How do you wear your coaster pins or patches?

On my Star Trek uniform.

I don't have to wear anything to get into conversations with people. In SoCal and at Dollywood, my friend Jamaal commented on how I can 'talk to just about anybody in line, can't you?'.

It is true, but I don't talk coasters most of the time. Sometimes I will, more often when I'm at a park by myself and a father/son or father/daughter, or some combination of family starts a conversation with the 'lonely guy' in line with them. But I don't go spouting off facts (most of the time;)).

The last thing I want to discuss when I'm at a park is rollercoasters. Heck, I'm there to ride them, not talk about them. I don't purposfully wear this or that, at a park, I dress for comfort, which is usually cargo shorts/cargo pants and a t-shirt, sunglasses, and often (now that I have a buzzed head) a hat.

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Look at how many people admit to wearing park/coaster garb in hopes of attracting conversation and/or attention. That reeks of "please talk coasters with me, I can spout all kinds of unimpressive stats" desperation.

Posting to a coaster forum (this post makes 3950 for me ) is simply having conversation with like-minded people.

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.. and this is different how? You log onto a website (you go to a themepark), you have a screen name that describes a bit about yourself or what you wish to be (you wear a coaster t-shirt with a ride that personally you enjoyed) you read other peoples topics or maybe start one of your own (same thing happens all the time in line for a ride).. the lines are blurring here for me. It's all the same thing.

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I see a big difference in trying to lure anonymous park goers into coaster conversation and participating in coaster discussion with others who frequent a website hoping to do the same.

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Are these people not in line for the same reason you are? to ride a coaster? Some people want to talk about rides.

Personally, I have never engaged a conversation about a particular ride with a complete stranger nor do I wear a shirt to "lure" people into conversation. It's more of a personal statement of what I enjoy. Same thing with any apparel with a logo or any print on it. You as the consumer saw, liked, and bought. If I see someone with a Nike shirt on i'm not compelled to approach them and strike up a conversation about Nike airs. But if someone in the park has a coaster shirt on I tend to wave or give a polite nod in passing. Nothing wrong with that right? :)

Don't get me wrong about the previous comment on user posts.. i'm all for it. I wish I had the time to comment on every thread I've read on here for the past few years. I just dont have the time nor the desire to. I work best in lurk mode. ;)

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*** Edited 6/14/2005 8:20:04 AM UTC by CoasterBearVa***

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Darth Saambe said:
I have a big shirt that says, "COASTER ENTHUSIAST" on the front and "I AM BETTER THAN YOU" on the back. I wear it everytime I go to a park...

Oh, and the sleeve says, "It's not good if it's got no records."

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LMAO! Good one! :-)

-Tina

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Lord Gonchar said:
Look at how many people admit to wearing park/coaster garb in hopes of attracting conversation and/or attention. That reeks of "please talk coasters with me, I can spout all kinds of unimpressive stats" desperation.

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Who cares! What about all the people who wear shirts from various concerts, vacation spots or other events? My dad buys a t-shirt from all the blues and biker events he goes to and I don't find it geeky at all. Its just what he wears.

I think its sad there have been so many people in this thread that are quick to point out that they don't wear a coaster t-shirt to a park. I have talked to the people you are trying to seperate yourselves from, and the t-shirts aren't what makes them geeks. Wear what you want to wear! To each his/her own.

I have no pins, but have lots of T-shirts (pretty much one for every park I have been too). The only coaster related shirt I wear to parks is my ACE shirt.

I buy refrigerator magnets or glue magnets to the backs for pins or patches and wear them on my refrigerator at home.

^I agree. I think I will break out my Warrant and Winger T-shirts and start wearing them again. ;-)

-Tina

I don't have to wear anything to get into conversations with people.

Clint - like you I'm just a gregarious person. I strike up conversations with people in line all the time but I don't play the "coaster enthusiast card" unless asked.

ROFL....just the other day I was at the appliance store abd the salesman asks me about Magic Mountain. At first I was taken aback 'cause I didn't realize I was wearing my "hey I'm a geeky coaster enthusiast" look...then I looked down and sure enough it was an 'X' t-shirt. Hey, it's comfortable as all get-out...

I'd rather talk religion or politics than coasters, but, well, ya know.... ;)

Of course, I didn't realize Matthew was "greagarious", I thought he was just plain Moosh-alicious...;)

*** Edited 6/14/2005 5:38:55 PM UTC by rollergator***

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.. and this is different how? You log onto a website (you go to a themepark), you have a screen name that describes a bit about yourself or what you wish to be (you wear a coaster t-shirt with a ride that personally you enjoyed) you read other peoples topics or maybe start one of your own (same thing happens all the time in line for a ride).. the lines are blurring here for me. It's all the same thing.

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One is presenting yourself in a certain way in hopes that someone along the way will strike up coaster conversation with you. (again, this applies only to those who specifically wear coaster garb for such purposes - just skim back through the thread for the admissions)

The other is stopping by a designated spot where people do nothing but talk about coasters and parks.

That gap between the two couldn't be wider.

Hell, I don't care who wears what. I've never struck up conversation with a stranger based on the clothes they were wearing and I don't wear coaster/park clothes in general, so I guess the chances of the reverse happening to me are next to none.

There's just something about specifically wearing a certain coaster/park shirt to any given amusement park in hopes that it will get comments that's kind of weird to me.

Then again, I'm not one who 'talks coasters' outside of online forums. In my case, the people I travel with either already know about the coasters or don't care. I like it that way. I go to the parks to have fun, I get online to discuss my interest in parks. It's two totally seperate (yet related) worlds for me.

I often question my enthusiast credentials. I'm the most GP enthusiast I know. :)

This may be my favorite thread of all time... :-)

Coaster pins, tees, patches, bag-o-political statements, souvenirs, pictures of souvenirs AND quilt of tees... :-)

I can’t decide which is my favorite. It is between “pictures of souvenirs” and “quilt of tees” for sure. Lets have it guys---vote—is it…

A: Pictures of souvenirs

Or

B: Quilt of Tees

P.S. This is all meant in good humor as I’ve met many a nice coaster geek with the whole set-up. I admit it is not my thing and I occasionally laugh a little to hard at this stuff. It is certainly not a nice characteristic of mine. I'm sure I look goofy to a lot of people too. But I just can't stop smiling as I read this post.

I would give a lot to see “quilt of tees guy” standing in line with an album demonstrating pictures of the latest in coaster painted coffee mugs to some disinterested GP guy… :-)

P.P.S. Save the insults…I already know I’m going to a bad place when my time ends…

*** Edited 6/14/2005 8:20:27 PM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***

I have many patches. I dislike pins, but do have one of "Banshee" at CP. This was the name of Mantis before it was decided that it was not an appropriate name. I mostly collect the patches, but plan to put one of my extra "ACE" patches on a hat or something that i wear regularly.

I wear t-shirts to the parks on occasion, (not necessarily of that park/rides). I have my one Legend t-shirt that just says "The Legend" on it that I wear to work. It's a great conversation starter, plus I get lots of jokes about the size of my ego! I don't think wearing these shirts makes me stick out. I see tons of non-enthusiasts wearing coaster/park t's all the time at the parks.

I do find myself swinging toward the more general park and coaster t's though. Like the ones many of you I'm sure saw at PKI. The Let's Get Loopy!, Lot's of chunky fun for everyone or the Speed Demon shirt I bought at PKI the other night.

I collect the pins for a picture frame, like mentioned earlier. It's neat to have a physical representation of your coaster count like that. Never got into the whole pin trading at WDW. My sister-in-law and her husband really love it though. But I teased them the other night because they kept hiding their Beastbuzz lanyards inside their shirts. *** Edited 6/15/2005 12:11:17 AM UTC by Floorless Fan***

Speaking of attire, I once had a very interesting situation. My school was scheduled to perform at a "Music In The Parks" event at our local Long Island Park (Adventureland). I was at a conference that day and I showed up at the park for the early evening performance, and to go on a few rides with my students. Due to the conference, I was wearing a dress shirt, tie and sports jacket.

I must say that the level of respect that I recieved that night from the ride ops and concession stand venders was far and away the best that I ever had at a park.

Have any of you over-dressed for a park? Did you get similar treatment?

And yes I needed to send everything to the dry cleaners the following day.

You know, that's an idea. Formal night!

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TeknoScorpion said:
I don't have to wear anything to get into conversations with people.

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I'm sure that's a conversation starter in itself.
Don't look Ethel...... she looked.

touch'e...

;)

No shirt, no shoes, no service... They didn't say anything about pants though.

Sorry, Tekno, but that was too good to let go by without a response.