We all love to vape, and we like to vape wherever and whenever we want which is fine in a lot of cases, but there’s no excuse for being an impolite vaper.
That’s why we’ve compiled the top 5 tips for vaping without stepping on anyone’s toes. Take these suggestions on board and you’ll be champions of E-Cigaretiquette.
Even though you are ostensibly allowed to vape anywhere, you should always at least ask if you’re in a place where your vapour might potentially annoy someone, like a restaurant, in a queue or in the office.
Some people aren’t going to like being in or even near your vapour cloud, and instead of getting defensive after they’ve asked you to stop it’s much better to ask beforehand whether they’d mind. Quite a lot of people are ok with it, and some may simply ask for a quick explanation before they tell you it’s fine.
It’s all very well vaping after a meal, but try not to fog out the table while other people are still eating. As well as being rude you might even alter the way their food tastes, and nobody wants that.
If you can’t wait, move away from the table. If you’re at a restaurant maybe pop outside or if you’re at home move to another room or far enough away from everyone that you won’t bother them.
If everyone’s finished and you want to lean back and have a quick vape, refer to rule one; just ask.
Nobody enjoys being trapped on public transport and it seems like a perfect opportunity to have a quick vape, but have some consideration for other passengers; if you start vaping you’re not trapped in there with them, they’re trapped in there with you.
Depending on the length of your journey you should really just wait until you’re free. If you’re on a train for a long time and just can’t wait, at least move to a less populated area and again Rule #1: Always Ask.
Lots of vapers love to blow huge clouds, the recent influx of cloud tanks and drippers designed for this very purpose is proof of that. It’s possible, though, that other people may not appreciate your massive plume as much as you do, some people might even get worried if they see a massive cloud of white vapour and didn’t see the source.
As such, it’s sometimes more polite to have a ‘walking around set-up’, maybe leave the cloud tank at home if you’re going out with friends or to the shops. Using a smaller tank and/or a smaller battery is going to allow you to vape without fogging out a whole room full of people.
People are going to ask you about your e-cig, whether it’s a small cig-a-like or a great big mod, because people are interested in new technology or they want to reassure themselves.
When this happens you sometimes want to give them a long, technical explanation of vaping. This can do more harm than good, confusing them isn’t how we make vaping more acceptable and recognised.
Keep it simple. Explain that they aren’t seeing smoke but rather vapour, explain why you like to do it and if they ask, maybe tell them where you got yours or suggest a good place to get a starter kit (send them to TABlites if they want the very best).
Other times you just want to vape in peace and can’t be bothered having a conversation. That’s fine, but at least be polite. They’re only curious and remember; you didn’t know anything about e-cigs just a few years ago either. Just tell them that you vape instead of smoking and that you like it but you’d rather not have a long conversation about it. They’ll understand.
One more thing; don’t look down on smokers. They just haven’t found the right e-cig for them yet. There’s no need to try to ‘convert’ them. It’s going to annoy them more than anything, and it’s probably the least helpful way to let them know about vaping. If they ask you about it, let them know, but don’t approach a group of smokers and start preaching like some sort of evangelist.
Stealth vaping is exactly what it sounds like, vaping in a way that (you think) nobody will notice.
Some people blow the vapour into their shirt, some hold the vapour in until there’s almost no visible vapour to exhale (affectionately known as a ‘ghost hit’ or ‘ghost vape’ in some circles) but we’ve all done it.
Is it okay to stealth vape, though?
If you’re in a place where you have been told you cannot vape, then perhaps not. You’ve been asked not to do something and have decided to do it anyway regardless of somebody’s wishes. That’s impolite at least and also a little juvenile.
However, some people stealth vape in order to reduce the possibility of annoying others, an example from my own life is when I went to the cinema. I didn’t want to miss the film by nipping outside, but also didn’t want to annoy anyone. This lead to some stealth vaping, which nobody noticed or if it was noticed, nobody seemed to mind.
Stealth vaping is an odd one, then. Sometimes acceptable, sometimes not. It’s a judgement call on your part, but it’s best to think about how your vaping will affect those around you.
Not a tip, but something to consider:
It’s never a good idea to vape when there are children nearby. Even though there’s no danger from ‘second-hand vaping’ parents still don’t want their children exposed to things that they may not understand.
It’s also important to remember that children copy adults, and while vaping is safer than smoking, nicotine is still highly addictive and by vaping near kids you are basically endorsing an addiction to nicotine, even if you don’t intend to. If you want to vape and there are children nearby, move away to another area or at the very least ask the parents whether they mind you vaping.
Most of the suggestions above are just simple common sense. If you didn’t vape, what would annoy you about vapers? Just try to avoid being the person making the faux pas.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be a polite vaper in no time.
Are you a polite vaper?
What are some things that other vapers do that get you riled up?
Let us know in the comments below.
As always if you have any questions or want to know more about e-cigs or TABlites, give us a call on 0161 832 4311
or email info@tablites.com