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

[SandrineDeLaTombe]

For a while I worked in a shop that sold china, crystal and silver, and then I moved to a shoppe that sold high end jewelry.  In both those instances, I always had customers that would come in to my shoppes saying that they received poor service at other places because they didn't "look" like they had the money to spend.  At my jewelry store, our wealthiest, "high-rolling" if you will, customers were hardcore bikers, they'd come in all their Harley leather gear and silver chains.  They always shopped with my store because we treated them the same kindness and respect as everyone else.

This season, my friend and I were in a shoppe that I have received good service in before. We were the only people in the store, and my friend had to ask the shoppe keep, almost three times, to help her.  I admit that my friend got a little rude, but it was clear we were there to buy something (I even had on one of the shoppe's pieces!), and the fact that they shoppe keep didn't stop what she was doing to help us was extremely rude.  I have to say that is the only negative experience I've ever had at a ren faire shoppe. 

[LadyStitch]

I'm pretty standard. Drunks that go over board, un supervised children, and people disrespecting peoples garb and wares. 

The ONLY times I have gotten poor service by a shop keep at a faire was when it was at the end of the day, and I could tell they had been dealing with idiots all day.  They were tired, frustrated, and over worked after a LONG day.  I couldn't blame them but still left a sour taste in my mouth. 
I can tell you that one of my "large mammal" friends went into a shop at Scarby one year and was insulted by being told that he was "To fat to wear any of their garb, and he should go else where."  It turned me off that shop for 3 years.  By then that clerk was fired, and I now recomend them for good bodice work.  Just because a customer is not buying that day does not mean they won't tomorrow.

Yes I go into shops and look at garb and examine it closely for quality.  Since I do purchasing of costumes for some theaters I work for I am always looking for good quality items I can recomend to my theaters.  Could I make most of what I see garb wise at faire, yes, BUT I also know what goes into making them.  I would rather pay another shop keep to make something for me than spend my time making it at no profit for myself. 
As a seamstress I've been nice to dane who want to buy garb and taken them to places where I recomend garb.  When they start griping about price I tell them they are paying for artisan work, not cheap overseas factory work.  If they want that they can buy it from some online costume shop, otherwise respect the art work these people are doing.  You wouldn't insult my work like that, so show them some respect.

[Shandi]

Shoplifters! no excuse! that will piss me off for days!
It's not my stuff but I respect that shop and the hard work my mistress puts into each and every doll. I was so angry for the next couple weeks if the owner of the shop would move a doll I'd think it's been stolen, I got on her nerves being so worked up over it. I know who stole the doll and when and even talked to her....grrrrr...I HATE thieves~!!
The owner was not that stressed over it she believes in karma and that the thief would be payed back. I just wanted to chase  down and beat the crud out of the thief!

[Rowan MacD]

When they start griping about price I tell them they are paying for artisan work, not cheap overseas factory work.  If they want that they can buy it from some online costume shop, otherwise respect the art work these people are doing.  You wouldn't insult my work like that, so show them some respect.

I totally agree.  I wish we had some quality garb vendors in our area that could sell at our faires, but we are just not big enough to attract the good ones.   As it is, the closest faire with even a couple of good vendors is 150 miles from here.   The only 'garb' available for sale from the flea market curio vendors around here is the cheap overseas import crap, and that is being sold at artisan prices.
    No wonder the average mundane shopping for first time garb is confused.  If he's never experienced superior quality, he wouldn't recognize it if it hit him in the face.   
    Just like fine wine and racehorses. 
     

[Delireus]

I totally agree.  I wish we had some quality garb vendors in our area that could sell at our faires, but we are just not big enough to attract the good ones.   As it is, the closest faire with even a couple of good vendors is 150 miles from here.   

Make a weekend of it and go! I don't think I've been less than 100 miles from any of the faires I go to.

[Rowan MacD]

I totally agree.  I wish we had some quality garb vendors in our area that could sell at our faires, but we are just not big enough to attract the good ones.   As it is, the closest faire with even a couple of good vendors is 150 miles from here.   

Make a weekend of it and go! I don't think I've been less than 100 miles from any of the faires I go to.

  Oh, I do!  I drop a couple hundred each year at the DMRF at Likely Lotus and Scots Dragon.  However this year I blew my budget on Moresca, so no more garb for me this year (bad, naughty Rowen)
  Last time I was at KCRF I had to be dragged out of Sofi's, (while the saleslady was trying hard to drag me back in), just to be distracted by Tig'r Togs (oooo pretty).  I am a total garb hag.
   This year is My Laird and I's 3rd anniversary.....Leather!  Coincidentally, the DMRF is running then...

[Rowan MacD]

   I know much has been said of uncontrolled, bratty kids with most of the gripes seeming to center around the children of paying guests.  My gripe is a little more specific.
   Vendors and/or faire employees who bring their kids to faire then let them run loose so they don't have to watch them.  
  Over the years, these tend to be the kids I see tearing up other booths, ransacking the children's realm and sometimes stealing from other vendors and historical encampments while their parents are 'busy' (usually sitting on their arses eating or talking on cell phones).  
  A lot of the vendors at our faires don't have kids, but the last couple of years I have seen more toddlers and older kids being babysat by family while they man their booth.   The kids are probably safer at faire than most places, so the parents or relatives are not that concerned about them falling afoul of some pervert,  but some kids are not mature enough to respect the property of others, and should not be unsupervised.
   

[LadyFae]

Yes Rowen, I agree!  I didn't specify in my first response to this thread about which children but my irksomeness about unruly children IS more geared toward employees' kids than towards patrons' kids.  Many of the employee kids seem to have a sense of entitlement.  Such as the little girl last year (who I have watched grow up at Faire) who pinched my daughter because my daughter wouldn't hand over her entire pouch of fairy stones.  No idea who this kid belongs to but I always see her around Faire and now feel as though I need to guide my children out of her path!

[Kymberleigh]

I'm pretty standard with the things that hurl me off into the depths of rage as well, unsupervised children, drunks (not so much of a problem at GLMF this year since it was dry), and other ones like that, though people who criticize the performers and those who insult others' garb are the top ones.

My cousin tends to criticize the performers, sometimes within their hearing since she is naturally a loud person, which almost made me conveniently lose her at GLMF, but then I remembered she had driven and was my ride home.

Those who insult other people's garb is a big one for me.  I make my own and have made some for my friends.  My friends and I were at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire when we entered the Renaissance Fashions - Fine Ladies Apparel booth, which has Victorian style corsets and chemises.  My friend was wearing a chemise and waist cincher that I had made for her.  The salesman was there, took a look at her waist cincher, said that she could do better than the "ugly black bag" around her waist.  My friend, seeing my astonished and hurt face, told the "salesman" that I had made it.  He backpedaled so fast you could see skid marks!  He said that he had only said that because he was a corset connoisseur.  BS!  Thankfully we left soon after that, and I have not stepped foot in that booth again and I will not.  Sorry for the vent, even 3 weeks after it still gets me really pissed off

[Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman]

   Vendors and/or faire employees who bring their kids to faire then let them run loose so they don't have to watch them.  
 

Especially when those kids go to certain shows so much, they know the shows by heart, and start yelling out the performers lines for them... Seriously, yes, heckling happens, but when the kid is doing it at EVERY show, to the point that its making nice guy performers lose thier cool... ARGH.

[Adriana Rose]

My son has to come with me, I really have no choice. I have a sitter with him because well there is only so much a coloring book and some movies will do. When he is out and about he is always on his best behaivor, I will NOT allow him to turn into a faire brat!


Those kids drive me nuts too.

[Celtic_Fae]

There are a few variations on things already mentioned that really get to me.

1. Faire B-R-A-T-S
Out of our own pockets, one of the backstage crews I worked with put out a nice spread for the performers. We didn't discriminate-performers from all the stages were and felt welcome, despite the expense of providing for them. Everyone knew, though, to keep their voices down and to minimize their entrances/exits to the backstage, so as to not interrupt the continual performances of the different acts at our stage. Well, everyone except the faire brats. They'd chase each other through out back door, in full view of the audience, screaming at the top of their lungs. They'd plunder our food supplies, taking large handfuls, spilling the bowls on the ground, messing with props, and stealing from our performance-related merchandise cart supplies. Later, when I found out that these were vendors' kids, I was appalled that their parents didn't teach them better manners and respect. Unfortunately, we could never peg who belonged with whom, so there was no resolution to this problem, other than to have a stage hand (who would have been much better suited doing their original job, had we a choice) keep them from running back and messing with everything and disturbing the performances.

2. Disloyalty and backbiting
I know that no one can be friends with everyone and that conflicts of personality are bound to arise. But COME ON! Faire is supposed to be FUN! It's not supposed to be a clique-riddled, rumor mill, back biting ring. I get so tired of hearing about how horrible X-person is from Y, only to walk farther down the lane and hear about how horrible Y-person is from X. If I wanted high school drama, I would have directed my career toward teaching! What's worse is, if you refuse to listen or believe either side, it's a case of "Well, if you're not with me, surely you are against me!"

3. Drunks
This ranges from annoyance, where I don't know if something said/promised is going to be remembered or if someone is really my friend or just drunk, to all out rage when someone tries to make a move on me or take liberties that they believe, in their drunken stupor, I welcome despite all actions to the contrary. I grew up with an alcoholic father, so I really hate seeing alcoholism tear apart friendships and relationships. I don't begrudge anyone their drinks in celebration, but I really think it is pathetic if one can't exist without a constant bottle/mug/glass/whatever of booze by their side at all times, further more if they try to pretend that they're sober when it's obvious that they are drunk and haven't seen a dry day in quite a while.

[Delireus]

    Oh, I do!  I drop a couple hundred each year at the DMRF at Likely Lotus and Scots Dragon.  However this year I blew my budget on Moresca, so no more garb for me this year (bad, naughty Rowen)
  Last time I was at KCRF I had to be dragged out of Sofi's, (while the saleslady was trying hard to drag me back in), just to be distracted by Tig'r Togs (oooo pretty).  I am a total garb hag.
   This year is My Laird and I's 3rd anniversary.....Leather!  Coincidentally, the DMRF is running then...

Hah! My first time at Sofi's at KCRF I did the same thing . I loved everything in there, I too had to be dragged out. Maybe this year shall be different!

[Lady Toadflinger]

Poorly behaved children at Faire irritate me as well.  What really gets my blood boiling is parents who bring babies to Faire, and other outdoor places, inappropriately dressed for the weather! These parents have warm clothes on, while their infants are dressed in tee-shirts and diapers,with bare feet, and the poor little ones are literally purple from the cold! The same is true for hot weather, many babies have uncovered heads in the blasting sun, while Mom and Dad have sunglasses and hats on.  Do they think that babies are immune from heat-stroke and cold?!
On a related topic, I am very upset by people who bring to Faires pets who are obviously overcome by the crowds of oddly dressed strangers and screaming kids. I am glad to see that more Faires in our area are banning pets.  I have four dogs, and, though I would love to show them off, they stay away from crowds, since they don't all like strangers.

[Dinobabe]

On a related topic, I am very upset by people who bring to Faires pets who are obviously overcome by the crowds of oddly dressed strangers and screaming kids. I am glad to see that more Faires in our area are banning pets.  I have four dogs, and, though I would love to show them off, they stay away from crowds, since they don't all like strangers.

OH MY GOSH!!!

It is so nice to hear a pet owner ACTUALLY admit that their pets are not perfect in every way! (like some parents with their kids )
I have a real fear of dogs and so many owners look at me like I am crazy when I ask them to put the dog in another room or use a leash, especially when the dog jumps on me.   I have been known to involuntarily start kicking a dog that scares me.  That is how deep my fear is.  I know it's not the dog's fault.  I can't help it.  I just wish more owners were as considerate as you.  You never know who might be afraid of dogs or how your dog might react to a particular crowd, sound, person, outfit, CHILD.