We Truly are a Small Vaping Community

[tdwave]

Just thought this would be fun to kick around.
Somewhere I read, they estimate there are roughly 43 million smokers... give or take... That is a large number..
I stopped smoking September 24th so i am kind of a newbe. But i live in the South Jersey Shore area, I am in a band so i do get to be among hundreds of people pretty constantly. I am not lying when i say i have not seen or met another person that vapes.. Yes, I do draw attention and get tons of questions but I am amazed on not meeting another minority like me. So I have to wonder how tiny is our vaping community? And how many other vapers in this forum have noticed the same thing?
Yes we are pioneers of sorts..

 

[jj2]

I've converted a few but haven't run into any other.
And it was just recently that two other people from Illinois joined the forum.

 

[firechick]

Same here. There are a few people from my region on the forum, but I have never seen anyone use a PV that I didn't hand them.

 

[Raenon]

A coworker of mine mentioned e-cigs to me after her fiance and another friend got into them, this is what really got me to switch. I've turned another coworker, my sister, and my brother-in-law into part-time vapers as well.

For all the times that someone has asked me about mine, or even flat out asked "is that one of those 'smokeless cigarettes'/'electronic thingies'/'fake cigarettes'?", not ONCE have I run into another vaper in public.

I live and work in central maryland, one of the most densely populated regions in the country, and we've got SE sales people in practically every shopping center. How are there still so few of us? o.0

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

The best way to meet other local vapers is to set up a Social Group on ECF. I helped to organize a local vaping Social Group Forum on ECF for people who live in Arizona. When ever I see someone on the forum that is from my state, I PM them and invite them to our forum and our meet ups. I've also grouped our local suppliers, and they come to meetings as well. We started with 3 and today our group has 86 members signed up here.

We usually have 20 or more show up each month (found a sports bar that lets us vape there!). Great way to have other friends who are like us and understand quitting smoking and the trials and errors of vaping!!

I hope all States can eventually get at least one Social Group forum up on ECF! I've made several really good friends (and if I ever need to bum a charger, or atty I'm set!).

 

[Shortstuff116]

E-cigs just do not exist around here (southern MA), at least I've never seen one or have ever heard of anyone using or even trying one. That being said and being a true newbie myself, I feel like a pioneer around here knowing that wherever I go if I pull out my PV and start vaping, somebody is going to wonder just what the heck I'm doing and I do get curious looks all the time.

But I also make it a point to explain it to anyone who shows an interest or if I see someone smoking (an employee of a business smoking outside) I'll go out of my way to ask them if they've ever heard of or seen one before. If they show any interest I start my "documentary" about them.

It's not going to be any easy sell. These devices are so new, in their own infancy, and just like anything new and unusual it's going to be met with some reluctance, hesitation and caution. Although small, I think that we are actually an important part of public acceptance of e-cigs. For many, seeing us with one and using one may be the very first time they have ever seen one in person and if we provide them with the right experience then we have done a positive thing for the good of future vaping acceptance.

We just have to remember that ANY business owner/manager has the right to refuse us the opportunity to use them in their establishment at any time.

 

[beckah54]

I've been using the ecig since June and I've never seen anyone else use one or even know what they were.

 

[dee5]

I've never seen another vapor either. I hope I'm representing well but I get so nervous and out of breath when I tell people about them. I'm worried I'll leave something out and not hit on the one point that would convince them that they a better choice and to try them. I need cards....

 

[BobbiBilbo]

I work in a building with about 200 smokers. I have been vaping for about 5 months and am still the only one doing so. And that absolutely amazes me!! I get questions all the time. I even keep a M401 on hand with unused prefilled carts to allow others to try. But no one else has joined me.

Everyone is impressed with how easily I have been able to quit smoking, but I guess they simply are not interested in quitting. Even with an e-cig, ya gotta want to quit or it simply won't happen.

 

[Slickstick]

Very good post. We are all in the same shoes. I was laid off of a three year karaoke gig today and I believe the Virginia smoking ban on Dec. 1st may have contributed to that. The bar is always full of smoke. The owner showed disregard for the smoking ban about to take effect. I have been vaping in the bar for three weeks. Although many were interested, I didn't want to sell them. But I gladly pointed people in the right direction. I don't think my employer took it to well.

 

[tdwave]

Hey Dee,
Don't be afraid of nothing. You and all the rest of us are going to live longer because of vaping. It will catch on more and more. Just show it around. Don't even have to try and sell it. Who really wants to stop will listen. But show your confidence. What is true is what BobbiBilbo just wrote in with, I to have shown my e-cig to many. I laugh now because one guy in my band is standing there hacking to death and says, naw, if i am going to die ill do it with something i know about.. i swear, i laughed real hard. But i know the mentality. I smoked for 30 plus years and just about gave up thinking that i was going to die because of smoking. Thank God for whoever thought of this Product.
Just Vape on

 

[oldtechno]

I've never see one either (no advertising over here).

On the other hand, one of the questions asked on this forum had over 200,000 views.

No matter how I crunch the numbers it still comes out to a lot (no more advertising I've seen. Obviously, people in those malls that see e-cigs--and have a computer with the internet--do look it up.

What we need is a BIG!!! super highway sign that says ECF.com .....nothing else. The ones that are quick will look it up--they'll help spread the word.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

The only vaper I've ever encountered in person was CyberWolf (he and I live quite near each other), but we connected here on ECF, went in together on a Heaven Gifts order, and met for lunch to divvy up the goodies.

Most people who have seen me vape have been mildly curious, but the smokers among them have seemed reluctant to pursue vaping. In two cases, I actually gave acquaintances a kit (hand-me-downs: used but functioning battery + fresh cartomizers + USB charger): one wound up giving it back to me after half-heartedly trying it; the other is trying his out very tentatively. He's had it for almost two weeks and had tried only one of the five cartomizers. Geez!

[There was a pleasant exception to this just today: a 30ish couple (smokers) in a car next to mine at the drive-through pharmacy pickup excitedly asked me whether that was a "water vapor cigarette" I was puffing on. I think they might actually come visit ECF as I urged them.]

On average, people (including smokers) are lemmings, afraid to depart from the pack and venture out on their own (even if there is someone there offering them a helping hand). This is somewhat less the case with younger people, but even there, it's the young herd that jumps on the new (iPhones, netbooks, Kindles, etc.).

I know that sounds cynical, but there it is.

 

[KCGal]

I'm in Kansas and believe me when I say there are NO OTHER vapers in this state, I swear. It's just completely unheard of here.

 

[HzG8rGrl]

I have purchased extras for gifts this season and will give them with the exception that if you decide to not vape and stay with analogs-they must be returned to me! I will be watching.

 

[instantinlaw]

It was actually an aquaintance in my area who turned me on to e cigs. He didn't let me try his, but he was very convincing in his praise of the e cig. This coupled with the fact that it was someone I knew got me to order my first e cig.
I ordered my first kit from Jeff at wordupecig because I found out on this forum that he was from Hyannis on the cape and he agreed to let me pick it up (internet ordering jitters). So I guess there are at least a few early adopters in MA.
Almost anyone (smokers anyway) who sees me using my 4081 are curious and I am more than happy to give them a run down on what to do to get one.
I think the main thing stopping people from buying one is that they don't see beyond the up front cost. I guess they don't realize that (in MA anyway) it is the same cost or less than a carton of analogs to get started.
Heck, the way I smoked 2 packs a day, I could buy a starter kit every week and still come out ahead.

 

[Bigbuyer]

I work in an office with 3 serious vapers. One I converted from analogs. Otherwise, I don't come across anyone who vapes. I am surprised it is not more popular. Wonder how CVS is doing with them.

 

[jj2]

I've converted a few but haven't run into any other.
And it was just recently that two other people from Illinois joined the forum.

Ooops, I forgot about the cop I saw one day, I said hi by putting my 102 to my forehead and he picked his up and did the same. It was kind of cool.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

...I ordered my first kit from Jeff at wordupecig because I found out on this forum that he was from Hyannis on the cape and he agreed to let me pick it up (internet ordering jitters)...

wordupecig - I'd never heard of it, so I checked out their website. In addition to the 510, they're selling something called a 520. New to me. Gotta find out more. Of course, this is the same site that calls a mini e-cig in a Smoore's box a DSE 401.

 

[VapingRulz]

A co-worker actually told me about e-cigs. She had the Greencigs, but she told me they weren't working for her because they were too weak. Not a week later a friend of my husband's told him about them (he doesn't smoke) and she sent him info for me about the Vapor King from Vapor4Life. I tried it, I loved it, I stopped smoking immediately, and the rest is history.

My co-worker went back to analogs but says she's going to give the VK a try. Another co-worker tried my VK and thought it was too strong for her (even though I told her they have weaker strengths), and she's also still smoking analogs.

My husband is so thrilled with my VK and vaping that he told a chain-smoking customer about them. (The guy had expressed a desire to quit smoking.) I sent him the info and he ordered the VK but he wasn't wild about the flavors he chose so he put it away for a few days. Last week he came into my husband's business and he was vaping Dr. Pepper like a madman...he loved it! I think he's still off the analogs.

My aunt is visiting for Thanksgiving and she tried my VK but she didn't like it. She did agree to take the business card and keep until she felt ready to give it another try. Maybe she will; maybe she's won't - but at least she knows it's out there. She did note that if they were good enough to get ME to quit smoking, they were definitely something worth looking into.

There is definitely a learning curve and people really need to receptive to making a change. We've all been there, right?

This was my first family holiday in 37+ years where I did not smoke. I used that pv like a pacifier but I didn't care because I wasn't smoking and I was around smokers. I am amazed at how little the smoking bothered me. I wasn't even tempted to smoke. My Keoke Coffee and English Toffee vapes were more delicious than what they were smoking.

I think I'm finally free.