Off-topic rant: "Vapes on a plane" (I wish I were Samuel L Jackson)

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Marc_G

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Hi guys,

I usually don't start threads like this, but I was pretty pissed off on Thursday returning from an overseas business trip.

It had been a long week. 16 hour days starting Sunday. No real downtime. And to cap it off, the airport was a zoo and I was fighting a migraine for the hour I was in line to get my friggin' bag checked. But, I made it to the gate on time, and by the time we took off my migraine medicines (yes, plural) had done their work and I was feeling my body relax toward something like normal function once more, finally.

Remember the medical beds in Star Trek TOS? With the little indicator panel over the head area? All the indicators were center of normal range. I was feeling good, starting to doze off (which is actually pretty rare for me).

All of a sudden I started getting palpitations. I could literally feel my blood pressure rising and could sense the vasoconstriction going on (due to my migraines I have heightened sensitivity to such things). Imagine the TOS medical panel with the indicators all over the place and that pinging sound it made... Could it be the migraine coming back (this would be highly unusual for me)? Heart attack? I noticed I was suddenly quite jittery, but not exactly unwell. What the heck was it?

Then I saw a puff of fog of some sort drift in front of my eyes. At first I figured it was the AC in the plane causing condensation but we were way too high for that. I looked over and saw across the aisle from me a couple in seats A and B glancing around furtively, making sure no steward(ess) was looking, then puffing on their vaping e-cigarettes. Big fog puffs were being blown by the AC system across the aisle over to the center three seats before visibly dissipating.

Seriously? On an enclosed plane? In mid-air? Sending a nicotine fog around the cabin? What is this... 1965?

I was about to confront them an remind them that at least on this airline such activity is strictly against the rules (I'm not sure if it's a law, but they did mention it in the preflight briefing), but just as I was working over my social anxiety, they put away their devices. These were the same rude idiots that were playing video games loudly without headsets earlier. (grr).

Some time passed and my body relaxed back to normal. But then it all started up again about an hour later. I got up to use the restroom, and snagged an attendant. I asked if they were allowed to do that, and the guy told me: "No! HELL NO!" He went over and had a polite but stern conversation with them, while I took care of my own business.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, other than them deciding to watch a movie on their iPhone 6+ with the sound apparently all the way up, but then again that's why I carry earplugs on the plane.

Anyway, there are times I wish I had the gravitas of Samuel L Jackson. I could have confronted them to the effect of "I've had it with those [bleep bleep] vapes on this [bleep bleep] plane!"

OK, ranting about it got this out of my system.

Peace, y'all!

Marc
 
Attention passengers... This is your Captain speaking... We've changed our policy on smoking while flying, as you smokers will probably appreciate. You can find the doors to the smoking area located above the wings. While smoking out there, I will assure you that nobody will complain. If you feel the need to Vape, you will also need to use the smoking area as well.

Thanks for flying with us!
 
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I smoke. I enjoy it. I realize others do not.

Vapers are annoying arrogant douches. It's water vapor? That's cute. If I can smell the flavor, pretty sure I'm also getting chemicals. Why they think it's OK is beyond me.
 
What I don't get is this: why do these freaks believe that everybody around them wants to inhale/injest stuff that's BEEN INSIDE OF THEM? You can rest assured that, if you talked to them with a mouthful of Oreos, occasionally spraying, they wouldn't be as quiet as they expect you to be.
 
Sad.

No one plays a video game/watches a movie without headphones or vapes/smokes in an enclosed social space against rules without knowing they are causing a problem unless they are either 1) Socially tone deaf or 2) Are deliberately being an ass.

FC
 
Vaporizers fill me with rage. Same rules as cigarettes, and I do not care in the least. Insisting that they are somehow different and skirting smoke rules, however, is awful in every way.
 
What I don't get is this: why do these freaks believe that everybody around them wants to inhale/injest stuff that's BEEN INSIDE OF THEM? You can rest assured that, if you talked to them with a mouthful of Oreos, occasionally spraying, they wouldn't be as quiet as they expect you to be.

I agree with your outrage, but cannot support your premise.

We all inhale stuff every day that has been inside other people, particularly in enclosed places....it is called air....:) I can think of a few other gases as well, but those not a subject for polite conversation...:)

Now, do I want to ingest anything besides air or water vapor that has been consumed by another person?.....absolutely not.
 
Yeah, the listening to **** without headphones has got to be the worst. I just tell them to turn it off. If not, push the button... And don't wait 108 minutes to do that.
 
Vapes are definitely forbidden. You should not have to put up with it. If you don't want to have a confrontation yourself with people misbehaving on a plane, call an attendant, or go find one like you did. It's not your job to enforce the rules or common decency, so don't hesitate to have an attendant handle it.

I was on a plane last year when an attendant walked into our section and said, "Ok, whoever has their shoes off, put them back on! I can smell your feet, and I'm sure everyone else can too! I mean, seriously! That's bad!" LOL! I think she was trying to shame that person bad enough that they would NEVER take their shoes off on a flight again.
 
It should be illegal on flights. The smells can trigger bronchospasms.
 
It should be illegal on flights. The smells can trigger bronchospasms.

I think it actually may be illegal in the US. I'm not positive about that, but when the flight attendants do the safety speech before takeof, they always mention vapes in the same breath (!) as cigarettes.

(my iPad keeps autocorrecting, vapes to capes. Capes are fine on a plane, not that I'd wear one.)
 
I would have reported them so they could be cuffed at the gate. I hate flying. Many folks are lacking in common courtesy.
 
It's not just against some rules, it's against the law to smoke on planes if the airline is nonsmoking. Planes have very sensitive smoke detectors, and it says all over that tampering with them is an offense.
 
I'm not sure that vapor from an eCig type of vaprporizer would trigger even an airplane smoke alarm, but it might. And you can be sure that if it did, you'd be arrested. Some vape batteries might also be problematic for flying...

I tried to look up the legality of bringing your vape on a plane and found several stories about the difficulty of bringing your cannabis vaporizer through TSA security in your carry-on and packed luggage! LOL! Apparently, you should clean it completely and still be ready for some trouble!
 
It is interesting to see how technology races ahead of the law. A few years ago, there was no such thing as vaping. Now, it's commonplace, and the law and workplaces are racing to catch up. The place where I work has a "tobacco-free" policy: you aren't even allowed to have cigarettes or whatever in your cars in the parking lot. And by have, I mean possess, not just use. Tobacco may not be brought onto the premises at all. Of course, people do bring it on, and smoke a few feet off-campus in the camera shadow of an electrical pole... it's kind of comical. Anyway, there was a six month window where some folks vaped at work claiming it wasn't tobacco as a defense. The rules were adjusted to apply to vaping as well. The same trend is gradually working its way into laws.

When I got home, I Googled it, and actually didn't find an obvious answer as to whether the FAA allows them to be used in flight or not. USAIR and many other airlines have policies disallowing them, however.

Marc
 
I'm just surprised that people aren't careful on planes these days. All these security after 9/11, people should have a clue that they gotta be above board with the rules. A lot of times rules on an airline aren't just rules, they're law.

About the only thing I'm willing to stretch is baggage size/carry on size allowance... you won't get arrested for having oversized carry on.
 
Annoying, definitely. Told to stop, absolutely. Arrested? Well, that may be a bit over the top, unless the offender starts an altercation.
 
Annoying, definitely. Told to stop, absolutely. Arrested? Well, that may be a bit over the top, unless the offender starts an altercation.

I agree that a person probably should not be arrested for vaping on a plane, but whether or not they actually are arrested would depend on how illegal it is and how seriously it is taken.

I would guess the smoking ban is mostly about public health and the risk of second hand exposure. But on an airplane it might also be about the risk of fire. Do vapes pose similar dangers? Do they fall under similar rules? If so, is it for similar reasons?
 
It should be illegal on flights. The smells can trigger bronchospasms.

I think certainly on flights and form of smoking and capes should be banned. I think perfume should be too. I went to a movie last night with my Wife, and this couple walks in sitting directly behind us. She seems to have taken a bath in perfume, and within 30 seconds my sinuses are rebelling and begin to close up. Do not say a word, grab out coats, and move to a different area in the theater. Felt better in a few minutes.

Yes, I have allergies, and some of the worst stuff is perfumes and the like for me.

Rude ****.
 
I believe there could be some places that vaping is OK but smoking is not, but this is clearly impossible on most planes. If someone could take a little puff and feel much better for the next hour would be one thing (after being on the plane a few hours), but it doesn't really work that way, and sitting back and enjoying is a clear conflict. The "idiots" in the OP are like someone trying to blast heavy metal everywhere they go.

The place where I work has a "tobacco-free" policy: you aren't even allowed to have cigarettes or whatever in your cars in the parking lot. And by have, I mean possess, not just use. Tobacco may not be brought onto the premises at all.

Whether you smoke or not, that seems like to me a big Red Flag about what kind of company that could be to work for. I can't understand how few people see the willingness of an employer to limit other peoples' freedom is still relevant to themselves.
 
Hi guys,

I usually don't start threads like this, but I was pretty pissed off on Thursday returning from an overseas business trip.

It had been a long week. 16 hour days starting Sunday. No real downtime. And to cap it off, the airport was a zoo and I was fighting a migraine for the hour I was in line to get my friggin' bag checked. But, I made it to the gate on time, and by the time we took off my migraine medicines (yes, plural) had done their work and I was feeling my body relax toward something like normal function once more, finally.

Remember the medical beds in Star Trek TOS? With the little indicator panel over the head area? All the indicators were center of normal range. I was feeling good, starting to doze off (which is actually pretty rare for me).

All of a sudden I started getting palpitations. I could literally feel my blood pressure rising and could sense the vasoconstriction going on (due to my migraines I have heightened sensitivity to such things). Imagine the TOS medical panel with the indicators all over the place and that pinging sound it made... Could it be the migraine coming back (this would be highly unusual for me)? Heart attack? I noticed I was suddenly quite jittery, but not exactly unwell. What the heck was it?

Then I saw a puff of fog of some sort drift in front of my eyes. At first I figured it was the AC in the plane causing condensation but we were way too high for that. I looked over and saw across the aisle from me a couple in seats A and B glancing around furtively, making sure no steward(ess) was looking, then puffing on their vaping e-cigarettes. Big fog puffs were being blown by the AC system across the aisle over to the center three seats before visibly dissipating.

Seriously? On an enclosed plane? In mid-air? Sending a nicotine fog around the cabin? What is this... 1965?

I was about to confront them an remind them that at least on this airline such activity is strictly against the rules (I'm not sure if it's a law, but they did mention it in the preflight briefing), but just as I was working over my social anxiety, they put away their devices. These were the same rude idiots that were playing video games loudly without headsets earlier. (grr).

Some time passed and my body relaxed back to normal. But then it all started up again about an hour later. I got up to use the restroom, and snagged an attendant. I asked if they were allowed to do that, and the guy told me: "No! HELL NO!" He went over and had a polite but stern conversation with them, while I took care of my own business.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, other than them deciding to watch a movie on their iPhone 6+ with the sound apparently all the way up, but then again that's why I carry earplugs on the plane.

Anyway, there are times I wish I had the gravitas of Samuel L Jackson. I could have confronted them to the effect of "I've had it with those [bleep bleep] vapes on this [bleep bleep] plane!"

OK, ranting about it got this out of my system.

Peace, y'all!

Marc
Store up a nice fart, then walk by and crop dust them. Pause if necessary. "Mind if I smoke? No, mind if I fart?"
 
fact is you are at 30,000 to 40,000 feet, air is dry, and the space is enclosed enough as it is. Last thing we need is someone fogging up the cabin with smokes or vapes. They are not allowed for a reason.
 
I worked for a company that had business in Asia, and this was when the US had banned smoking entirely on all flights, but many Asian airlines still allowed it. Our company president could not stand smoke on the plane, so he paid extra to have a non-smoking seat.

When he got on the plane, he was surrounded by people who were smoking. He called a flight attendant and told her, "I paid for a non-smoking seat."

She told him, "Yes! YOU cannot smoke!"
 
I believe there could be some places that vaping is OK but smoking is not, but this is clearly impossible on most planes. If someone could take a little puff and feel much better for the next hour would be one thing (after being on the plane a few hours), but it doesn't really work that way, and sitting back and enjoying is a clear conflict. The "idiots" in the OP are like someone trying to blast heavy metal everywhere they go.

(there was a quote here about the company not allowing tobacco on the premises)

Whether you smoke or not, that seems like to me a big Red Flag about what kind of company that could be to work for. I can't understand how few people see the willingness of an employer to limit other peoples' freedom is still relevant to themselves.

It's less about them wanting to limit freedoms, and more about keeping insurance rates down (we get a discount for the tobacco free policy, as I understand), and good relationships with our residential neighbors. People that bring tobacco tended to go for walks on breaks, through the adjacent neighborhood, leaving butts along the way. We got lots of complaints. Also, before the completely tobacco free policy, folks used to smoke in the parking lot, behind cars so as not to be seen by the security camera. I would come out and find ashes and even butts all over the bumper of my minivan, as smokers would cluster in the video shadow it provided, leaving their residue behind.

There are no spot-inspections of people's glove compartments or anything, so the "no possession of tobacco" is not an enforceable policy. However, it does drive improvements in behavior, in that a lot fewer people are smoking on premises or in the adjacent neighborhood.
 
It's less about them wanting to limit freedoms, and more about keeping insurance rates down (we get a discount for the tobacco free policy, as I understand), and good relationships with our residential neighbors. People that bring tobacco tended to go for walks on breaks, through the adjacent neighborhood, leaving butts along the way. We got lots of complaints. Also, before the completely tobacco free policy, folks used to smoke in the parking lot, behind cars so as not to be seen by the security camera. I would come out and find ashes and even butts all over the bumper of my minivan, as smokers would cluster in the video shadow it provided, leaving their residue behind.

There are no spot-inspections of people's glove compartments or anything, so the "no possession of tobacco" is not an enforceable policy. However, it does drive improvements in behavior, in that a lot fewer people are smoking on premises or in the adjacent neighborhood.

We've had clients go to completely tobacco free facilities as well, and these were some of the reasons they cited too. They also wanted to create what they call a "culture of wellness" at work. They wanted a clean, safe, and pleasant workplace for all employees, customers, and visitors who came to the site. They felt like having smokers hanging out in the parking lots and around entrances and exits, leaving litter behind, was not contributing to the image they were trying to create for their company.
 
I think certainly on flights and form of smoking and capes should be banned. I think perfume should be too. I went to a movie last night with my Wife, and this couple walks in sitting directly behind us. She seems to have taken a bath in perfume, and within 30 seconds my sinuses are rebelling and begin to close up. Do not say a word, grab out coats, and move to a different area in the theater. Felt better in a few minutes.

Yes, I have allergies, and some of the worst stuff is perfumes and the like for me.

Rude ****.

Oh yeah... HATE people that bathe in their friggin' cologne or perfume... Usually they choose the most awful scent they can seem to find as well... There's some ladies at church that are that way-- we moved to the opposite side of the auditorium from them... can't stand the odor.

It was even worse when I drove a school bus. Most people don't realize it, especially kids, but basically ANY odor released on a schoolbus WILL exit the bus by the driver's window... During weather when the windows are down, the low pressure area behind the windshield causes air coming in through the windows in the bus (blowing in the windows) to move forward through the bus to the area behind the windshield. Since it's illegal to drive with the door open anymore (our drivers used to do that when I was a kid in our extremely hot summer temperatures hovering at/over 100 degrees for the first month or so after school starts and about the last month of school before summer break) that forces all the air to be exhausted out the driver's side window, into the low pressure area created by the wind hitting the windshield and blowing around/over the sides and top of the bus.

Even in cooler months, I would leave the windows cracked to the first notch (open about 1/2 to 3/4 inch) because in cool, damp weather the windows inside the bus would fog up so badly it was impossible to see out (and it takes the defroster about 15 minutes to actually get warm enough to start working, and they don't work that great anyway on those big front windows, let alone the driver's side window and door windows... air circulation would at least let the humidity from those panting kids blow out the window and minimize the fogging...

I made a rule that ABSOLUTELY NO perfume, cologne, after shave, deodorant, nail polish, or any other type of chemical was allowed to be used on the bus. I could have one teenage boy or girl decide to spritz themselves with cologne or hairspray and the fumes would concentrate around me to the point I was about to pass out within about 10-15 seconds... They were shocked and amazed that I could usually catch them as well. (I finally banned ALL "personal hygiene/grooming" on the bus, because it's just not safe for girls to tweeze their eyebrows or apply mascara or boys to shave or something on a MOVING schoolbus that rides like a log truck, especially on rough gravel country roads going 45 mph, or in town for that matter in traffic and having to stop suddenly for idiots that don't know how to drive... I had to explain it that "I don't want you to end up having tweezers or a mascara stick poking out the hole where you USED to have an eyeball-- we get to school five-ten minutes before the bell (at LEAST, 20-30 minutes in some cases) and you have PLENTY of time to go to the bathroom and tend to your makeup, hairspray, shaving, and cologne/perfume application needs once you arrive at school... SAFELY!)

We went to Monster Jam last night, and there was an idiot sitting about 3 seats down from Betty with what I thought was a bong... turns out it was a vape thing... I didn't smell any of it but she caught a whiff or two...

I expect those things are going to come under some serious legal scrutiny soon... the fluid is SO concentrated with nicotine that even a DROP of it ON THE SKIN of an infant is enough to KILL the child! A drop on a preschooler is enough to hospitalize them with serious nicotine poisoning, ingesting a drop of it can kill a small kid (due to the lower body mass, the effects of even small doses are magnified). Since most of them are fruit flavored and such with aromas that are tempting to children, it's likely to entice them into "getting into it" and getting seriously injured or dying...

I'm also not convinced that breathing that crap secondhand is "harmless" either...

That said, I'm of the opinion that NO company has ANY right to tell you what you CAN and CANNOT have *in YOUR own personal vehicle*. It falls under "NOYDB" IMHO... There's really not much they can do about either, unless they specifically catch someone or go to expensive lengths to find out... (sniffer dogs). I had .22 bullets in my truck when I was driving to school, because I usually would take a rifle with me for varmit control when I'd load up and go to the farm to feed cows. Didn't carry the rifle in the truck the rest of the time, however... When I was at the nuke plant, alcohol in the vehicle was "verboten" but there's a LOT of guys who keep beer on ice in a cooler in the vehicle to "pop a top" once they got off work... (course it's against the open container laws to sip a beer and drive as well, but being out the in the sticks, that type that did that didn't much care (and no, I don't drink beer and didn't do that, but I knew guys who did).

I agree that smokes/vapes shouldn't be allowed in confined spaces (like planes, offices, restaurants, etc) and within 50-100 feet of the entrances (I HATE walking through a cloud of smoke outside a business, mall, etc. where there's a congregation of nicotine addicts puffing away on their break as fast as they can to "get their fix" before having to return to work). I DON'T agree with "total bans" for some businesses though... IF a restaurant, bar, sports club, or whatever wants to DECLARE themselves a "smoking facility" and if you CHOOSE to work there or patronize them with your business, then IMHO they should have the RIGHT to do so... OTOH, I support the right for a restaurant to strictly forbid smoking/vaping on their premises, either by customers or employees (but if the employee wants to keep a pack in the car and burn some lung tissue on the way home, that's THEIR business).

Personally I'd like to see more "children and non-children" areas in restaurants... I get sick and tired of people who WILL NOT control their screaming, fit throwing, h3ll raising, running around like wild animal BRATS and ruin what would have otherwise been a peaceful, relaxing, decent meal except for their little hellions ruining it for everybody around them. I completely understand the increasing trend to "no kids allowed" restaurants... although I think that having a policy of "make your children behave-- if they misbehave, you WILL be escorted out!" is a better idea... We always made Keira behave in a restaurant, and if she DID start crying or throw a fit, it was off to the bathroom or parking lot... either fix the problem or get a spanking depending on the reasons for the bad behavior... Bout like idiots on their cell phones in movies... THROW THE BUMS OUT! I'm glad that most theatre chains are now at least "threatening" to throw the bums out!

Later! OL JR :)
 
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...leaving butts along the way...

I don't mind if people smoke in designated areas, wherever, that's cool. Even encountering it on a street/sidewalk isn't a big deal as long as it's legal...pretty sure a brief whiff isn't going to hurt me or even a kid...considering what you smell that comes out of your ass...

Anyway, though that doesn't bug me, the 'trail of butts' that some smokers leave is just rude...and contributes to a bad perception of smokers in general.

FC
 
We've had clients go to completely tobacco free facilities as well, and these were some of the reasons they cited too. They also wanted to create what they call a "culture of wellness" at work. They wanted a clean, safe, and pleasant workplace for all employees, customers, and visitors who came to the site. They felt like having smokers hanging out in the parking lots and around entrances and exits, leaving litter behind, was not contributing to the image they were trying to create for their company.


What's next? Ban dangerous activities? No job if you Ski? Fire anyone who eats steak? 86'd if you ride motorcycles? Know what it boils down to? Smokers take too many breaks other people skip.

Bleh to the man.
 
What's next? Ban dangerous activities? No job if you Ski? Fire anyone who eats steak? 86'd if you ride motorcycles? Know what it boils down to? Smokers take too many breaks other people skip.

Bleh to the man.

No. That's on your own time and not on company property. At least for the clients I'm talking about, they're trying to control activity at the workplace on company property. You might not like it, just like you might not like a dress code, grooming standards, or other codes of conduct at the workplace --- so smoke like a chimney at home, and dress however you want when on your own time.
 
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