There was a suggestion in the comments of my last blog, that I should call "stealth vaping" "discreet vaping" Because "stealth" indicated that we need to hide. Trouble is, the way the antis are winding people up about vaping - especially not in public or in front of cheeeldren, I think we are going to have to hide. I think every vapoteur should learn to stealth vape. Stealth vaping is the technique of holding the vapour in your mouth for a few seconds and then breathing in a second time, and holding before you exhale. There will be virtually no vapour on your out-breath. That is stealth vaping - it's HIDING the vapour. I can't think of another word for it. It's more than discreet vaping. It's getting a nicotine fix with no outward indication to be seen. It's secret vaping. The cheeeldren wouldn't even notice.
Discreet, for me, means vaping in consideration of others - go round the corner, go out with the smokers, only vape in your car - that sort of thing. Being discreet. "discreet means careful, judicious, circumspect ( you can rely on him to be discreet ).
But I'm an angry smoker remember. I'm old, cross and wise. The twististics that have been churned out to terrify the population about the deadly poison of nicotine and the instant scythe of death second hand smoke will do to anyone in sniffing distance, will be used about US. I dn't think we'll be allowed to be discreet. We will have to be stealthy.
I'm an sccidental vaper with the heart of a smoker. As a rebel - I feel good - very good.
I love stealth vaping - everytime I do it, I think "Up yours, you won't stop me now!"
I understand "stealth vaping" to mean more than hiding the vapor . . . it's hiding the fact that we're even vaping. It's hunching over or turning to the side to disguise the fact that we even have an e-cigarette, let alone that we're taking a puff.
ReplyDeleteI think that by vaping discreetly--not hiding what we're doing but not producing much or any visible vapor--we help inform people, something that doesn't happen when we hide the fact that we're using e-cigarettes.
For example, I was at a cafe awhile back, and someone approached me. He said he'd seen me using what he thought was an e-cigarette, but was curious because he didn't see any "smoke." What followed was a relatively brief conversation about e-cigarettes being a reduced-harm alternative to smoking, and he walked away with some information he said he'd be sharing with a friend who was a smoker. That conversation wouldn't have occurred had I been stealth vaping, hiding the fact that I was even using an e-cigarette.
Being "discreet" is being polite, but politeness doesn't require that we take our e-cigarette out to the alley behind the dumpster (the place where the powers to be have inexcusably relegated the smokers). Simply stated, being polite doesn't mean that one must cater to the unreasonable demands and expectations of others.
I am polite, not sneaky . . . but I suppose if the time comes, I can and will be sneaky. ;)
Excellent points. Yes - I think you have hit the nail on the head with your stealth vaping picture!
DeleteIn future we hope we can be discreet, and not stealthers - but i'm not really holding my breath - just very dubious about our future freedoms.
Lovely points - thanks.
I like your attitude and you make a great point! The way I see it is that stealth vaping is like super discreetness, done out of respect for other people. I understand why people would think being stealth-like implies secrecy, but it's simply a synonym for the word, not an actual definition of the noun. My favourite definition is this, "the state of being furtive or unobtrusive", (furtive means "attempting to avoid notice or attention"), which I hope most vapers would agree with. I have yet to meet a vaper who is unkind or unthoughtful, and if you're wise enough to see the bad and unsocial side of smoking then you're probably a pretty conscious person who respects others enough to not force your habits on them, whether harmful or not. Thanks for bringing this up Liz, you've earned a new follower :)
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