Just came back from a Trip via Airline..interesting observations (how to vape in public and NOT to vape)

[FAAmecanic]

Just came back from a whirlwind 3 day business trip that had me SITTING in Atlanta Hartsfield Airport for 11 hours going out, and 14 hours coming back (I could have drove from my house to where my meetings were in 10 hours!!)...but thats another story.

Now for the interesting observation. On my way out while sitting at my gate ...I saw one guy vaping a 808 e-cig. This ding-a-ling was vaping right in front of the gate agent, a pilot, co-pilot, and 3 flight attendants. Not only was he vaping, but brazenly exhaling for all to see. Of course when the gate agent and pilot noticed they yelled at him "You cant smoke here", which he replied "Im not smoking..its an ecig" and hit the e-cig again in definance. Needless to say he was told "one more time and we call security and you get arrested".

This was how NOT to vape in public (especially at an airport where people are already uptight).


On my way back a gentleman and his young daughter were sitting near me AWAY from the gate agent. As he read his i-pad he very discretely pulled out his Ego-C (or t) and would take decent draws from it (while keeping the ego mostly hidden), and hold the vape and slowly exhale to the floor. Not making a big deal of it.

If more vapers would practice some common sense... we would definately then prove to all we have been around and vaping in/near the non vapers, and they never noticed.

I was also amazed that this was the first time I have been at the airport (and I travel usually 2X a year thru Atlanta) and saw TWO people vaping. This was great (if only the one dude wasnt being a jerk and giving us all a bad name).

 

[Dougiestyle]

Sometimes I think a good smack upside the head is justifiable. I think you would have been justified. Or a nut-punch. Just sayin.

 

[mwplefty]

From what I've heard, airports have been stricter about vaping than any other private establishment (bar, restaurant, or non-hospitality workplace). Airlines have flat out banned it. I don't think that stealth vaping is the answer though. The pilot and gate agent were obviously ignorant and stubborn. They knew that he wasn't smoking or violating any written airport rules, and they still threatened him with arrest and detention. You can't reason with blatantly stupid people like that, so it's better just to follow their ridiculous orders and put your e-cigarette away. If it was me, I would've moved to a different area and started vaping after that confrontation. The guy wasn't doing anything wrong, and he wasn't harming anyone in the least. I don't think that he was giving us a bad name because he has the right to blow large clouds of water vapor in the airport provided that he wasn't hindering the airport from conducting business, which he wasn't.

 

[Danidoo]

Well I don't think the pilot or gate agent would have been any more accepting of hooking up a fog machine right there at the gate.

We need to be considerate and less conspicuous.

 

[Tramd]

Honestly I'd say the second guy is more of an idiot for trying to conceal it. Seriously, you're in an airport and you're going to sit there acting suspiciously while emitting vapour around you? How does that seem like a good idea?

Vaping inside really isn't a good idea for the exact reason that people will think you're smoking. Much easier not to be that guy and just go outside or off on your own and deal with people one on one if you need to. Its pretty smug to be vaping indoors and expect people not to freak out because it's an ecig

 

[Mac]

Good greif. Hold your breath for 90 seconds and blow out zilch. Get a mini and it looks like your doing exactly nothing. I figured this out almost 4 years ago on day 2 of owning one...

Seriously. I have vaped in the DMV, in court, in snooty tooty restaurants and every where else I have gone this whole time and no one knows I'm doing it unless I want them to. It aint that hard..

 

[dgm76513]

I've been through Atlanta probably 70 times in the last three years. You might have seen me vaping there

Vaping discreetly that is. Never had a problem or a funny look. I only got those in DFW.

 

[Underwhelmed]

Never had a problem or a funny look. I only got those in DFW.

Everyone gets those at DFW, vaping or not, it's not just you.

 

[samwest]

What Mac said = Common sense. I took 3 trips to Philly from Texas and vaped throughout. Vaped in the hospital today; all the while being quite stealthy. There are and will always be stupid and stubborn people, if racism is any indicator (for one).

 

[FAAmecanic]

I guess my point was if you are going to vape in public...do it discretely. Even though the second gentleman was vaping discretely, it was enough the gate agent saw him, and said nothing. He just wasnt being an ... about it. Not to mention we all were waiting 14 hours!!! If I had my ecig with me I would have been vaping! (still nervous about brining it thru security).

The first guy was in front of the gate, with his feet propped up, being fairly loud and obnoxious. Then to brazenly take a huge drag and blow it out in front of the gate was sheer stupidy. As one poster said he should have been "nut punched".

 

[donnah]

some people are just obnoxious. I would have just gone to the bathroom (every once in a while) and sat in the stall for a few minutes to vape. But that's just me

 

[classwife]

Moved to E-Cigarettes in Public from General E-Smoking Discussion

 

[MickeyRat]

I guess my point was if you are going to vape in public...do it discretely. Even though the second gentleman was vaping discretely, it was enough the gate agent saw him, and said nothing. He just wasnt being an ... about it. Not to mention we all were waiting 14 hours!!! If I had my ecig with me I would have been vaping! (still nervous about brining it thru security).

The first guy was in front of the gate, with his feet propped up, being fairly loud and obnoxious. Then to brazenly take a huge drag and blow it out in front of the gate was sheer stupidy. As one poster said he should have been "nut punched".

I have to disagree. The more people that see vaping in public. The more people willl realize they aren't like cigarettes. The mistake the guy made wasn't vaping openly. The mistake he made was vaping openly with something that resembled a cigarette. Using a device that resembles a cigarette almost always gets that reaction. I vaped openly making no effort whatsoever to hide it in the the Atlanta airport with an ego and no one said a word less than 6 weeks ago.

There's a attitude factor as well. When I vape in public, it's no different than if I'm vaping in my home. I do it minding my own business and I'm not putting on a display for anyone. I'm not hiding it from anyone either. It sounds like this guy was looking to cause a problem. People can sense and react to that.

The thing is, if we don't show people what these things are like, we allow others to define what we are doing.

 

[robo2000]

I will generally vape discretely and if anyone sees and questions ..I just tell them that I smoking.

 

[phil71185]

Just remember when you tell someone the large decive you are holding with the flashing lights is a pipe bomb they are more likely to believe that than its an electric cig that will cause them no harm.

 

[rookbartley989]

I agree with Mickeyrat...I vape when I am at Disneyland, I have only had one person say anything to me and I simply just told her I was not smoking. She asked what it was and I replied it is vapor, she said oh, sorry and when back to her post. I made sure to let her know it was no problem and that she was just doing her job of course. In the park I will usually go off to or near the smoking sections or away from people and blow it into a bush...but never sneaky like, just not willy nilly. At the movies or restaurants I just go to the bathroom and hit up a stall, blow it down into the bowl lol...outside on patios I shoot it straight up, people and myself would know if it was a cigarette right after the first puff if they have noses. I don't fly anymore since I do not want to allow the TSA into my anus, so I have no idea about airports.

Ron -