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There are just as many republicans on board with this as democrats start calling around ask them dont just believe what you see on TV. I dont see ether of the party sticking to their Ideals. I can no longer identify with any of them.
I can agree with that too. I said "Democrats in charge" because this is bill is Democrat written, sponsored, and backed. Sure there are some on both sides supporting it though....the ones trying to buy re-election votes.
These are the nanny state times we're living in. If people think that generations from now, nobody will drink alcohol, smoke or take illegal substances because the children were "protected" from them in public places, they've got another thing coming.
Whew! Just read the whole thread. Just a couple of comments: I sat on my porch on Memorial Day with my Vamo in hand with a county LEO standing 25 feet away, Police, Fire and Rescue driving by my house in a parade. I vaped openly, though I wondered if the LEO who was so close to me was wondering what I was doing. I vape openly in my car as I drive. If they pull me over, they will make me late to wherever I am going. Sucks! But, I would want to show them what I have, explain to them why I use it. My first reaction to this thread was ANGER! I hate being suspected of breaking the law, when I am not. But would it be so easy to say "this is an electronic cigarette, I've quit smoking recently". Last night I was at the park with my granddaughter (the "Litta" in Litta's Gabby) and I again had my Vamo with me. There was a dad there with his daughter and the girls were playing together. I actually said to my gd "lets go get on the swings, let me grab MY CIGARETTE" to ease the dad, who was eye-ing my Vamo. I understood his concern, but since he didn't ask, I didn't say anything. I WANTED to put him at ease. I would want to do that to anyone, and I would want someone to do that FOR ME. I don't think the officer was doing anything out of line. The finger beckoning is going a little far, tacky!!! But he was in the full scope of his responsibilities. Someone expressed a concern, he followed up. The inappropriate (in the park) alcohol may have caused him to believe that perhaps you were doing something illegal and the person with the concern might be right. He needs to do his job. I've lost track of who has posted here, but to the poster commenting that the Northern VA LEO's are simply harassing law abiding citizens, could they be on edge because the NATIONAL CAPITAL is so close? I'm just outside of metro-Richmond, but have spent much time in NOVA. I've never been harassed by anyone except the drivers! Man, you only drive 10 above the speed limit and people are honking, flipping you off, yelling out their windows at you, driving on your bumper (YES, that happened to me, several times). If I had to deal with law abiding citizens like that every day, I might be on edge to. All that to say...."do unto others as you would have them do unto you" plain and simple. Respect goes a long way. I love ECF and the ability to post openly, and appreciate your allowing my--I'm certain it will most likely be--unpopular post.
Welcome to the police state that the good 'ole U S of A has become.
I've been trying to open people's eyes for decades. It has been slowly detoriotating (deliberately designed so), and will continue down this road unless something divine intervenes (anything short of a miracle isn't going to save this Country).
It is funny, because unless you have either been victimized, or been paying attention and keeping your eyes open, or participating in activism in any shape or form, then it is hard to see what is happening to our Country.....most people just focus only on their immediate life situations. Their finances, their children, their jobs, etc. Nothing wrong with that.....in fact, that is what we are SUPPOSED to do.
I'm not surprised...
Sounds to me like the typical adrenaline rush addicted "official" looking for his superiority fix. We're seeing this more and more nowadays, which is why the public is losing all respect. And of course, you can never get in a word edge-wise. He's "The Man"...even though it's only the uniform and badge that has the power...
Bri
Lots of police departments nowadays are being "couched" by Homeland Security. As if that wasn't enough, they are being bribed as well. Fit in with OUR (Homeland Security) program, and we'll donate tanks (I kid you not, look it up), AR-15s, anything you NEED.
Police departments are now being handed millions of dollars worth of heavy military like equipment across the country to play with.....so long as they play ball w/ Homeland Security. They are also CONSTANTLY being told to be on the look out for "DOMESTIC terrorists" which can include anyone and everything, basically. Things are a' changin', lol.
The crazy thing is.....pulling people over and harassing them in the name of the war on terror....the war on drugs.....the war on this/that(whatever fabricated war they have at the moment to further their agenda) isn't even designed to do a SINGLE thing to HELP the people. It is DESIGNED, and I do literally mean DESIGNED to further strip away the rights of individuals. They keep the public CALM while passing these insane laws and agendas by telling us it is for the CHILDREN....or for our OWN good.....but those of us with eyes to see have a much more honest understanding of the situation, which is nothing new, but just getting worse each passing year.
Best of luck to everyone. All I can say is, keep on vaping.....if an officer harasses you, just do as he says, be nice to him, and hope the encounter doesn't take a turn for the worse. These are the times we are living in.
i was thinking police state on the first page.
glad i wasn't there with all my goodies setting new coils or something.
guess he wouldn't have liked a 10ml syringe with a sharp point full of bubble gum juice.
he might have said i was a bubble gum junkie.
that sounds bad even reading it. LOLOLOLOL
bad popo, someone should have written him a ticket.
glad i wasn't there with all my goodies setting new coils or something.
guess he wouldn't have liked a 10ml syringe with a sharp point full of bubble gum juice.
he might have said i was a bubble gum junkie.
that sounds bad even reading it. LOLOLOLOL
bad popo, someone should have written him a ticket.
This kinda reminds me of the person who was pulled for speeding.......they broke the law....and then were questioned about their ecig stuff. I guess officers will want to look at other stuff you have, once you have ALREADY BROKEN THE LAW.
"Maryland Park Service Alcohol Policy
The consumption, or possession of an open container, of an alcoholic beverage is prohibited in all State Park areas, including campgrounds."
Did you have a permit for the alcohol and/or were you in a location where drinking with a permit was legal per their requirements?
If not, you broke the law.
I thought that US Park Rangers all get the same training since they are feds. I spend a lot of time at National Parks, and have stoood around and chatted with many, many US Forest Service Park rangers-----while holding my ecig and mods. Nobody has ever asked to investigate or search me.
Are you SURE it wasn't because you had beer?
I just checked the page:
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests - Camping & Cabins:Campground Camping
It appears that alcoholic beverages are permitted at certain campgrounds, if I have the right place. Some say they aren't allowed, others make no mention of it...so I'm willing to bet some campgrounds allow alcoholic beverages, although I could be wrong.
Even so , if he just had a beer, and was relaxing doing nothing else wrong.....he should have been questioned about the BEER, NOT the ecigs.
The truth is, ecigs aren't used for anything illegal. Time and time again I see posts by people getting harrassed by officers saying ecigs are used for illegal activity, or can be. That is propaganda, and no one really uses ecigs for anything illegal. That isn't an opinion, that is just fact. There is NO reason to be harassed for having an ecig.
An ecig like device would be EXTREMELY inefficient for anything besides doing what it is designed to do....function as a nicotine delivery system. Maybe people were are oblivious to illegals are confused, but it is just absurd to see this disinformation being spread.
Actually I looked into this because of my state's new law and there is one that looks a lot like an eGo. Many of them look like VV APVs but instead of volts and watts they do temperature.
But like I said above, they also have one that looks like an asthma inhaler. Does that mean everyone with an inhaler should be stopped and questioned? Or cigarettes for that matter.
That's not exactly the truth...
"E-Cig" as meant to a vapor of nicotine fluids as and alternative to smoking do not contain anything illegal. However, other devices that happen to look just like e-cigs except on close inspection (IE opening them up) you find that instead of a vapor atomizer there is a combustion plate that combusts things like tobacco leaf and the other one. These devices, also have an atomizer that is a dead ringer for a an atomizer on an e-cig for hash oil. They are legal around the US because their main 'purpose' is combustion of dried tobaccos but law enforcement is well aware that other substances are the more likely use. There were available before the 'nicotine vaporizing' e-cig came along and guess what designs were only modified slightly or not at all for nicotine.
I know this as the devices are sold right next to the ego's in the local tobacco store (we are legal here now) and I hear all about it while the salespeople demonstrate them to possible buyers while I surf the new juice flavors and play with the newest 'toys' for hands on feel before I buy (online most cases cause its cheaper). But I have gotten a real education on these devices.
They are SO similar that I can be standing there with my PV in hand and even a long term user of 'the other type' mistakes me and the device for kindred souls. I was at the counter yesterday and the salesperson pulled out a new version for a customer and the battery with the atomizer looked exactly like my e-juice ego with a drip atomized. And actually made by the same company and it was the same battery and the atomizer was a dead ring even if I believe taken apart they will look different inside. People have various names for them and e-cig is one. In states where this recreation is not legal you may not be witnessing many really public demo's of these models and since you not aware of the other side of the coin give the Ranger a bit of slack for not knowing that there is a perfect legitimate and actually good reason for someone to have a battery with an atomizer on it.
Given that someone who vapes and has for a while cannot really tell the difference from the outside expecting a Law Enforcement official who only has been in-services in the device for fact that these devices can be used for inhaling illegal substances and therefore will probably tend to think that over 'opps that guy is using nicotine fluids'. And if other campers pointed him out to many these device are imagined to be the delivery device of many drugs aside from nicotine (most of which are not legal even in my state).
I had to go to court not more than a year ago to (before the other side was legal) to fight a drug charge for carrying my PV and nic juice and the arresting (and having the nerve to be puffing away sitting in my car next to a police officer at a red light). The officer's knew two things back then - my device was of the same (and probably buy) manufacturer as one used with illegal substances (even if the device was legal because it was made for legal substances - its shocking that someone would do something illegal with it and I am sure ever manufacturer and wholesaler and retailer is just as shocked as I am). The case came out fine once that bottle of what looked like oil with a possibly fake label on it that said it contained nicotine really was what it said it was (after the lab got through with it and determined it so anyway) and a lot of education of the judge, the whole things was dropped. The police were nice through the whole thing and I don't hold it against them - they do have a job to do and PV's don't light up and announce "Its just nicotine sir!" when we drive by. I tell you this not to brag about my almost criminal pass but so you know that I am neither Mr. Ranger's co-worker or a rabid supporter of anything law enforcement does.
And remember, even long before e-cigs were thought of many very innocent objects with very innocent original uses doubled as more 'insidious' tools. There are whole evidence lockers that look more like a kitchenware department then a lock up for drug paraphernalia. Heck, back in the day buying too many steel wool scrubber pads (without soap) would have the check out lady in the grocery store suspicious (okay I lived in the Height District in SF back then but still).
So, yes the Ranger did have enough cause to investigate. I know its easy to get dander up and immediately think "Vaper's Rights" and they are harassing him because they don't like e-cigs or think they are bad. Now that might have been true of the guy that pointed the Ranger in his direction - he might have known volumes about e-cigs but given the report of the conversation this Ranger, the last time he saw a device like this, was in a drug enforcement in-service.
And so, as much as no one likes to support law enforcement when they hear something like this you have to give them some slack for not being able to tell the difference across a campground or for having had an in-service that stressed that devices like these were healthier alternatives for tobaccos smokers - not something illegal drug enforcement concentrates on.
Obvious, if it was mentioned somewhere in their training or who he contacted - probably a supervisor - had has experience with this before and was able to tell the Ranger that since the fluid did not appear to be certain oils and that devices like these were used to vaporize nicotine which is a legal activity - some information is getting there. I am sure that he attitude was mainly because he did not get to spend the rest of the day in the air conditioned ranger's station sipping a soda while he wrote up the paperwork on a big drug bust. It must have been a horrible let down. You almost have to feel sorry for him - I bet that AC would feel nice about then.
This is why education that vaper's need to do is SO important. Law enforcement has to educate its people (sorry that this is the nature of the world) to look out for people breaking law's that we had part of getting on the books and that really are dangerous. I am sure that it is explained that they have a very legitimate use and what that is but that takes up about 2 minutes of the training as an explanation about why they cannot raid your local smoke shop for possession of drug paraphernalia. You could be in the same spot the OP was in any day given being in the right place at the wrong time with a cloud of vapor hanging around your head. And we need to be educated too. Saying that "ecigs aren't used for anything illegal" is lack of education too because the same device sold under a slightly different name can be if you happen to live where some substances are still illegal.
Mason jars to this day still are manufactured for people to use for canning. That's their primary purpose and if you don't know that they can be used for anything but that and you love canning your own food then of course you would assume that those lovely jars (did you know people have them as collectables these days - some of the very old ones with engravings?) could never be used for an illegal purposes and why did CS at Home Depot notify the police that 1 week ago you bought 100 of them because its pick your own green bean season and you going to can all you can pick. So happens in some states, because those jars are used for illegal substances (moonshine) they have to notify law enforcement of large purchases and it is enough to get you investigated. SOme women have learned that its better to hit 3 hardware store for 30 jars each then make a quick stop at one place for 100. And still if they happen to be 100 of them all nicely boxed in the back seat of the car and a police officer walks buy - he may be asking what they are for. And what police officer has no clue that people can foods? That's not even cause by lack of education - its just how this world is and when something has a dual purpose and one is illegal sometimes things get crossed up.
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I haven't had a good read like that in a while. That's nuts what he did. I've had people think it's drugs but not to that extent. It's pretty funny when a manager of a restaurant comes over and asks us a few questions and move the people that complained to another table. Best olive garden trip ever haha.
I just came back to this thread and boy am I glad I did. Buzzz, that was an incredible reference my friend! I just about fell out of my office chair lol
Well, on one hand, I can understand the Ranger's reaction, given the fact that someone else complained, but still... the issue could have been approached in a very different manner...! I mean, I can only understand that overreaction if that same Ranger had the habit of harrassing each and every person he finds smoking a cigarette, to make sure that there's only tobacco leaf in said cigarette! Just because something can be used for illegal purposes, does not mean it is currently being used as such... that's not even an excuse, because if you think a little, almost anything you have can be used 'illegally', right? I can use my credit card to buy stuff I should'nt be buying, my car to drive carelessly while speeding, a kitchen knife to stab someone on a heated discussion, a lighter to start a fire... banning all that stuff isn't obviously the solution, is it ?? 
Well hot darn I must be on the wanted list for picking up a bunch of Mason jars. I read an article on Pinterest on how to make citronella candles and decorate them with lemons, limes and fresh leaves. I bought a bunch of cotton yard to make wicking materials for said Mason yard candles.
Alright guys, don't flame me here but I was discussing how e-cigarettes are now like NIP nursing in public. Back when my daughter was an infant I was harassed at the mall for discreetly nursing in public by a rent a cop. After that incident I kept a copy of the state law in my purse and other informational handouts so they could get back on their Segueway and leave me alone.
Sometimes we just have to be prepared and keep a couple of vaping cards, a small piece about the benefits of e-cigs and even some crap from Blu because it is mainstream and advertised on tv...which means it must be ok...like Vioxx.
Sometimes we just have to be prepared and keep a couple of vaping cards, a small piece about the benefits of e-cigs and even some crap from Blu because it is mainstream and advertised on tv...which means it must be ok...like Vioxx.
Don't they educate these people? Even our city police have been covered on e-cigs and mods and all the information thereof. Stinks like government incompetence, which we've seen more than our share of lately all over the place.
That's why I take a couple of Volt cigalikes when we go hiking in the Great Smokies National Park and Cherokee National Forest. I also use those while driving or out in public where there aren't other vapers. So far, I've never had a question. I was going to PIF them when I moved onto the larger mods, but changed my mind when I pictured myself hiking in the smokies with the giant CVI, lol.
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