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

[genyferbelle]

Noisy people who hover around the shows! Ok, you (noisy low account patrons) are having a great time, feeling a bit tipsy, just ran into an old friend, and you're super excited to see all the well endowed-garbed-up-gals.

Does that mean you have to be an inconsiderate imbecile, stand around or right behind the seating for the shows, and talk (yell) at full volume so your friends can hear you over the very rude actor on stage who is projecting his voice without the use of microphones, over the 20 something rows of hay bales so people can be entertained by what they spent their money on??

I know not everyone cares for faire shows, especially if they have seen them year after year. But that is no excuse for blatant disrespectful behavior. And if you haven't seen a show (noisy low account patrons), maybe now's a good time learn that culture isn't just a sample of bacteria......

End Rant.

[Merlin the Elder]

I'll second your rant, Genyferbelle.

[Zardoz]

When the faire management doesn't bring back some of my favorite acts 

[Sitara]

When they keep raising the price of camping for participants every single year yet not making any improvements.

[lilaney]

Lack of water on site. I can handle just about anything, but, thirst will knock you flat faster than anything.

[Rowan MacD]

Lack of water on site. I can handle just about anything, but, thirst will knock you flat faster than anything.

I agree.  I thought that it was somehow illegal to hold an event where there is no access to FREE bathrooms and water.
   Bathrooms we can find.  A spigot with potable water is something entirely different, and you can forget about water fountains at most events.
   At nearly every faire I have  been eventually successful finding a hose or spigot, but in most cases, only after asking someone who works there.  At a couple of venues they were reluctant to tell me, and only divulged the location of the pump after I told them it was an emergency.
   This gives me the impression they were told to not encourage people to seek out free water.

[genyferbelle]

Lack of water on site. I can handle just about anything, but, thirst will knock you flat faster than anything.

I agree.  I thought that it was somehow illegal to hold an event where there is no access to FREE bathrooms and water.
   Bathrooms we can find.  A spigot with potable water is something entirely different, and you can forget about water fountains at most events.
   At nearly every faire I have  been eventually successful finding a hose or spigot, but in most cases, only after asking someone who works there.  At a couple of venues they were reluctant to tell me, and only divulged the location of the pump after I told them it was an emergency.
   This gives me the impression they were told to not encourage people to seek out free water.

Thats frustrating. I drink a lot, and I mean a LOT of water on a normal day. so out in the heat, and in garb it is even more ridiculous. I have gotten around that by "not" taking in the smallest water bottles I can find. So they "don't" fit into a pouch.  Hey my health comes first.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

The OK Ren Faire was amazing in that at every pub, there was a large cooler with a spigot on the bottom (looked like a barrel).  Either water or gatorade was inside, and anyone could go there and fill their mugs at no charge.  It was almost in the 100 degrees, so it was much appreciated.

On another note, last weekend was the opening weekend for Bristol.  Three different times I had to get up and leave shows due to the smoke.  At one show, the guy was in the front row.  And the other shows had either cigar smoke - the worst - and/or cigar and cigarette smoke.  And there were a couple of other shows we arrived when they were just starting and didn't stay because of all the smokers in the audience.

There is no way I will do anything to jeopardize my kidney transplant, so I ended up leaving.  I'm surprised that the performers don't say anything, because without people there, the tips are certainly less.  And I really was aggravated that I was the one who had to miss out because of inconsiderate smokers.

[Merlin the Elder]

I would make noise to the management, if I were you. That is just plain rude, to say the very least.

[Rowan MacD]

   I agree with Merlin, that situation needs to be elevated to the management.   I'm tolerant of smokers, but then, I'm not allergic or in delicate health, nor do I have small children with me most of the time. 
 
   Lady R,  I can see where a designated smoking area, may have to be set up if the problem is that bad, because you are not the only one who doesn't like it, or can't tolerate it for health reasons.   
   Since fair is largely an outdoor venue, it is one of the last places where smoking in public is accepted, or at least tolerated, just about anywhere the person wishes to indulge.  A lot of venues now days do not allow (open) consumption of alcohol outside of designated areas anymore thanks to a few selfish drunks, and I can see that in the near future at places where smokers are still allowed to smoke wherever they want,  if they don't start showing a bit of consideration for others.
  Already, many faires forbid smoking by employees within sight of the public, and smokers have to go in back of a fence, near the horse trailers or Porta-Potties or at least stay downwind of the patrons.  The smoking patrons tend to cue on the behavior of the employees, and many will seek out the areas that other smokers go to, since they have to do that at work anyway.

[Merlin the Elder]

I want to say that Scarborough has signs now about smoking in the seating area, but I could be wrong about that. I have seen performers ask people to either extinguish or leave. I've also known certain performers take cell phones away from rude people and toss them.

There are so many ways that people exhibit rudeness at faire and everywhere else. Manners is a thing of the past, I fear.

[Bob of the Lake]

Of the 4 faires I've attended so far this year, 2 allowed smoking anywhere and 2 had designated smoking areas. I didn't experience smoking-related problems at any of them but maybe I was just lucky. I think the designated smoking areas work pretty well and would recommend them for any faires that have ongoing problems with inconsiderate smokers.

[Rowan MacD]

  Signs in the seating area, sound like a good idea for whole bunch of reasons. 
  Walking smokers will eventually move away from you. 

[RenStarr]

Not much "hurls me into the depths of rage", and that's a big reason I enjoy being there in the first place.

But....................these gripes can be filed into the "people with little to no manners" cabinet.

When camping at faire, at some point in the night:
>  turn your music down.  I enjoy a wide variety of music, but not at 4 in the morning.
>  dance all night long if you want to, but yelling and beating drums ALL NIGHT LONG gets real old real fast.
>  people cutting thru camps (usually very drunk) and triping over every tent cord that they can obviously not see.  Good way to get hurt for the person cutting thru, and a startling and unwelcome wake up call for the person or persons in the tent. 

[Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman]

That last one about music reminded me:

People who feel the need to blast their ren faire music in the camping area early in the morning. Just because you have to be up and about doesn't mean everyone else has to be.