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AIBU?

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Why are people so inconsiderate with their vapes?

312 replies

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 13:49

What is it with people and their vapes? They produce these massive clouds of stinky, sweet, gross vapour and they are either blissfully unaware or they don't GAF, I don't know which.

School sports day today so a lot of the parents went to the cafe next to the school between dropping kids off and waiting for sports day to start.

I sat indoors and a few parents were outdoors, door propped open as it was a hot day.

I'm sat there, eating my breakfast and suddenly, a huge cloud of stinky strawberry vapour that's been inside someone's manky lungs descends over me and my food. I could taste it in my mouth 🤮

I looked over and it's a dad sat just outside with his back to the door, his vape clouds going behind him and straight inside the cafe.

I moved seats and no more clouds descended on me but I had made a mental note to either say something or passively-aggressively close the door, not sure which I would have done.

Then later I am standing by the track on the school field ready to cheer my daughter on and right in front of me, a vape cloud desends again, this time from another dad in front of me.
On the school field.
At sports day. In a three-person deep crowd of parents, some with toddlers.
This time I am pissed off so I went and told the headteacher who was stood at the side and he announced over the tannoy that vaping is not allowed on school premises. I mean, who does that??!?

As it may be apparent, this is more of a rant than a AIBU, but I am curious why people this this behaviour is OK?

Unreasonable - They are just gormless and don't realise what they are doing
Not unreasonable - They must know, because it's obvious, but they are so addicted to their stinky plastic puff pens that they don't care.

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Wednesdaysotherchild · 19/06/2026 19:17

I agree, OP. Sooner these people move onto nicotine pouches, the better. Then at least only they get the ill effects!

Anarchy99 · 19/06/2026 19:11

They have pushed smokers and vapers outside already. Obviously you want to stop people doing something that’s legal but as you can’t then you will have to suck it up (no pun intended).

There are far worse things to breathe in

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 19:09

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I don't want to give away my location. It was about 8:30am and hot but I think there was a small breeze It doesn't matter anyway because he was blowing it from his mouth.
The table was close to the door, yes. I don't have exact measurements but I can assure you, I tasted his strawberry vape smoke in my mouth. I did not imagine it.
Perhaps you are underestimating how big these clouds are and how much they drift. There doesn't need to be any wind. In fact, wind probably would have made things much better.

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Justwelldoit · 19/06/2026 19:05

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MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 18:43

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It was blowing behind him and into the cafe.

Why are people so inconsiderate with their vapes?
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Justwelldoit · 19/06/2026 18:41

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Justwelldoit · 19/06/2026 18:29

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MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 18:29

Ayeeee · 19/06/2026 18:27

I vape. I exercise the same behaviour as I did when I smoked. Well away from other people and not sucking it like a dummy 🤣

I don’t like being in someone else’s vape cloud either

You see, sensible considerate vapers can exist.

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MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 18:28

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Do you know what? I haven't seen a diagram on Mumsnet for ages. I'm going to write one just for you.

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Ayeeee · 19/06/2026 18:27

I vape. I exercise the same behaviour as I did when I smoked. Well away from other people and not sucking it like a dummy 🤣

I don’t like being in someone else’s vape cloud either

Justwelldoit · 19/06/2026 18:22

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MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 18:12

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Indeed. You'd think I'd be safe from the vapers wouldn't you?

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Justwelldoit · 19/06/2026 17:46

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ByLemonLeader · 19/06/2026 17:37

They weren't brought up to consider others. They're just like anyone else who does things without a single thought for others. People who let their dogs jump up, people who sit in their cars for ages at petrol pumps, people who litter.
They're just badly brought up, overgrown brats, who have probably never been told "no" once in their entire selfish lives.

How did vaping dad respond to the headmaster's announcement?

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:43

Whosthetabbynow · 19/06/2026 15:28

I will. Cheers!

Great, my query has been answered!

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RubyHelper · 19/06/2026 15:42

I was first at a bus shelter sitting inside with my shopping trolley and walking stick, when a young mum arrived with a small child on a trike and one or two other children. Other passengers were queuing behind me by then so I mentioned this. 'Oh,' she said, I don't queue because I vape'.... The bus duly arrived. Her child fell off the trike by the kerb as the bus drew up but was rescued in time not to be squashed. A dog shot off the bus, heading for the road at right angles to the bus shelter exit, followed by a man with the most cumbersome walking aid I have ever seen.... I was the one who caught the dog and returned it to its owner. The vaper and her entourage got on the bus along with her other
children behind me but in front of the other passengers who were in the queue before her..... I was not impressed.....

MrsShawnHatosy · 19/06/2026 15:36

MissyB1 · 19/06/2026 14:18

Yanbu. Vapes should be prescription only - like they are in some other Countries.

I do think they shouldn’t be sold outside of pharmacies.

Secretseverywhere · 19/06/2026 15:28

goodoldsussexbythesea · 19/06/2026 14:07

You think it's acceptable to be eating your food inside a cafe and have a huge (and these clouds are huge) cloud of sickly sweet flavoured water vapour that has been inside another person cover you and your food?

I think the been inside another person seems a bit dramatic. Surely most of the air we breathe has been inside somebody at some point. So (probably) has the water you drink, the food you eat. Go back far enough and we are all made of stardust and pretty much every atom in our bodies has existed for billions of years in a variety of forms.

That said I really dislike vaping, it reminds me of those plug in air fresheners. I think Im mildly allergic as get hay fever symptoms

Whosthetabbynow · 19/06/2026 15:28

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:22

Oh that's fine then. Feel free to blow it all over my eggs

I will. Cheers!

ClaudiaWankleman · 19/06/2026 15:25

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:22

Oh that's fine then. Feel free to blow it all over my eggs

You've said it a couple of times now, presumably for effect, but nobody is 'blowing' anything over your food. It's just air floating around near you. The air floating around you is full of pollutants - probably bits of your family's skin, car exhaust, old farts, water vapour etc.

So in that context, your frothing is a bit silly.

Stepmum900 · 19/06/2026 15:24

I hate them too. People don’t see it the same as cigarette smoke, so often puff indoors - I’ve seen it at pubs, bowling alleys, restaurants etc etc

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:22

Whosthetabbynow · 19/06/2026 15:18

No you’re not but you could still have asked if anyone minded if you closed the door. While we’re here, lots of vape isn’t drawn into the lungs so there goes that theory.

Oh that's fine then. Feel free to blow it all over my eggs

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Whosthetabbynow · 19/06/2026 15:18

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:17

I'm not the boss of the cafe either.

No you’re not but you could still have asked if anyone minded if you closed the door. While we’re here, lots of vape isn’t drawn into the lungs so there goes that theory.

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:17

Whosthetabbynow · 19/06/2026 15:16

The bloke vaping was sitting outside. Where you wanted him. Indoor smoking was banned. Now you want to ban vaping outside too? There’s the live and let live. You’re not the boss of him. You could’ve shut the door to the cafe.

I'm not the boss of the cafe either.

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MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 19/06/2026 15:16

ClaudiaWankleman · 19/06/2026 15:15

They don't taste like anything. They smell, quite fleetingly, like strong pick n mix in whatever flavour they are.

I'm curious why car exhausts get a pass on your asthma but body spray and vapes don't? I think car exhausts are probably objectively more potentially harmful.

Yes, they do. I tasted a strangers lung vapour today. It was grim.

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