Freaking the mundanes

[Butch]

Beautiful custom job on your van!

Do you have a shot of the front (bow)?

[Shandi]

It never fails, every time I stop somewhere in garb I get asked if 1 - I'm in a play or 2 - If I'm going to the festival. I've used the... "There's a festival!?" reply for number 2 a couple of times... but for number 1 I just tell them all about the faire and hope that they come. I think I like the answer I use for 1 better because hey! That brings more people (and $) to faire!

we got asked that more often then I can recall however one of the guys I was travlin with said "Ya Death of a Salesman" and walked off.....I still dim bulb my head at that answer

[Will Knot]

Alright I had moved to the northern part of Pa and my wife and I would normally get partialy dressed to go to faire and finish dressing in the parkinglot. One Saturday we had to stop off and drop off the recycling which usaly involves handing your bags of to be recyle up to a man who dumps it into a dump truck. This day the center was low on staff so I was told to bring it in, climpb the step stool and dump it in. This was the first time I had worn the kilt to the recycling center. I got to the top of the ladder I started to dumb the bags when I got a breeze blowing on my derrier which was fully covered by the kilt. I turn around and there was one of the guys lifting up my kilt with a broom handle. I was dressed in shorts that day do to not wanting a flashing accident at faire since it was a breezy day. My wife pipes up that she made me cover up things to protect them from getting chilly since she likes it nice and warm. The guy turned beat red and the rest of the recycliing crew busted out laughing.

Another fun story.

A group of twenty rennies, fully garbed, walked into the Captial dinner in Harrisburg for dinner. The wait staff had never seen anything like us so we had them a bit freaked out. We were polite and friendly. Myself and two other members of our group are long time Boy Scouters as scouts and leaders. As we are sitting there in walk Senator Gekas who we all three knew well from all the events we had the pleasure of being at with the gentleman. Senator Gekas sees us and waves as his party is being seated just as we were geting up. The three boy scouts went over to his table with the other 17 rennies behind them. We stat chatting casually about upcomming scout events. All the while we are doing this, the Senators party is looking at us like we all were wearing flamming hair. The Senator finally complimented me on how I looked in my kilt and told me I should wear it to the next scout event to liven up things.  The senator turns towards the rest of his party and say "They all seem a bit scared of your group" I replied, "Thats all right all of them" I pointed at the rennies "Are scared of Political people" The Senator busted out laughing, all the people in his party were Diffrent Pennsylvania State Senators.

[will paisley]

It never fails, every time I stop somewhere in garb I get asked if 1 - I'm in a play or 2 - If I'm going to the festival. I've used the... "There's a festival!?" reply for number 2 a couple of times... but for number 1 I just tell them all about the faire and hope that they come. I think I like the answer I use for 1 better because hey! That brings more people (and $) to faire!

we got asked that more often then I can recall however one of the guys I was travlin with said "Ya Death of a Salesman" and walked off.....I still dim bulb my head at that answer

My favorite answer to the play/festival/reenactment/costume party question is "I hope not - I don't have anything to wear!"

It's interesting to see the various responses.  Usually people in more urban areas will ignore you, either because they think you're crazy or are going to try to sell them something, or else they're trying to project the image that they've "seen everything", whereas people in rural areas tend to speak their minds.  I've had a checkout girl at a Safeway in DC ignore the hell out of me, even when I signed the credit card slip with a quill pen plucked from my tricorn.  OTOH, I once walked into a WalMart outside of Roanoke and everybody stopped dead in their tracks and started asking me questions.

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

Beautiful custom job on your van!

Do you have a shot of the front (bow)?

  No we don't - it has a real figure head bolted to the bumper and 2 bow chasers  coming from the engine hood though.  Funny, we OWN it and yet who thinks to take pictures of it?

  We are actually having a contest on our website, for the best picture of the vessel formerly known as HMS Hellion, the winning pic will be on our website and the winner will receive a complete set of Brigands CD's (4).

So, if'n ye see the Hellion at Faire or on the road, take a shot!

Now, anyone got an aluminum anchor?

[SleepyArcher]

Try playing a FOP. I get the most curious and weird looks all the time. My friends love to walk 10 feet behind me and watch the facial expressions.

I have been called a lot of things as well. A lot of people ask me if Im male or female and it's so fun to see there face when I tell them "good day" in a deep voice. Most people don't know what to think of me lol.

[ladylissame]

Every year on our way home from KYRF we stop off at Cracker Barrel in Florence KY for dinner. In full garb. Every year we get questions and tell them about KYRF. We do get strange looks, but eventually we just shrug and have fun recounting the day at faire.
I remember one time we stopped off at a diner on the way to the campground. There were a bunch of other KYRF cast and vendors people there. Our group decided to stay in garb (we were dressed as pirates) and ordered food. The table in front of us asked us if they could get a picture of us with the birthday girl. We said "Sure!" and they gave us the rest of their ice cream cake too!

[Jinglebum]

About three years ago, me and my friends went to the Brookshire Brothers supermarket near TRF for provisions (read: alcohol and twizzlers) in full garb. You had me, a pirate wench; My friend who was all gothed-out garb; and a long-haired fellow in a kilt and top hat. One guy literally walked a few steps past us, stopped, and stared for about a minute before walking off very quickly. Haha it made our day.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

We normally only go to Bristol RF on a Sunday due to our restaurant is open on Saturdays.  However, on Labor Day weekend, we go on Sunday and Monday because the restaurant is closed on Monday, plus I have the holiday off from my work, and it is the last weekend.  We stay over in a hotel.

Yesterday morning (Monday), we got up our usual early time, and our grown son, who came with us, wanted to sleep instead of eating breakfast.  We dressed in mundanes to go to breakfast at Perkins.  Our waitress didn't have a lot of tables (actually for a while, we were the only one).  We commented on it being slow, especially for the Labor Day weekend, so close to Six Flags and the Renaissance Faire.

She asked if when we came in we saw the bunch of nuts wearing those crazy costumes who were going to the faire.  We hadn't and just about choked laughing.  Then we proceeded to tell her we were also nuts like them but we didn't want to spill egg drippings on our garb.  She turned all shades of red and said she remembered she had to do something and left.  We had a good laugh and then left her a nice tip!

[ferrissteve1]

  Imagine going onto a military base in a kilt. NOW that got some interesting looks.  That and the fact that almost my whole upper body is tattooed. It created quite a stir you might say. 

[iain robb]

From the nasty look that Dad gave me when the hotel elevator doors opened, I thought I was freaking a mundane.

Then I noticed Mom's big smile and the wide-eyed appreciation of their two little girls as they looked at my pirate gear.

"Are you going to the renaissance festival?" Mom asked as the doors closed. Dad shot me a look like, "Don't say it. Don't say a word."

So of course I replied, "Yes, I am."

"Oh, mommy, can we go?" one of the girls pleaded.

"I'm sorry, dear, we have plans today," Mom replied. Dad looked relieved.

"Oh," I said, "It's going on tomorrow as well." Dad shoots me a glance like I've said too much. Bad move. "And at least the next couple of weekends as well. Surely you can fit that into your schedule."

"Mommy, mommy," both girls are now pleading, "can we go? Please? We want to go to faire!"

Stepping out on the ground floor, Dad looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, so I wished him a good day. I don't think he was going to have one, and it was his own doing. OK, OK, I helped. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

[Tammy]

Awesome Iain!!

[Ginette]

Love all the stories!   

[RSLeask]

  Imagine going onto a military base in a kilt. NOW that got some interesting looks.  That and the fact that almost my whole upper body is tattooed. It created quite a stir you might say. 

Hah, I know that feeling.  Many a time I've stopped off to gas up at Bolling AFB on the way, or coming home from faire.  I think the gate guards have long since gotten over the "wtf?" moments, but when I get out to operate the pump, and anyone around sees the tights... yeah, I tend to get some really strange looks.  No one's said anything to date, but I have my usual reply if they ever do:  "Real men wear tights".

[Auryn]

I'm so happy I finally get to add something to this thread.

About a month ago or so the town near where my boyfriend lives held their 2nd annual pirate festival (you would think as we live in south Florida the pirate festivals would be more plentiful than they are).
We knew it would be a small affair but decided to get fully garbed as it had been about 8 months since faire.

Afterward we decided to go to a small cajun style restaurant for lunch. The only things we removed were our numerous weapons. Both of us in pirate boots, my red cavalier hat with enough plumes to cover a goose and his shot out top hat on top of all our pirate garb.
We were expecting weird looks, instead the hostess that seated us looked thrilled to see us and asked us all about the festival (she already knew about it) and she explained it to her manager who looked alarmed by our presence at first.
A group of about 6 guys were sitting at the bar and their reaction to us was a loud and cheering ARRGGGGHHHH which we responded in kind.
The rest of our lunch was spent with a little boy- about 5 years old- nearly falling out of his chair to stare at us.

It was AWESOME.