openly. Nothing....headed into the casino room with everyone else (with a few drinks under my belt
) and vaped just as openly as I do at home.
Not a batted eyelash...no funny looks....everyone acted like it was the most normal thing in the world and no different than everyone downing drinks or coffee (they have a kick-.... coffee shop in the hotel...I had 2, of course)... it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I'm old enough to remember the days of smoking areas at schools...when noone thought a thing of it when you lit up in their car or their house and restaurants didn't send you packing outside to have an after-dinner smoke (can't call those the good-old-days but I bet some of you know what I mean here). It was almost the same feeling of 'business as usual' as that used to be...only better! I had a terrific time.
Even afterwards with the obligatory bar-visit (yes a few more drinks under the belt. I go out once a year on average so I tend to go a tad...well...overboard. I even danced, LOL) I asked at the door and was told that vaping was fine (they had a smoke machine running the entire time so probably noone noticed anyway. This was at the Bonham downtown if anyone local or visiting is looking for a place where your PV won't get you thrown out. Side-note, a room full of smoke machine + hubby's cologne is like breathing favourite-scented vapor...a seriously cool deal there!)
I wanted to share here since this was a beyond positive experience for me as a vaper and I hope that more and more of us get to have little moments like this as time goes on. I figure that the more we're out there and accepted maybe...just maybe....there will be more folks out there willing to speak up and speak out as the anti's ramp up their idiocy.
Vape on, folks...there ARE places and people out there who DON'T see us as smokers, who can be accepting accommodating and kind...and actually GET IT!
I asked at the front desk of the hotel that was hosting the party and they were perfectly fine with me vaping in their party room, lobby...wherever! This was the El Tropicano (Holiday Inn) on the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio and I was very pleasantly surprised that they were so nice and accommodating. (They also have a lovely smoking area right on the Riverwalk so hanging out with the analog-types is no huge trial, either.) One hurdle down!
I had no idea what the folks my husband works for and with were going to think but...well no guts, no glory, right? I had NO idea who to ask about it so after the chit-chat and the dinner I, very tentatively I admit, hauled out my eGo and fiddled with it a bit before sneaking in some stealth vapes...then when most of the other folks had headed to the casino room vaped more openly. Nothing....headed into the casino room with everyone else (with a few drinks under my belt
) and vaped just as openly as I do at home.Not a batted eyelash...no funny looks....everyone acted like it was the most normal thing in the world and no different than everyone downing drinks or coffee (they have a kick-.... coffee shop in the hotel...I had 2, of course)... it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I'm old enough to remember the days of smoking areas at schools...when noone thought a thing of it when you lit up in their car or their house and restaurants didn't send you packing outside to have an after-dinner smoke (can't call those the good-old-days but I bet some of you know what I mean here). It was almost the same feeling of 'business as usual' as that used to be...only better! I had a terrific time.
Even afterwards with the obligatory bar-visit (yes a few more drinks under the belt. I go out once a year on average so I tend to go a tad...well...overboard. I even danced, LOL) I asked at the door and was told that vaping was fine (they had a smoke machine running the entire time so probably noone noticed anyway. This was at the Bonham downtown if anyone local or visiting is looking for a place where your PV won't get you thrown out. Side-note, a room full of smoke machine + hubby's cologne is like breathing favourite-scented vapor...a seriously cool deal there!)
I wanted to share here since this was a beyond positive experience for me as a vaper and I hope that more and more of us get to have little moments like this as time goes on. I figure that the more we're out there and accepted maybe...just maybe....there will be more folks out there willing to speak up and speak out as the anti's ramp up their idiocy.
Vape on, folks...there ARE places and people out there who DON'T see us as smokers, who can be accepting accommodating and kind...and actually GET IT!
) of vaping. They might not change policy across the board but the might just start thinking in the right direction.
