The Danger of Mardi Gras beads.....

[tiberiusflynn]

Not sure if this is where to post this but just thought I'd share a funny and almost tragic story that happened to me the Sunday of Halloween weekend at TRF.

So, after the amazing and crazy all Hallow's eve fire circle, I was understandably a little low on energy for Sunday...no problem. It was a nice slow day. great weather, etc.  

So my friends and I are kicking back in Sherwood Forest, listening to CircaPaleo (sp?), which is a great group (I went to college with the drummer). And I buy a Dr. Pepper from a vendor and am just sitting there listening to the finale.  

Now, along comes this rather large family with a few boys and girls. One boy in particular is around 10 or so, and he has a pair of green mardi gras beads that were left over from the day before. Junior is enjoying the music, just like me and he decides that he wants to dance around. Fine, no problem.

While he's dancing though he decides to start swinging these mardi gras beads at warp factor 8. So, I see this happening, when my spidey sense kicks in and I think....maybe I should put my hat in front of my fa.....SMACK!!

Lo, and behold, a feel a sharp and rather unpleasant sensation in my right eye. Regrettably I let loose with some foul language that I shouldn't have uttered so near to children and grabbed my eye. Then I notice blood. My first thought is, oh god, I just lost my eye. So I take off for the nearest privy.

Thankfully, the bead lodged itself directly (and I mean centimeters) below my eye. Mind you, I wouldn't mind an eye patch as it woud make my pirate more authentic...but I've grown quite attached to my right eye.

So, I go back to my waiting friends who are understandably worried and by this time I've calmed down as, no real harm done...

When I find out that the family is gone. Apparently, the mother saw what happened, grabbed her kid and told the husband that they needed to leave immediately....

Now, THAT ticked me off. For all they knew I could've lost my eye!!! And then to make matters worse, the vendor that I had JUST bought a DP from, wouldn't give me ice for my eye unless I bought another drink!!!

So, moral of the story - Beware of fat children with mardi gras beads. And if you do get smacked....expect sympathy from no one.

[Just Randall]

Yeah, the whole vendor thing really pisses me off, you could be bleeding to death and they wouldn't give you a napkin unless you bought something... which is why I don't spend a penny with those bloodsucking bastards.

Except the Queen's Pantry. Ronnie always has an awesome crew. And great food. And the hot cider to get me going in the morning so I actually have a voice for morning gate.

[BLAKDUKE]

Indeed that doth sucketh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mouse]

Don't forget about Lady MacArthur and her snack crack. I love me some salsa.

[Sir Martin]

Yegads ... what an unfortunate experience (and I agree with Capt. Fletcher - that vendor was a real tool).  I'm glad you are OK knightofistari.  

[tiberiusflynn]

lol, thanks!! I got lucky...as that bead was really flying...it even had a hard plastic part sticking out left over from what connected it to the rest of the beads...thats what scratched up my face the most...dont' want to imagine what it would've done to my eye...

[Just Randall]

Don't forget about Lady MacArthur and her snack crack. I love me some salsa.

Oh, Carolyn doesn't count as a food vendor, as she has SAMPLES of items for sale.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that she lives 3 miles down the road from me. 

[Betty Munro]

As a parent of an overly rambunctious child, I am disgusted that the parents ran from the responsibility and didn't stick around to apologize profusely, buy you the ice, apologize profusely, make sure you were ok, teach their child to apologize profusely.  Maybe they were scared by your cursing?  That is no escuse, maybe you are now afraid of wee bastards flinging warp speed blinding projectiles.  I hate irresponsible people.  I hate twice as much irresponsible parents.  I understand the kid playing, and unfortunately an accident occurring, but they need to stick around and make it as right as they can.
Have you considered reporting the vendor that refused to give you ice to management?
Glad you didn't lose an eye!  Although pirates with eye patches are sexy ...

[tiberiusflynn]

As a parent of an overly rambunctious child, I am disgusted that the parents ran from the responsibility and didn't stick around to apologize profusely, buy you the ice, apologize profusely, make sure you were ok, teach their child to apologize profusely.  Maybe they were scared by your cursing?  That is no escuse, maybe you are now afraid of wee bastards flinging warp speed blinding projectiles.  I hate irresponsible people.  I hate twice as much irresponsible parents.  I understand the kid playing, and unfortunately an accident occurring, but they need to stick around and make it as right as they can.
Have you considered reporting the vendor that refused to give you ice to management?
Glad you didn't lose an eye!  Although pirates with eye patches are sexy ...

LOL, I agree that eye patches can be sexy...heh.

I don't know if they were scared by my cursing...as it wasn't too loud, I wasn't screaming but then again maybe I'm rather an imposing pirate?? I can hope.

I reckon that the mom was probably scared that I was going to sue their butts off and its sad that in this day and age people are afraid of any responsibility because of things like that.

I didn't want reparations, I just wanted an apology or atleast common human decency of being concerned if I lost my eye. But yeah, now that kid has been taught a valuable lesson to NOT take responsibility for his actions.

My only hope is that maybe, just maybe the mom has a guilty conscience about bailing like that...

and about the ice vendor...no, I didn't even think about something like that..

[Taffy Saltwater]

Have you reported this to fair management?  They need to know that the beads can pose a hazard in the wrong - stupid - hands.  Also that the vendor was such a jerk about providing ice to an injured patron.  In addition to the whole possibly losing an eye thing, you could have gotten an infection or scarred.

There are people in this world for whom it should be illegal to breed.  Unfortunately, those are often the ones who are the two-legged versions of rabbits.

Please do this old legal secretary a favor & contact management asap.  They really do need to be informed.

[tiberiusflynn]

Have you reported this to fair management?  They need to know that the beads can pose a hazard in the wrong - stupid - hands.  Also that the vendor was such a jerk about providing ice to an injured patron.  In addition to the whole possibly losing an eye thing, you could have gotten an infection or scarred.

Please do this old legal secretary a favor & contact management asap.  They really do need to be informed.

Since this post, I actually have been contacted by an associate on TRF management that said she would take care of the vendor that refused to give me ice...

I hadn't thought about reporting the beads as a hazard.....as it being ren faire....I'd think mardi gras beads would be the least of my worries about certain things being in the wrong hands....but I might see what I can do.

LOL, you can be assured I am wary of children with beads now!!

There are people in this world for whom it should be illegal to breed.  Unfortunately, those are often the ones who are the two-legged versions of rabbits.

Yeah...I agree. Ever see the movie "Idiocracy"? It's not a great movie, as it gets its point across in the first 15 minutes and then the rest is just fluff......but its point mainly is that stupid people are breeding more and faster then people with a decent IQ.....

Which I just chalk it up to today's "reverse darwinism" as I call it....but thats another topic for a whole nother day...heh.

[Taffy Saltwater]

I'm glad they're handling the basic people-need-first-aid part of it.  I did see Idiocracy - have to agree w/you re the 1st 15 minutes and then - a nap.  Unfortunately, I'm reminded of this movie on an all too frequent basis.  I'm glad it wasn't any worse.

[tiberiusflynn]

Yeah, me too....I mean, again, I like eye patches but wasn't in the mood for having one on a general basis

[will paisley]

[ Ever see the movie "Idiocracy"? It's not a great movie, as it gets its point across in the first 15 minutes and then the rest is just fluff......but its point mainly is that stupid people are breeding more and faster then people with a decent IQ.....

Which I just chalk it up to today's "reverse darwinism" as I call it....but thats another topic for a whole nother day...heh.

Go read the story that it's based on (but which it gives absolutely no credit to):  The Marching Morons, by C. M. Kornbluth.  It's a much more succinct (and better told) version of the story.

[tiberiusflynn]

[ Ever see the movie "Idiocracy"? It's not a great movie, as it gets its point across in the first 15 minutes and then the rest is just fluff......but its point mainly is that stupid people are breeding more and faster then people with a decent IQ.....

Which I just chalk it up to today's "reverse darwinism" as I call it....but thats another topic for a whole nother day...heh.

Go read the story that it's based on (but which it gives absolutely no credit to):  The Marching Morons, by C. M. Kornbluth.  It's a much more succinct (and better told) version of the story.

I will def. have to do that. Thanks for the info!