How to deal with people

I assure them that Magnum IS sinking.

Actually, I just mingle, get lost in my own thoughts, and mind my own business. Sometimes though, it gets pretty entertaining listening to the conversations of others in line.

The best one I have heard yet was the time I was standing in line for Face Off and overhead the most disturbing conversation in my life. These two kids in front of us (around 15-16 years old) were talking about ways the line could go faster. One of them suggested that they add another train to the track. I thought they were joking and even laughed at them until I learned they were serious. They spent the next 15 minutes or so contemplating the idea and examining the layout of the track.

I don't think it ever dawned on them.

Scary.

-Tina

*** Edited 3/12/2004 12:49:31 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

The way people know I am a coaster enthusiast is by reading my roller coasters shirts and listening talk to my freinds/ family about parks they have been and how the roller coasters are different and alike to the park were at currently. I guess I could not were any roller coaster shirts but whats the fun in that.

TTD was built

TTD was broke

TTD is alive

Dude...you wear roller coaster shirts to amusement parks?

Do you wear a Spaghetti-Os T-shirt to the grocery store? A Waffle House t-shirt to IHOP? A Burger King crown to Wendy's from the day you had a really good box of fries? See why a few folks just might wanna clap you in the back of the neck?

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...just my opinion.

-CO
*** Edited 3/12/2004 1:25:52 AM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

NOTE: Severe fecal impaction may render the above words highly debatable.

Actually, I like the sound of that Spaghetti O's T shirt. :)

But I see your point.

Are We There Yet?

Well playa if you can't wear a roller coaster shirt at a amusement park were can you wear them. I will need to find my hungry helper pants to go with my new shirt ( sorry about spelling)

TTD was built

TTD was broke

TTD is alive *** Edited 3/12/2004 1:36:11 AM UTC by CP Dude***

Mmmm. Waffle House. Scattered, smothered, and covered. That's good eats!

Good God, man, it's if you can't *wear* them, then *where* can you!

*** Edited 3/12/2004 1:33:53 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

http://cse.umich.edu/

CP dude,

As far as not wearing coaster related shirts, I would keep wearing them if it makes you happy. Unlike some people, it seems to me that you are proud to be an enthusiasts. I am with you on that one.

I do wear park related clothes to parks as well as non-park related stuff. I think it all depends on my mood. I have never really understood the whole "closet enthusiast" perspective. There are a million other things I can think of that are worse that being an enthusiasts. Given that I don't wear those radical "I survived " type shirts anymore (Hey, I have a history just like everyone else) but I will wear a polo shirt or a t-shirt without a lot of graphics.

Anyway, getting back to the topic. I usually don't talk with other people in line and if I hear them blasting off wrong stats or info, I will just kind of laugh inside and keep it to myself. If they happen to bring me into the conversation and want my opinion then perhaps I will chat a bit, but normally I keep to myself and limit my coaster chat with other enthusiasts I am standing in line with.

-Sean

CP Dude: Now you have no choice to explain your 'Hungry Helper' pants. Are those like rubber training pants to protect you from spills and stains? Inquiring minds must know...

-'Playa

NOTE: Severe fecal impaction may render the above words highly debatable.

I once hung out, at a park, with a guy who had a coastergallery.com shirt on. What a dork.

I wore my "I don't dial 911" T-shirt to a Ted Nugent concert once. He eyed me the entire concert. ;)

The Flying Turns makes all the right people wet - Gonch

I don't even buy shirts at parks. But you gotta love the people all decked out, with coaster shirts, hats, etc. I esp love the couples with matching coaster shirts. But I think the key is to wear coaster garb from parks furthest aways from where your at so people know your a traveler. Actually when I was little I use to where those one scooby doo Kings Island shirt everywhere. But I think this season I'm gonna make a shirt that says "I know all the answers", so people know to talk to me and know I'm an enthusiast so I know how it feels to be in CP Dudes shoes.

nasai said:
I once hung out, at a park, with a guy who had a coastergallery.com shirt on. What a dork.

I guess I ran out of my Peabody Conservatory shirts! It least I didn't wear a shirt about self-gratification! :)

Real Cbuzz quote of the day - "The classes i take in collage are so mor adcanced then u could imagen. Dont talk about my emglihs" - Adamforce

Oh, and I don't buy coaster shirts...I'm saving all my money so I can outdo the guys with the coaster patch vests....I'm going to wear a full body suit with only holes for my eyes and it will be covered every square inch with coaster patches. (The inside will have my track record embroidered in it). I'm considering adding some sort of built in speaker to blast the MF station music too.

Real Cbuzz quote of the day - "The classes i take in collage are so mor adcanced then u could imagen. Dont talk about my emglihs" - Adamforce

It could have been worse, Peabody. You could have had to spend the day with a dork in an Ethyl shirt...;).

You know, I gotta agree with Sean. I understand that there are people who are ridiculously obsessed and take it too far (read: 99% of ACErs), but I don't see the problem with being interested in that which you are enthused in. If you're a baseball lover, people expect you to know some interesting facts and figures; if you're passionate about music, people expect you to be able to identify influential and talented artists and comment intelligently on them. So why is it that the minute an enthusiast flaunts their enthusiasm and spouts a few facts, they're immediately a "coaster-geek"? I mean, isn't enthusiasm about immersing yourself in something you love (without crossing the obsession borderline)?

It just seems odd to me that, of all things, roller coaster enthusiasts are the one fan-group where, to a certain degree, it's not cool to flaunt it. There's definitely a way to know your facts and wear your shirts and have a good time without being "that guy".

[Nitro Dave -- Track Record: 231 coasters] [url="http://rapturousverbatim.blogspot.com"]A Rapturous Verbatim[/url] & [url="http://atournamentoflies.blogspot.com"]A Tournament of Lies[/url] -- my blogs...they're blogtastic.

TeknoScorpion said:
It could have been worse, Peabody. You could have had to spend the day with a dork in an Ethyl shirt....

Touché....

The Flying Turns makes all the right people wet - Gonch

Nitro Dave said:
There's definitely a way to know your facts and wear your shirts and have a good time without being "that guy".

Absolutely true. However, if you're correcting random people who spout off inaccurate stats in line, by default you will become 'that guy'. It's more entertaining for me to know the correct stats in my head, and let the people around me believe whatever 'facts' about coasters that they want to believe. No one needs to know I'm an enthusiast. I'm a drummer, too, but I don't go to concerts and talk to random people around me about drums. :)

Nitro Dave said:
It just seems odd to me that, of all things, roller coaster enthusiasts are the one fan-group where, to a certain degree, it's not cool to flaunt it. There's definitely a way to know your facts and wear your shirts and have a good time without being "that guy".

I agree its like video games used to be until playstation.You were a dork if you liked or talked about video games now everyone talks about and plays games(actors, sports stars,bands etc..)

Cedar Point -How an amusement park should be run.

I usually wear some related shirts like Looney Toons for SF, ST for Paramount, etc. Well, I am not a member of ACE or anything, but I do not mind people asking questions about certain coasters. I answer them. I DO NOT try to influence them of their opinions. I will not say that a person is wrong if that person says he/she likes or dislikes a coaster. I do not care if people try to out do the accomplishments. That does not bother me. Just remember that the opinions are not facts. You will not get into trouble that way.

Nitro Dave said:So why is it that the minute an enthusiast flaunts their enthusiasm and spouts a few facts, they're immediately a "coaster-geek"?

Two things:

One, everyone knows that there are an insane number of stats kept track of in sports... but the average person doesn't think about "stats" when they're riding a coasters. You might as well say, "Did you know that the bottled water you're drinking contains xx grams of sodium chloride, and yy milliliters of zinc oxide?"

Two, sports are popular. Music is popular. Sports and music fanatics are not seen as geeks because what they know about is popular. I'm sure everyone here knows that if what you do as a hobby isn't popular, you get weird looks and derisive snorts even for bringing it up.

Almost none of my hobbies are popular. I've gotten strange looks for bringing up my hobbies of coaster enthusiasm, DDR, Where's George, crossword puzzles, reading nonfiction, etc., etc. But when I bring up my hobbies of watching baseball or playing golf, no one thinks twice about it.

I'm pretty sure swatting a little white ball all over the place is just as weird as stomping on arrows in time to music, but whatever.

[url="http://www.livejournal.com/users/denl42"]My blog[/url] You said, "I'm gonna run you down." I heard, "I'm an orangutan."

I am sorry to disapoint all but there are no hungry helper pants. That would be a good idea. If I did had them the would be noodle brown with little pictures of beef on them.

Just to make it clear I do not wear shirst that say cedar point best park in the world. When I go I might were my top thrill dragster sweatshirt and a raptor shirt ( bought just for warmth)

TTD was built

TTD was broke

TTD is alive