WOW, what are some people thinking?

[Some1OnThisForum]

OK, i am fully aware most of us know there are smokers out there who do not understand vaping, and think its weird.

So id like to share a quite disturbing experience with all of you, and disturbing in a way it kinda creeped me out to the fact someone can actually sincerely mean such a thing.

I was at my college, and a professor was outside smoking an analog outside along with others. He was within normal voice range about 6 feet from me. He seemed in happy calm mood enjoying the weather. It was a nice day. Nice fresh air, in fact everyone was in a very positive mood. So i said what the hell, let talk to this guy and tell him about vaping. I did, and he was very open to what i was trying to tell him about how i quit smoking 3 weeks ago because of this, and it takes away all my cravings. I told him "hey give it a try, you cant go wrong". After I was done talking and he had the floor. He said in exact words " Well, sounds like a complete waste of time, and money to me" and gave me the nastiest look ever like i was some sort of scumbag. Im dead serious...right before he uttered those words he gave me the PFFF exhale, and walked away shaking his head no while at the same time fllcking his cig on the ground in front of the door without the courtesy to stomp that nasty thing out.

When i mean a dirty look, i mean a dirty look like he just found out i was some sort of scumbag thief. I mean i have gotten the weirdo look before, and thats just fine, but not that look. Its like i just ruined his whole day.

Waste of time and money? maybe i should just take his advice....i mean Who wants to give up the beautiful body scent of analogs, and that morning cough? I wouldnt...you have to be a complete idiot to want to give that up.


but on the real. Coming from a history professor, you would expect some sort of consideration or intellectual response even if he was against it.

Imagine the balls it takes to tell another human being what you know is the truth about a subject you have no prior knowledge or experience on whatsoever? And I dont mean a general opinion like "oh theres not enough research" I mean he KNOWS ITS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!!! HE ACTUALLY CONVINCED HIMSELF at the Time that his statement Must be the truth!

 

[NoMatches]

I learned very quickly to never approach a smoker and start a conversation about E Cigs. First, smokers are soooo tied of getting it from every direction, they have very short fuses. I know I did. I got some very frosty, and even quite rude receptions doing this since I started vaping.

I only discuss it when approached now.

 

[Some1OnThisForum]

meh, i guess im just different in that aspect, i was always open to people who had constructive critic statements about me smoking. the only person who ticked me off about it was my mom, because i heard it all the time from here twice a day at least.

 

[upStomp]

I'm sure he viewed you as just another anti-smoking zealot. I'd probably have felt the same way if you'd done it to me before I discovered vaping. Replace the word "vaping" with "nicorette" in your original post. Not because they're similar, but because I think that's how he viewed the conversation.

Of course, I'd have been a bit more cordial. But he's in a position of power, and many in that position don't see any use in being respectful of others.

I chose to just be a good example after a couple of similar exchanges. I vape around all my smoking friends, but never talk about it unless they ask. Some are interested, some are not. I'm convinced that they're more likely to try it if they think it's their idea. That's exactly how it worked for me - I saw a vaper at work (Green Cig - blech), tried it, saw some promise, researched, and eventually switched. All he did was walk out into the smoking area and vape.

 

[Dwindacatcher]

I know I hated when people would bring up the fact that I'm smokeing. I'm sure he just thought you were just another anti smoker. I've only been doing this now for two weeks but I've already learned not to bother telling anyone about it unless they ask. I'll give an occasional 'have you ever heard about electronic cigarettes?' when someone notices my device while smoking their cig. Based On their response it's pretty easy to tell if they want to hear about it. Havnt converted anyone yet, but have had people come back to talk about it.

 

[grandmato5]

Sorry to hear about your experience but I doubt all that unusual. I wouldn't have been happy to feel like someone was trying to get me to stop smoking. I don't approach anyone to tell them about my PV's and vaping. I let them ask me if they want information and then I'm more than happy to share all that I know. By simply vaping I have lots of people ask me what it is and how it works.

 

[Joey S]

As a smoker for 29 years, I have tried almost every method of quitting available. Most here can relate to the disappointment of failing every single time. Not to mention the thousands of dollars spent on every new gadget or drug invented.

When I first saw the e-cig, I was reminded of this plastic tube thing that looked like a cigarette that I bought years ago. It was a plastic tube with a little bubble of nic liquid in it that you popped and then puffed on. It was like sucking through a very bad tasting straw. I figured the e-cig was some new version of that and avoided it.

I can relate to the professor. After years of things not working, it really isn't too believable that this device can work. It does work. We are all living proof of that, but it was a hard sell to me personally. Took me over a year to finally buy one.

 

[Levitas]

What I find funny is that he is a History professor...you'd think they would learn from the past.

Past = People DIE from cigarette smoking period.

But anyways, if you had approached me with the concept and I had never heard of it before, I'd politely listen and maybe even ask a couple of questions but in the long run without wanting to stop smoking in the first place, your information probably would've went into one ear and out the other. (Phew, now THAT'S a run-on sentence!)

Don't lose hope though! If you can convince just one person to stop smoking and revert to vaping that's ONE WHOLE LIFE saved. That's someone's family member living that many years later (rather not dying from smoking sooner). That's someone's friend, mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, cousin, aunt, uncle, loved one PERIOD! No matter how much .... you take from trying, it is ALWAYS worth it. To me at least. WELL DONE!

 

[cliff5550]

Unless they express some level of interest, I've learned to not say a word to smokers.

 

[jj2]

Unless they express some level of interest, I've learned to not say a word to smokers.

So true although, depending on the person, I will still approach them.
Generally, I just get close enough for them to see it's not a cigarette and start puffing away. If they are interested, they'll approach me.

Cliff, haven't seen you around for awhile, how ya doing? Come by the Vets forum and say hi!!!

 

[ctourtelot]

My whole poker league laughed at me when I started using my PV at the bar almost 2 years ago. Now I get bombarded every week with questions and suggestions on where to get them. Some people just take longer than others.

 

[UntamedRose]

What I find funny is that he is a History professor...you'd think they would learn from the past.

Past = People DIE from cigarette smoking period.

Actually the whole people dying from smoking is pretty recent. The past is stuff like "3 outta 4 doctors prefer Camels"
Or a photo of a 4 year old little girl with perfect curls "my daddy prefers Marlboro" Back in the days when everyone smoked, everywhere..grandmother talks about smoking during bloody labor in the hospital. They really had no clue how dangerous those where for a long time....and then they did know but hid it from the general public.


Plus after so many crap quit smoking gimmicks, it can only be expected that people will be skeptic.

 

[Levitas]

Actually the whole people dying from smoking is pretty recent. The past is stuff like "3 outta 4 doctors prefer Camels"
Or a photo of a 4 year old little girl with perfect curls "my daddy prefers Marlboro" Back in the days when everyone smoked, everywhere..grandmother talks about smoking during bloody labor in the hospital. They really had no clue how dangerous those where for a long time....and then they did know but hid it from the general public.

True, but it's been well known that cigarettes kill in say the past 20 years? 1990's or so? Maybe sooner? I remember growing up and our school would have D.A.R.E. sessions in the early 90's about how cigarettes kill etc. etc.

History doesn't always mean that long ago, it's merely any time that has already happened. Plus, I am sure that he, as a History professor, knew well enough the harm of smoking and what it has done to people for years and years (i.e. Cancer)

But you're right, it's not as 'popular' of a subject back then as it is today. None the less, that guy probably shouldn't be a d**k, lol!

Plus after so many crap quit smoking gimmicks, it can only be expected that people will be skeptic.

No doubt. As I once was, as I am sure you were as well. But there is a definite difference from being skeptical and downright ignorant or naive. Skeptics would probably take the conversation with open ears and might possibly move on to do some personal research on the 'subject' at hand (for all I know, he could've done that exact thing!) but those who wish to be completely naive or ignorant on purpose (they smoke cigarettes, don't want to quit, don't care if they die, don't care if there's an alternative that will work) well I honestly find that unacceptable. But then again, I wish to preserve life if possible and I have some extreme views on the situation. (Ironic that I, a smoker just 8 days ago, could feel so strongly about it? Not really, I've always hated smoking. I just happen to be or happenED to be weak willed.)

 

[DMF]

I love vaping so much I want everyone I know to do it as well.
But I won't tell them about what I do unless they ask , because I liken telling everyone about the wonders of ecigarettes to those evangelists who come up to me and get in my face, and preach for our entire encounter.

I HATE when people do that to me. I was raised to "show" I am a follower of my religion , and others will want to follow simply because of my example. Those who push it at me make me want to avoid both them, and their religion.
While vaping is NOT a religion(to most lol) the word of mouth way we show others about it is essentially the same. Therefore I show how much vaping is doing for me and people ask about it. Then I tell them, but only a little. I tell them to come here and READ about it and get facts about it and make a decision for themselves based on their knowledge

 

[Wuzznt Me]

Vaping isn't for people that need it. It's for people that want it. Smoke breaks and smoking areas are where people congregate for that purpose. Much social contact has been made in these places with people who share the common ground, both those who would like to stop smoking and those who don't. They all still smoke. Although I can vape where they can't smoke, I usually join them for the fellowship and many have commented or asked questions. For those I keep a plastic pack of prefilled carts and offer them a try since the cheap carts are disposable and the only part their mouth comes in contact with. For the rest I enjoy my vape while they enjoy their smoke and talk about the weather or such. Imho it's got to be attraction, not promotion, but that's just me.

 

[TNmetalhead]

Unless they express some level of interest, I've learned to not say a word to smokers.

Yep. Unless they ask, I just stay away from them.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Vaping isn't for people that need it. It's for people that want it.

Truer words were never said, Wuzznt. Smokers don't want to feel "forced" into giving up the habit, and they will come up with numerous reasons why they can't or won't stop smoking. The commonality we vapers all have is that we chose to make the switch. I'm not saying that the OP was trying to be forceful, but the professor he was talking to may have perceived it as being forceful. I know I would have probably had the same reaction, whether it was true or not. I dont' approach anyone to extol the virtues of vaping, even though I love it and feel it has saved my life, because I know that no matter how nice or how enthusiastic I am, 9 out of 10 people will think I'm an anti-smoking zealot. I prefer to let their curiosity get to them first. When they're feeling brave enough, they'll ask and if they're serious they'll make the switch through their own choosing.

 

[LadyMaMa]

I never approach anyone either. The summer before last, I spent the entire summer standing with the smokers outside the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Yes, I got some strange looks, but I also received many questions from those curious and interested in my PV and who wanted to learn more about vaping in general. I like to think that I helped some folks quit cigarettes for good that summer, including some doctors and nurses, too.

Susan

 

[CarolT]

Actually the whole people dying from smoking is pretty recent. The past is stuff like "3 outta 4 doctors prefer Camels"
Or a photo of a 4 year old little girl with perfect curls "my daddy prefers Marlboro" Back in the days when everyone smoked, everywhere..grandmother talks about smoking during bloody labor in the hospital. They really had no clue how dangerous those where for a long time....and then they did know but hid it from the general public.

Plus after so many crap quit smoking gimmicks, it can only be expected that people will be skeptic.

"Pretty recent?" In 1851, in the absence of anything resembling a database, Rev. Trask proclaimed, "It is computed that 20,000 persons every year, in America, go to their grave from the use of tobacco." (Temperance. Weekly Eagle, Brattleboro, Vt., Jun. 23, 1851.) "Rev. George Trask asserts that sleeping with a tobacco consumer actually affects the health of a person who does not use the article. The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal so far endorses his opinion as to say, 'This had not before occurred to us, but on examination of the facts [sic], there appears some reason in the statement." (Kenosha Telegraph, Nov. 19, 1852.). And Rev. Trask's connections at Harvard created its School of Public Health to deliberately commit scientific fraud by using studies based on lifestyle questionnaires to falsely blame tobacco for diseases that are really caused by infection. And they and fellow conspirators at Yale used their political pull to create the National Cancer Institute so they could loot money from the taxpayers to persecute smokers.

http://www.smokershistory.com/theorder.htm#Rev._George_Trask

In the old days, people knew that huckerstering was huckstering, so that advertising stuff was considered harmless. Nowadays, people are treated as if they're too stupid to understand what huckstering is, by charlatans who commit fraud in the name of "science." And they lie that the tobacco industry supposedly concealed the truth, when the anti-smokers controlled the entire research establishment, and every one of their lies was spewed all over the wire services every single time.

Those are all official lies, as obnoxious as anything from Nazi Germany or Communist Russia. As for concealing the truth, how about about the health establishment and their media accomplices coverup of the more than 50 studies showing that human papillomaviruses cause at least a quarter of non-small cell lung cancers?

http://www.smokershistory.com/hpvlungc.htm

 

[Maast]

Those are all official lies, as obnoxious as anything from Nazi Germany or Communist Russia. As for concealing the truth, how about about the health establishment and their media accomplices coverup of the more than 50 studies showing that human papillomaviruses cause at least a quarter of non-small cell lung cancers?
http://www.smokershistory.com/hpvlungc.htm

So what?

Its interesting but that means that also means that 3/4 of non-small cell lung cancers are caused by something else, and that something else is often smoking.

Furthermore thats not relevent to the discussion at hand; i.e. smokers getting irritated at being bombarded with anti-smoking crap, justifyably so IMO. I know it irritated the crap out of me.

Now have the anti-smoking nazis gone overboard and falsified or surpressed data? Probably. However there's good data that smoking is extraordinarily bad for you.