What turns you away?

[Dracconia]

**This thread is not meant as a faire bashing thread**

Now that this has been stated, what makes you not want to go back to a faire or event? What makes you decide that you are no longer inclined to return?

Once you've decided you have had a bad experince how can the establishment win you back?

[Rowan MacD]

Rude, impatient gate cast who give you the impression they don't want to be there, you are just another person interrupting their oh, so important gossip session with the person at the next ticket window, and then are openly impatient if you ask them a question
   Example: *barely concealed eye roll* - "You can get a program inside the gate...Next!"
  The same thing goes for cast member inside the faire.
  Gossip and hooking up with one of the shoppe wenches can be done on your time; your job is to schmooze the paying customers.
   If it takes 3 times before the lady with the daughter dressed as a princess can peal your attention away for a photo op, then you are not doing your job. 

[Ginette]

A rude cashier... If I'm going to spend my time looking for what I need then spend the money on it, I would hope the cashier would act like they care.

[Merlin the Elder]

Not enough ambiance, and/or too much distraction. If I am going to be at a Ren faire, I want it to feel somewhat like being at a market during the Renaissance. Medieval faire (i.e., Sherwood), same thing.

Distraction comes in the form of too many totally out-of-place characters (storm-troopers and the like), though I can ignore a couple if they don't get in my way.  I find the interruption of ambiance in overtly modern things, like advertising kiosks, or asphalt paving inside the faire. 

Faires that are difficult to navigate because of a poor layout or very narrow lanes will stop me from returning.

I have to say that some of the things I read here help me decide where I want to go and where I want to avoid. I do not use a single complaint to form my opinion, but will use the descriptions from many.

We have been lucky in that we have never had a bad run-in with any faire personnel.

[PollyPoPo]

Rude shop people who tell young ladies they cannot try something on because they cannot afford it.  This is always at the lesser expensive shops.  That's when I tell our young lady we're through window shopping and we'll go back to Moresco or Sandlars where she can spend her money on a new whatever.

Places overrun by drunks.

Hawkers that stop traffic and literally try to prevent me from walking away.  At my age I've got that drop dead voice "Remove ... Your ... Hand" line down so that people from 20 feet away turn to look at the fool who tried to grab my arm to keep me from leaving.

Come to think of it, most of the things that would cause me to forgo a specific are the same things that make me avoid other types of events. 

[ladybriony]

Impolite mundane patrons who gawk at or make fun of patrons in garb is the number one faire turn-off for me.  I've experienced this a few times at a faire in Texas and it makes the atmosphere less friendly.  Also, faire's that don't have camping.  Camping is such a fun part of the faire experience!  Besides, I'd rather spend the extra money I waste on a motel inside the faire! 

[RenStarr]

Here's a short list of things that leave me disappointed:

Too many (as Merlin stated) "out of place characters".

People walking around talking on a cell phone and making no attempt to be discrete.

Any modern advertisement signs (ie Bud Light signs) in the pubs.  If you can't tell what your brew options are by looking at the tap handles, you probably don't need to be drinking any more anyways.

The cost of ice.  I don't mind paying for a cup of ice, but $1 for approx 8 oz's of ice is just too much.

Rock climbing walls and bungie jumping whatever their called.   .  I get why they are there ($$$$).  But I don't have to like it.

Rude drunk people.  Happy drunks, who doesn't like to laugh with and sometimes at a happy drunk.  But a drunk rude person just kills what might have been a good time.

[Merlin the Elder]

The cell phone thing is everywhere, not just at faire. I am so tired of dodging people who are texting and either walking or driving, paying NO attention to what is around them. I'm tired of trying to hold a conversation with someone and be interrupted by their cell ringing, and them picking up. Put the freaking things down and talk face-to-face with someone! </rant>

[Rowan MacD]

   Thank goodness we've never visited anywhere that we had to payfor ice.  I certainly would not pay more than a quarter to 50 cents.  I usually ask for a cup full when I get a bottle of soda. Luckily, I haven't had a vendor turn me down yet.

  My pet peeve is bottled water.  It does not cost even 1/2 what a case of soft drinks does,  and thus should not be sold for the same price as the same size bottle of soda.  Gouging folks for something as necessary as water, especially if the venue has NO other sources for hydration is just wrong on a number of levels. 

   Cell phone etiquette (no matter where you see them) is deplorable.  Common manners seem to desert folks when the phone rings. 
   If you are with someone at dinner (and you have neglected to turn off your phone) you should apologize and ask permission to answer it. 
   If you need to have it on at all times, then it is only polite to inform your dinner guests that you have to keep your phone on, preferably why, and take the call in another room if you get one.   
   You should never take a call, much less read or answer texts when you are supposed to be giving your attention to someone or something else.  Period.   That is just rude, and frequently dangerous.
  If you are at faire, and in garb, the same rules should apply as if you were in a theater or church.   Turn OFF the phone, or leave it on mute if you must.
  You can check your calls/texts/twitters when you are alone. Never in public.

  I don't get rock climbing walls either, but I suppose it makes about as much sense as the high striker carnival strongman game that is at nearly every Faire now.   I don't think those were invented until around the late 1800's. 
  Heck, I've even seen a Madam Mysterio gypsy fortune telling machine set up at one faire. 
   

   

   
   

[Rowan MacD]

Impolite mundane patrons who gawk at or make fun of patrons in garb is the number one faire turn-off for me.  I've experienced this a few times at a faire in Texas and it makes the atmosphere less friendly. 

And if the people they are making fun of are inclined to drink and are portraying a tough guy character-things could get hostile. 
  Sometimes its hard to tell if the person you are snarking at is an employee or a Playtron. 

[Norfolk]

Any Faire that does not welcome playtrons.

[theChuck]

Any Faire that does not welcome playtrons.

Does that really exist? Sad...

[Hoowil]

Any Faire that does not welcome playtrons.

Does that really exist? Sad...

I've seen some that will politely request that you don't try to portray royalty so as to eliminate some confusion, but to disourage the whole thing? Wow, that takes away too much of the expereince, for the playtrons and paytrons alike. Kind of destroys the whole purpose behind garb merchants too.

[DonaCatalina]

Any Faire that does not welcome playtrons.

Really?
I'm glad I haven't run into one yet.
Turn offs for me.
1. Bathrooms made so small that one person has trouble fitting in the door.
2. Lack of ambiance (i.e. one faire had a single fiddler for music all of Saturday)
3. Rude employees; whether they be gate or cast.
4. Lack of food (one vendor selling hot dogs who ran out before noon)

[Rowan MacD]

Any Faire that does not welcome playtrons.

Wow. 
  Even re enactment events generally welcome garbed spectators....I agree with Hoowill...what about the garb, weapons and accessories merchants?  I've never seen a faire without them.