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

Started by Valiss, July 27, 2010, 10:33:23 AM

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Jade

I remember about two years ago I went to a  Friday 'students  day'  as  an adult because I  could make  it then.  I was in the market for a new bodice.  One of the big garb  stores was open,  but had the doors roped  off.  I went over to see why,  and was informed that I would only be allowed in if I was planning to buy!   I found that very rude,  so I took my business elsewhere.  It's sad because  they were discouraging a whole  new potential  future clientele  with their attitude.

Hoowil

I had a rather scary incident at the last faire I attended. And it was something that still makes me a rather angry to even think about. I am part of a group that does demonstrations on period archery, so at as many faires as we can, we get a range set up to shoot. We hold tournaments, and live demonstrations. We even have people making arrows, and a bowyer who works on longbows during open hours. Due  to liability issues, we cannot le the public shoot, but we try to make it openly known that those involved with the faires can come and shoot if they are interested. So during a slow period this last faire, there were a number of us sitting around a table in our yard next to the range. Tucked in next to the table is a wooden crate we put the table wares in when not in use. I was standing next to the crate, talking with friends, when I lifted my foot up onto the crate. There was a loud thunk, and the crate shook. My first thought was that I knocked something over so I take a quick look around, and find just where my foot had been seconds before an arrow sticking out of the crate. It was not one that belonged to anyone in our guild. This was at a brand new, first year faire, in a soft site in a local park. Along one side of our yard was the park playground, which was fenced and all gates secured to keep kids away from the range, and across that was the actors camp, and past that handicap parking. Standing in the handicap parking was somebody, who was asking loudly if anyone knew where their arrow went. This was one of the volunteers for the faire, who had a modern bow, who had decided to show off the bow and arrow to a couple kids in the parking lot. We immediately reported the person to security and to the faire organizers, and the person was escorted off, volunteer status revoked. However infuriating that encounter was, the next day it got worse. While walking around the faire I saw the same person, in mundanes, yelling at a patron after they walked into a sheathed sword, making very loud comments along the lines of how they were sick of dealing with people who weren't responsible enough to keep their weapons out of other peoples' ways, and how it wasn't fair that they had been run off after an incident with an arrow getting loose, but then had to watch out for other people. The only things that stopped me from screaming at this person were that I was with my 4 year old son, and that I really didn't think they'd get it at all. After all, nearly shooting somebody, having a bow confiscated, being escorted out by security, and having been effectively banished as a volunteer from this faire didn't make it clear, so I so certainly wouldn't.
I know most if not all faires have rules about weapons being secured. But people don't seem to remember that a bow is a weapon, designed to kill things from a distance. Nobody would think to fire a gun blind in an uncontrolled area.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

Merlin the Elder

WOW! I mean seriously...WOW!  I cannot believe anyone would be that stupid! ...well, yeah I can believe it.  That seems like something that should be a chargeable offense.  I could be wrong, but according to the definition, it might be considered to be assault. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault
Living life in the slow lane
ROoL #116; the Jack of Daniels; AARP #7; SS# 000-00-0013
I've upped my standards. Now, up yours.
...and may all your babies be born naked...

Hoowil

There was a short discussion about whether to call security or the sheriff when it happened. Looking back, especially after the second day encounter, we probably should have done both.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

Merlin the Elder

I think I would have, Hoowil. I cannot help but equate Arrow-in-the back with Life-in-peril.
Living life in the slow lane
ROoL #116; the Jack of Daniels; AARP #7; SS# 000-00-0013
I've upped my standards. Now, up yours.
...and may all your babies be born naked...

DonaCatalina

Quote from: Hoowil on September 18, 2013, 02:07:21 PM
There was a short discussion about whether to call security or the sheriff when it happened. Looking back, especially after the second day encounter, we probably should have done both.

I would have- that person is an disaster waiting to happen. Sorry you had to endure that.
Aurum peccamenes multifariam texit
Marquesa de Trives
Portrait Goddess

BubbleWright

Patrons and Playtrons who think it is perfectly permissible to pick the flowers planted in the green spots around the shire, carry them around all day, and then dispose of the wilted remains in the parking lot make my blood boil. I don't know what is worse... children who think it is ok to tear off small branches from the trees to play with... or the parents who permit/encourage such behaviour. Grrrrrrr!  >:(
"It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."
   Antoine de St. Exupery

Rowan MacD

   That would tick me off too.  What is is about Ren Faires that make people forget their manners? 
  When they go to a public park, most folks tell their kids not to pick the flowers in the beds, and also explain to them that they are there to make the place look pretty, not to make a free bouquet for them to carry around or wear.                         
  Unfortunately, some of our guests apparently think that 'medieval' means 'no modern rules';  but conveniently ignore the fact that picking a posie in the Queens garden would earn you a prison sentence! ;)

What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Gauwyn of Bracknell

Quote from: Rowen MacD on November 25, 2013, 09:23:30 AM
                           
  Unfortunately, some of our guests apparently think that 'medieval' means 'no modern rules';  but conveniently ignore the fact that picking a posie in the Queens garden would earn you a prison sentence! ;)

Maybe a beheading or two and the message would be sent  :P
Born 500 years late

Gauwyn of Bracknell

Rowan MacD

Quote from: Gauwyn of Bracknell on November 25, 2013, 11:38:18 AM
Quote from: Rowen MacD on November 25, 2013, 09:23:30 AM
                           
  Unfortunately, some of our guests apparently think that 'medieval' means 'no modern rules';  but conveniently ignore the fact that picking a posie in the Queens garden would earn you a prison sentence! ;)

Maybe a beheading or two and the message would be sent  :P
LOL.  Perhaps not that drastic...I think a flogging would do the trick. ;D
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Hoowil

Quote from: Gauwyn of Bracknell on November 25, 2013, 11:38:18 AM
Quote from: Rowen MacD on November 25, 2013, 09:23:30 AM
                           
  Unfortunately, some of our guests apparently think that 'medieval' means 'no modern rules';  but conveniently ignore the fact that picking a posie in the Queens garden would earn you a prison sentence! ;)

Maybe a beheading or two and the message would be sent  :P
One of the local soft site faires here is in a park that has a resident peacock population. Watching people chase after the Queen's Bird to try to gather feathers is irritating on more than one level. I don't think people realize that having even one feather without being granted it by royalty was criminal
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

GryffinSong

Now that I'm a vendor I have a new one. People who jump up and mess with my sign. It cost me a bundle to have it made, and people hit it without thinking that it could fall, it could bang against the sign post and get damaged, or they could dent it. One time someone even slapped a bumper sticker on it!!! Thank goodness the sticker came off cleanly, but hello? I'm not some big corporation here ... I'm literally a poor, starving artist, and I can't afford for people to damage my hard-earned display.  :-\
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." - Oscar Wilde

jackrocks

Our Faire has a large, open space for parking with its own entrance, with a "further back" parking and entrance for cast and vendors.

Those of us working would arrive early, and often have a great deal to carry back into the woods from our vehicles, and this special entrance made our walk much easier and shorter. There may occasionally have been cast or vendors who may need to come in late on a certain weekend, and having that separate entrance made it so much easier to get in and set up quickly.

About the third weekend in last summer, it was found there was a group of guys, garbed to the nines, sneaking in the back, workers entrance, and spending the day in the pub.

Entrance fee was an overwhelmingly reasonable price, at $10 per person, with a $1 coupon off printed from the website.

These guys had seriously expensive (looking at least) garb, and could afford to spend all day buying beer, but could not afford the entrance fee?

Once discovered, the owners had to erect a fence all around the beautiful woods, and install a gate to lock our entrance up an hour before opening. Then, if workers arrived say, 45 minutes before opening, or if we had to leave for some reason, had to pack up and go aaaaaaalllllll the way around to the front entrance, through the patron lot, to get to our vehicles.

In general, this is a wonderful, intimate faire, where everyone is helping one another and pretty good natured. It's really a shame this had to happen  because of some jerks who thought it would be cool to not pay their entrance fee so they could spend more on beer.