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

[kcdcchef]

  That happened to me at KCRF the last time I went (2006)-It was a busy Saturday and the crowds were so thick it was just miserable.  I had been to KC a couple of times before then and it was never this bad. There wasn't room in the lanes for improv, and when someone was able to get a gig going, you couldn't see what was happening unless you happened to be right there when it started.  Long lines were everywhere for everything,  and when I finally wanted something to eat at 2pm,all the food vendors were sold out of everything but candy and sweet snacks.  Only one still had regular food and those were Bocaburgers (yuk) which were served very cold on a plain bun (at regular price) and the vendor was out of condiments to boot.
  The next day (Sunday) was only slightly better, I hit the food vendors at 11am.   I met my friends, we saw a couple of shows (not many, as you had to show up 20 minutes early to get close enough to see) shopped a little then called it an early day.  I have not made the trip to KC since, though I love the place when it's not a crushing madhouse. 
  If I wanted a Disneyland crowd experience, I would go to Disneyland.   Crushing crowds are not my idea of fun, even though they do mean big gate profits for the owners.   I find I like to take my time, see and be seen, without being pushed, shoved, walked on and then spending a good portion of my day waiting in some line or another.

My home faire so I will step in and defend for a quick second, but any faire really. I think large crowds are very irritating, but a pleasant sign nonetheless. A lot of these old faires are in trouble fiscally, and not long for the world. Many have even closed over the years. So while it is indeed irritating to not be able to get fed and see the shows as you would like, it is a good sign indeed. But you did mention that.

Last Saturday at KCRF was like this. They didn't run out of anything. In fact in all my years of going to Canterbury I have never encountered them running out of anything. ( if you say it happened I believe you though! ) But for me, on the busy BUSY days like Saturday and the one you described, what sets me off is the sheer amount of people at the shows who are talking on their phones, texting, listening to the football game ( and I am a HUGE football fan ) I think it sucks. It's like, PAY ATTENTION!!!!!!! It's bad enough those of us who love it here cannot get a good seat, but those of you who did arent even listening!!

[Zardoz]

    If I wanted a Disneyland crowd experience, I would go to Disneyland.   Crushing crowds are not my idea of fun, even though they do mean big gate profits for the owners.   I find I like to take my time, see and be seen, without being pushed, shoved, walked on and then spending a good portion of my day waiting in some line or another.

Crowds, and their attendant issues like traffic jams in the parking and long lines for some food and drink are the issue that has the most negative effect on my enjoyment of TRF. I have taken to getting there well before cannon just to beat the incoming traffic, which is cool, I got plenty of folks to visit with. And by 3 or 4 PM it's filled up to the point I'm ready to go. And for the last few years if you don't get out of the parking lots by 4 you basically won't, for hours. One day last year we were having a really great time in spite of the crowds, and didn't get in the car till 6, and we couldn't even leave our parking space for half an hour. We went over to a friends camp and watched the non-moving traffic for 3 hours before getting out.

[Rowan MacD]

Last Saturday at KCRF was like this. They didn't run out of anything. In fact in all my years of going to Canterbury I have never encountered them running out of anything. ( if you say it happened I believe you though! ) But for me, on the busy BUSY days like Saturday and the one you described, what sets me off is the sheer amount of people at the shows who are talking on their phones, texting, listening to the football game ( and I am a HUGE football fan ) I think it sucks. It's like, PAY ATTENTION!!!!!!! It's bad enough those of us who love it here cannot get a good seat, but those of you who did arent even listening!!

I was seriously not expecting them to be out of food either.  It was weird, a fluke, and has never happened at any other fair we have been to.  The vendor of the BocaBurger I ended up buying said they had had HUGE crouds at the food court that afternoon, (I found out later that KC set a record for more than double attendance that weekend) and nobody was ready for it.    I took his explanation at face value, because no one likes to run out of stuff to sell. 
  I have been there in the past when it was a pleasant experience and I don't give up that easily.  If we go back (probably in the next year or two) we will try for a weekend that is not so well attended.

   I too hate the cell talkers/texters at faire (particularly when they are in garb)  but, if they want to waste their considerable entertainment buck on something they could just as well do at home, it's their money.   They seem to get the best seats too. 

[kcdcchef]

yeah i have never seen that happen at KCRF, or any faire, in my 30 years of faire going, MDRF, KCRF, VARF, PARF, PRF, OHRF, MNRF, the list is endless, and have NEVER seen that. Although I am sure I mighta been there the weekend in question, since, I can recall a weekend in 2006  where you could not even walk it was so crowded. I remember getting a migraine it was so darned crowded and I was geting so frustrated. But not angry. I love faire and realize great crowds are a great thing! But in all my faire years I have never seen more than an item here or there, not literally everything all at once and all! That sucks!

back to the texters and talkers, we were at Sonic Sidhe Tribe, the fire jugglers and dancers with drums, and this jerkoff not only gets a phone call ( rude enough ) but while in audience, answers it and keeps talking. Jerk!

[Rowan MacD]

  I love the Tribe!  Yeah, I'm sure you were at the same weekend I was there.  You could just about walk on top of the crowd it was that thick.   That's the kind of crowd I don't like, since all you can see is the person in front and in back of you. 
  You may have been in a different part of the grounds where there was still food, because I gave up after the first 5 or so vendors said they were out.  It was too crowded to search any further.

[jackrocks]

I get the idea of not using a phone while in garb...but some folks are parents and have to keep in touch with the kids, or babysitters....and sometimes the only way to do it is through texting.

At least, I do. If I didnt do that, occasionally throughout the day, then I wouldnt be able to go (as my teens are my sitters for the little ones).

[kcdcchef]

I get the idea of not using a phone while in garb...but some folks are parents and have to keep in touch with the kids, or babysitters....and sometimes the only way to do it is through texting.

At least, I do. If I didnt do that, occasionally throughout the day, then I wouldnt be able to go (as my teens are my sitters for the little ones).

i dont care who uses a phone when. well, if you are a character actor and acting, especially getting paid to act, stay off your phone. no way, never. ever. if you are just garbing, and want to be on your phone, your business. but in an audience, really?

[DT_Masters]

Something else to keep in mind; these days, a lot of people have replaced their watch with their phone. Someone like me, that's very impractical from diving to making minute by minute log entries, but a lot have gone that way.

So flipping out their phone may be their only way to see how close they are to a show starting.

But what about the "Digital Ben Hur 2000"? Doesn't the wrist watch break the garb as well? Well, two things. First, for me, it is usually hidden under the bandana on the wrist. Secondly, for a time traveling anthropologist, the bigger, the more complex the time piece, the better......but these days my Triathlon fulfills the story line nice enough.

Finally, the sleeves of the poet's shirt usually cover it, anyhow.

Wind, boys, WIND! Get the time machine ready to go! I have a date with the past!

[jackrocks]

I get the idea of not using a phone while in garb...but some folks are parents and have to keep in touch with the kids, or babysitters....and sometimes the only way to do it is through texting.

At least, I do. If I didnt do that, occasionally throughout the day, then I wouldnt be able to go (as my teens are my sitters for the little ones).

i dont care who uses a phone when. well, if you are a character actor and acting, especially getting paid to act, stay off your phone. no way, never. ever. if you are just garbing, and want to be on your phone, your business. but in an audience, really?

well, yeah, if you are working, you shouldnt be on a phone for personal reasons, probably in any job, lol! but just as folks who've gone in garb for fun...I put my phone on vibrate, but I do leave it on. Accidents and emergencies dont always know when mom is watching a show, and if one of my younger kids has an asthma attack and big sis needs to call to check which meds to give...things like that just cant wait. But, for myself, if Im at a show, I would walk away before replying, take care of business, and come back.
I agree it IS really rude when folks are just carrying on some ridiculous conversation, loudly, in the middle of a show/concert. And I love it when the performers call them on that and humiliate them:)

[BubbleWright]

And I love it when the performers call them on that and humiliate them:)

Patti LuPone (the original Broadway Evita) once stopped a Broadway show, brought up the house lights, then told a fellow in the front the show would continue when he finished his phone call. The audience gave her a tumultuous round of applause.

As for hiding your time piece, try a clip clock medalion or broach. (http://www.clipclocks.com/)

[Rowan MacD]

 I can't do without my watch (which I keep hidden under voluminous sleeves) and I'll be getting a clipclock as soon as I can decide on what style to get.   but  I'll probably end up with one that looks like a jeweled pendant.
The Queen herself did have a 'wristwatch' (a small clock encased in a bracelet presented by Dudley) so that style is period,  but I expect they were not worn that way by the rest of the court.

Edit: ClipClocks are also available without ornamentation, so you can attach the mechanism to what ever piece of jewelry you like.   
 
 
 

[DT_Masters]

Admittedly, I used my phone infrequently today but nevertheless. The first to send off my arrival message of getting there safely. I was in a hurry to get to the gate for opening cannon, so that had to wait till I was inside. The other times, to check for responses during the day. We are something in a crisis mode in the family, so it was necessary.

But one has to remember the elephant in the room, anyhow........that camera around my neck.

As the time piece goes, I bought fur covered, leather gauntlets today to replace the bandana covering. On the first run, they aren't perfect and there are some problems to address, but practice can make perfect.

As far as the other suggestions, I appreciate them.......but they don't quite fit into the story, either for DT or for a time traveler. As DT, it's the rich landsman from northern Scotland who, bored of the trappings of wealth, went off to become an adventurer and hunter....and the hunter is the major focus of the costume.

As the time traveler........there's the orb watch approach, such as used in Time After Time, Abe Lincoln in Star Trek, and Mr. Penn in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. There's the bracelet approach that Arthur C. Clarke used for time acceleration in the story All the time in the world. And then there is my approach between a wrist calculator watch (the early digital version), a multidial pilot watch (the early analog version), and the Triathalon (big face, multiple features feeding to that face, and two time zones which could be Past Time and Future Time). The first two are merely props, they don't work anymore.

Of course, it is all just a story, but even in the story, there are other things. What did I tell the saleswoman today? That I wanted something to hide this device worn on the wrist, given to me by the gypsies..........to say nothing of that image taking device I wear around my neck, also given to me by the gypsies.

[Stasiakatt]

Crowds and traffic nightmares...like it taking an hour to go 2 miles... MDRF was insane today...the only day I got to go this season and looks like the last time I will be going My hubby just informed me he's not going again after dealing with the insane amount of traffic and the number of people in the faire ( and I finally gotten him to be interested in going!). At times you couldn't move in the lanes they were so crowded, and the lines were crazy. 

[GoodyTombShoes]

My faire's season ending under 10" of snow and not getting to say goodbye.

[dreamwalker]

The talking texting issues I don't even see it, when a performer nails someone on a phone I consider it free high quality entertainment because they are going to get embarrased about it (that's been my experience).

As somone who work in City Public Library in the Mudance world I believe each and every one of you in regards to mis-behaving feral brat children. Mine eyes and ears and witnessed many atroticites my 5 years working in libraries. Also too many modern baby things like strollers just spoil the effect.

Crowds are annoying but inevitable, I to like to get there early when it's nice an quiet, get the lay of the land. I esp. like using one morning to do a walk in them editation garden at TRF. This is the bets tiem to do it. I would highly reccomend it.

I have a tendency to leave early before the mass exodus ensues in the parking lot. happened once last year and we spent well over an hour getting out of the place. Also, what do the outer rows get to go first at TRF? People in the inner rows were here 1st so shouldn't they get to leave 1st? That's why I leave early.

Also, parent's that cannot read signs for shows i.e. Adults audiences
or PG_13? Then they get all mad and fly out of there red-faced  when Sound and Fury starts getting into their routine. They think everything should be bubble wrapped and sanitized just for them and their kids.