What single thing at faire hurls you off into the depths of rage?

[KiltedPrivateer]

*Is picturing Elo's Red hair bursting in flames right about now, eyes glowing brightly, standing about 8 feet tall*

[daggrim]

Yes, I think the "No Pictures" signage is an idea whose time has come.  I've been reluctant to do that, as I didn't mind the respectful people getting their pics...no problem.  If some folks actually asks permission before taking pictures, I love them.
I always assumed that the No Pictures signs were because the artisan didn't want thier designs to be copied, but it may actually be more because of people just wearing the items out by handling them.
Also, the line about being sure the $!!! item looking great on your Mom, is really sharp!

[jackrocks]

We went to an auction at a shop on Saturday. The owner of the shop was auctioning off some swords, some other piratey stuff, and giving out some stuff free. Also, there were raffle tickets. As we walked in the shop at the beginning of the day, the owner...who actually IS older than twelve, though its hard to tell by his attitude, would randomly scream, BOOBIES!!! when women walked by, and would actually reach out, pull out their shirt, LOOK INSIDE, and drop in a raffle ticket.


Later in the day, when we were standing outside the shop for the raffle/auction, he would repeatedly say things like, "I like boobies. If you show me yours, you'll get free stuff. Women who didnt, he would throw water on their light colored chemises, then yell, thats better! now I can see your boobies!! I mean, really, over and over and over.

Im not a prude, but I just didnt think that was right. I stayed far back from him, bc I knew if he attempted it, my husband and I would probably have ended up escorted out of the fair! I dont think most women...covered up or not....expect random men to just grab at their breasts and scream about it. I really felt like that was more like sexual harrassment.

[raevyncait]

We went to an auction at a shop on Saturday. The owner of the shop was auctioning off some swords, some other piratey stuff, and giving out some stuff free. Also, there were raffle tickets. As we walked in the shop at the beginning of the day, the owner...who actually IS older than twelve, though its hard to tell by his attitude, would randomly scream, BOOBIES!!! when women walked by, and would actually reach out, pull out their shirt, LOOK INSIDE, and drop in a raffle ticket.


Later in the day, when we were standing outside the shop for the raffle/auction, he would repeatedly say things like, "I like boobies. If you show me yours, you'll get free stuff. Women who didnt, he would throw water on their light colored chemises, then yell, thats better! now I can see your boobies!! I mean, really, over and over and over.

Im not a prude, but I just didnt think that was right. I stayed far back from him, bc I knew if he attempted it, my husband and I would probably have ended up escorted out of the fair! I dont think most women...covered up or not....expect random men to just grab at their breasts and scream about it. I really felt like that was more like sexual harrassment.

If someone I don't know touches my person without my consent, they are likely to draw back a bruised hand from where I've hit it, and if they are working in a shoppe, I will have no qualms about reporting them to festival management.  Were he to actually get far enough along in his assault to have pulled my chemise far enough out to look down in it, he's going to wind up with one helluva headache as well, and that absolutely would be reported to everyone I could find working for the festival.  Just because I am wearing something which appropriately displays the treasure chest, that does NOT indicate an invitation to any random person to open and inspect it without my consent!

[Rowan MacD]

We went to an auction at a shop on Saturday. The owner of the shop was auctioning off some swords, some other piratey stuff, and giving out some stuff free. Also, there were raffle tickets. As we walked in the shop at the beginning of the day, the owner...who actually IS older than twelve, though its hard to tell by his attitude, would randomly scream, BOOBIES!!! when women walked by, and would actually reach out, pull out their shirt, LOOK INSIDE, and drop in a raffle ticket.

Ask any Halloween Event worker (haunted houses) and they will tell you all about the 'hands off' rule for interactive events.  No touching either way.  Patrons or Staff.  There could very well be a lawsuit in the making here. I've seen better behavior in Hooters (which, by the way, has the same no touch rules).
  Did he know the women he was touching personally?  I can't see a complete stranger allowing such liberties, but even if the woman he was manhandling was his newest SO, random and very public interactions like this should be reported to the management anyway since it's bad for business.
 

[Rowan MacD]

... I'm a merchant, and the thing that torques my jaws is being rushed by a gaggle of undisciplined kids, who touch and grab everything they can reach, while the parents ignore them, or even take pictures of the little brats.  For the first time, I finally snapped this weekend, and jumped up , yelling, "Take that helmet off your head", to a little girl who was abusing a $200 leather helmet I'd made.  She said "No" and I couldn't get it off her, as she'd fastened the chinstrap.  I submerged my impulse to strangle her with it, and turned to her mother, who was taking pictures!  She finally intervened, as I was yelling at her to get her kids out of my shop.  Whew....

Doug, 
  Don't be afraid to defend your shoppe and merchandise, it's your hobby and livelyhood.
  Most vendors are doing the signage described so far, and in many cases where the merch is not really intended for children anyway, they have a 'no kids' rule.  You can also place the expensive stuff way out of reach, or well out of the common areas where customers are allowed, which would be my first suggestion since most kids ignore signs.
   A simple 'For your own safety, please ask for assistance before handling merchandise' is a nice PC notification that the parents will understand from mundane stores and even if you don't have a thing in the place that could harm a fly, will make them pay extra attention to what the kids are grabbing....
   
   

[Captain Teague]

We went to an auction at a shop on Saturday. The owner of the shop was auctioning off some swords, some other piratey stuff, and giving out some stuff free. Also, there were raffle tickets. As we walked in the shop at the beginning of the day, the owner...who actually IS older than twelve, though its hard to tell by his attitude, would randomly scream, BOOBIES!!! when women walked by, and would actually reach out, pull out their shirt, LOOK INSIDE, and drop in a raffle ticket.

Ask any Halloween Event worker (haunted houses) and they will tell you all about the 'hands off' rule for interactive events.  No touching either way.  Patrons or Staff.  There could very well be a lawsuit in the making here. I've seen better behavior in Hooters (which, by the way, has the same no touch rules).
  Did he know the women he was touching personally?  I can't see a complete stranger allowing such liberties, but even if the woman he was manhandling was his newest SO, random and very public interactions like this should be reported to the management anyway since it's bad for business.
 

As the Chairman for a Haunted House in years past, I can quadruple verify that. 
We had multiple postings of the rules everywhere in the lobby. And when I had time, I did a full costume MC shtick out there too (with an echo box PA system ) that the primary spiel went something like this...

"No matches, lighters, flashlights or cameras once you pass this door...
DO NOT touch the monsters, they WILL NOT touch you...
IF you TOUCH the monsters, they WILL touch you BACK...and I can assure you that you certainly will NOT like it...*Wicked Laugh* "

Perhaps someone can come up with a spiel (and signage ) geared towards Faire similar to that...hmmm...

Faire be good...
Faire be fun...
But shouldst Thou lay hands P'on my shopkeepers...
Preparest Thyself to runnnn....

Ok, cheesy, but it was spur of the moment. 

I have made a few hard constructed items and can easily see the grabby sticky fingers all over something like that to be a stage for inflamed red eyes to be sure. Especially since it is your direct livelihood. Sad to say a sign which states "Please do not handle merchandise without assistance" is becoming more needed these days. But it should help. Customers always seem to blur the lines between the playing in the streets and the reality of a working shop. They take for granted that the entire property is a playground. And now that this has made me think, I myself am guilty at our last visit to disney that I was wearing assorted items and getting pics taken. Bad Darklord, bad. Won't do that again. 

And I believe I know exactly what show that jackrocks attended, and it can get pretty lively. But I do know they have their own little circle of groupies and the several I have been to, they were doing such things only with people who were in on the joke and invited the playing. Not gonna name names, but from what I have seen they push the envelope, but appear to be very careful in doing so. I have also seen every single time to date that if cast does cross that line, they get at minimum a severe talking to all the way up to being let go. Usually a pretty hard line on that kind of stuff from the different faires I have been to anyway.

[jackrocks]

that is good to hear. someone close to me works for him, and I wouldnt do any of the reporting, bc I wouldnt want to endanger her job, she really needs it. BUT, I would say this person (who is close to me) offered to get my teenage daughters jobs there next summer and that is a resounding NO WAY IN HELL!!!


We did luck out and get my husband an awesome sword at the auction for $20!!! Its big and shiny and sharp!! its more like ninja and he would have liked more piratey, but for $20, cant complain, it was a good birthday gift.

Should we go back this season (we might) and take the kids, I would most certainly avoid that shop, bc it is definitely only for adults!!

[kcdcchef]

improperly worn corsets. Although I do indeed enjoy gazing at women's chests ( hey, I AM a healthy man ) seriously, put your girls in the corset the right way so they aren't just bulging out and showing me EVERYTHING but the, well, you know.........

[daggrim]

kcdcchef...shut UP.  LET them do it the wrong way.

[daggrim]

Thanks for understanding about the grabby, picture takers.  Nice to know I'm not just an ol' ogre.

[Merlin the Elder]

Thanks for understanding about the grabby, picture takers.  Nice to know I'm not just an ol' ogre.

Not at all, Daggrim. In the age that I grew up, manners was something you either had, or had beaten into you. Being rude to someone could get you backhanded. These days, good manners are becoming a little more difficult to find. Some years back, when I was managing a restaurant, a young lad walked up to the counter, threw a bill on the counter and demanded, "Gimme some quarters." I said, "No. Not until you ask properly."

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

Thanks for understanding about the grabby, picture takers.  Nice to know I'm not just an ol' ogre.

Not at all, Daggrim. In the age that I grew up, manners was something you either had, or had beaten into you. Being rude to someone could get you backhanded. These days, good manners are becoming a little more difficult to find. Some years back, when I was managing a restaurant, a young lad walked up to the counter, threw a bill on the counter and demanded, "Gimme some quarters." I said, "No. Not until you ask properly."

They had manners way back when? 

[Merlin the Elder]

Back at the Dawn of the Age ... of Television ...  even before Wally and the Beav... now THAT'S old! 

[Seaman Blurt]

Here is my peeve, it doesnt really enrage me - When i am at faire i like to take pictures of people, people i know and total strangers. Sometimes i get the glare from some people of why i am taking their picture, usually i will ask, but sometimes they are walking by and maybe involved in a conversation so i wont interupt. But why the glare? If you are dressing up in garb you are part of the show, i would think that you are dressed up to show yourself off. You should expect to have your picture taken. If someone wants to take a picture of you in garb, it really should be taken as a compliment to your hard work at putting yourself together.