How to deal with people

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CP Dude said:
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.

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Oh, no!!! How about Hamburger Helper?

BTW, I do not ever think about people reaction to my hobbies because it is none of their business. I bowl, play tennis, swim, work out, ride coasters, and play strategy games. If they think I should not do this, so be it. I like them, and no one can tell me otherwise. It is perfectly fine to know the details about coasters. Then again, I am careless about NBA (I like college basketball.) and the stats for NBA.

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Den said

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.

Now I know why I get those looks when I talk about my Strawberry Shortcake thimble collection.

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If you spout off about something and act like you're above people, they're not gonna like you. Even if it is sports or music. I've seen Reel Big Fish 23 times in concert - but do I tell anyone? No (well now you all know, but regardless) ... but I can't stand it when someone in the crowd's talkin' about how this is their 2nd time and they know everything about the band and this that and the other. I wanna go give 'em the verbal smackdown, but they're happy, and it really doesn't matter that much to me, so I just keep quiet and skank my ass off :)

Same thing with sports, the guys who sit behind us at the Penguins games (season tix both ways) sound like they're reciting the hockey encyclopedia all night long. They have no idea how to pronounce Janne Niinimaa, but they know how many shots he took last December 3rd in a game against whoever, and they'll make sure you know about it!

You just gotta moderate it. If someone seems to care to know more about coasters, or whatever, give 'em a mouthful, that's your opportunity to shine, but if they're not talking to you, or aren't asking questions, it's their moment to shine, so let 'em.

Oh yea, and don't be "that guy" it's just sad (says the guy who's worn a Zebrahead shirt to a Zebrahead show the last 2 times ... how embarassing ... although if you didn't consiously do it, does it still count?). And yes, that applies to coaster shirts too, of which I only own 3 - my first wooden coaster, my first steel coaster, and a Wicked Twister shirt from last year cause my Distorted Penguins one was covered in too many bugs from a night ride on Millennium.

(and if you can spot the irony, you win, but hey, I think it's a damn insightful post ;) )

Snap43 I am guilty of wearing coaster garb from parks "furtherst aways". That was me on opening day at CP in Dragster's queue wearing my X sweatshirt. ;) I ususally do wear a coaster t/sweat shirt when at a park. No sew/iron on decals or denim jackets though. Wearing the coaster shirts is a good way to strike up conversations with other enthusiasts or just regular folks who may of heard of this or that coaster and wonder how it rates. You can't miss me at a park, coaster shirt, cargo pockets, gameboy advance and a pair of impossibly white K Swiss. :)
I must admit that I will politely try and corrrect people if they have some outlandish facts or stories about the rides. I won't argue, but say something like "Well I'm pretty sure I read that...." I'm certainly not there to make waves, but the spread of misinformation is hard to let slip by.

My dress these days consists of pretty much only rollercoaster T-shirts. It's one of the very few things I'm into, so I'm not really that worried about being a dork about it(that sentence sucked :)). In fact, the only other shirts that really go through my cycle are my Vandy homecoming shirt, and my Tennessee Titans shirt.

It rocks being the only enthusiast you actually know; People think your hobby is cool.

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

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Hey, Northstar was a pretty cool song, although that drum part.....:)

I consider myself a coaster enthusiast, but I don't keep a lot of coaster stats in my head. I don't really care what coaster has the first whatever, or has the largest loop, or is the only coaster to have 3 differant themes durring it's lifetime. I just care if a ride is fun.

You will find me, sometimes, wearing my one and only coaster T-shirt at a park. I find that wearing my green tie-dyed HULK coaster shirt is a good way to strike up a small conversation in line with those who notice. It's a way of saying, "I like parks".

At Dorney last year a boy and his mother noticed my shirt and we had a great conversation about IOA and coasters in general. I admitted my love for coasters, and he did the same. I feel that that was the turning point for him in realizing that he was a coaster enthusiast...Which brings up an interesting question. Are we born this way or is it something that we become while we are growing up? (lol)

I never show off my knowledge for coaster stats because I really forget a lot of them. I am getting old and my brain doesn't hold useless information like it used to.

A lot of coaster enthusiasts are like Trekkies. They know too much about something that will get them nowhere in life. No offense is intended, it's a hobbie. We all need hobbies. I've been strangely attracted to Star Trek lately, I hope I'm not becoming a Trekkie.

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dexter said:
I consider myself a coaster enthusiast, but I don't keep a lot of coaster stats in my head. I don't really care what coaster has the first whatever, or has the largest loop, or is the only coaster to have 3 differant themes durring it's lifetime. I just care if a ride is fun.

You will find me, sometimes, wearing my one and only coaster T-shirt at a park. I find that wearing my green tie-dyed HULK coaster shirt is a good way to strike up a small conversation in line with those who notice. It's a way of saying, "I like parks".

At Dorney last year a boy and his mother noticed my shirt and we had a great conversation about IOA and coasters in general. I admitted my love for coasters, and he did the same. I feel that that was the turning point for him in realizing that he was a coaster enthusiast...Which brings up an interesting question. Are we born this way or is it something that we become while we are growing up? (lol)

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LOL! I think we are all born this way, Dexter. :-D

I agree with you and do not get into converstions about the technicalities. I could really care less. If the coaster feels good then that's all that matters. It's all about fun and nothing else. :-)

Personally I prefer to get into conversations about coasters/ parks in general, or travelling in general, especially when you are killing time standing in line. Kids and families are really fun to strike up conversations with.

At my new job I am already getting questions like "So, you like coasters huh? Have you been on that Superman ride that goes straight up?" or "So you guys get to go into a park early before the crowds?"

People find it fascinating that you are in a "club" that has to do with your favorite hobby, whether they are into it or not. Luckily most of the population are into travelling and going to amusement parks.

If someone is into retaining the stats of every single coaster ever built then good for them. Nothing wrong with that. The only thing that bothers me is watching two enthusiasts get into heated debates/arguments about it the braking mechanisms or the exact speed of the launch. It's like, who cares? Chill out guys.

-Tina

*** Edited 3/14/2004 9:16:24 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

I own a lot of coaster shirts but the only shrit I will wear to a park is my ACE shirt. Its much more fun to freak out my friends by wearing different coaster shirts for weeks at a time and its a good conversation starter.

There are idiots everywhere. Football, hockey, basketball games and amusment parks, you cant change them. I just keep quiet and joke about it later with people "in the know." If they do engage me then I usually say "thats not entirely true" and since these idiots are conspericy theorists they interpt that as yes and they shut up because they know "I know" and wont tell them. If they arent conspericy theorists and just misinformed they will ask for clarification and then I will tell them nicely.

I have to say that even though I am much more knowlegable of coasters then sports but I have noticed much more idiots at sporting events then at amusment parks. I guess Im lucky.

{Insert "Is it May yet?" comment here} ;)
*** Edited 3/14/2004 3:27:00 PM UTC by MiLLeNNiUMRiDeR***

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thepinkdoomofmonkeys said:It rocks being the only enthusiast you actually know; People think your hobby is cool.

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

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Hey, Northstar was a pretty cool song, although that drum part.....

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First off, thanks for the nice comments on Northstar. It's been some time since that was done, but I appreciate any nice words about that stuff. It was a good time, and it was a lot of fun to do that. I loved all the harmonies.

BTW, what drum part? ;)

About the enthusiast thing (back on topic), my friends are usually quite interested in my coaster tales, as they don't necessarily understand the hobby, but wish they were with me on my trips, or weren't afraid of going on something like TTD. You know? I like the hobby, and it's not that expensive.

Well, unless you go to Japan all the time. ;)

My friends mostly like the hobbies I have, and I could be considered an Uber/Ultra Geek. I like Star Trek, Star Wars, Video Games, Coasters, Sci-Fi, still have a passing interest in Comics(mostly only movies, as I rarely read comics), and lots of other stuff. How do I combat being known as an Uber/Ultra Geek?

First, I freely admit I'm a dork. But I must have an electric personality, I have an enturage(sp?) everywhere I go because people like to hang with me. The real life me is funny(I'm purposly corny on here cause I can escape to CBuzz and Geek out), and I usually have a funny story when it comes to my hobbies. I don't list all sorts of stats and stuff(unless asked) about coasters/parks/trek/etc...I tell some funny/embarassing story about me and/or my friends.

But I'm also very religious, talk about lots of intellectual things with my friends, go out dancing/clubbing ALOT, and only really do my geeky hobbies once in a while(except talk on this site, and my number one hobby: Janet Jackson).

I dont' have any park/coaster Tees anymore. I do have a Volcano Visor I wear on occasion, but I really just liked the way it looked(khaki with flames).

In short: I'm not really an Uber/Ultra Geek, I just play one on here.

I hate it when you try to talk to someone in line about a coaster and they're clueless and don't care. :(

I also hate people making out in line. When I was in line for the Claw at Hershey, there were at least 5 couples making out. Bleck!

We need a coaster-geek language, the Trekkies(or to be PC, Trekkers) have Klingon. Maybe speak like Yoda we should, damaged our brains are due to transitions bad we have ridden, hmmmm. Over our head our hands should be while in greeting at each other we scream. Too far I've taken this.

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dexter said:
I consider myself a coaster enthusiast, but I don't keep a lot of coaster stats in my head. I don't really care what coaster has the first whatever, or has the largest loop, or is the only coaster to have 3 differant themes durring it's lifetime. I just care if a ride is fun.

You will find me, sometimes, wearing my one and only coaster T-shirt at a park. I find that wearing my green tie-dyed HULK coaster shirt is a good way to strike up a small conversation in line with those who notice. It's a way of saying, "I like parks".

At Dorney last year a boy and his mother noticed my shirt and we had a great conversation about IOA and coasters in general. I admitted my love for coasters, and he did the same. I feel that that was the turning point for him in realizing that he was a coaster enthusiast...Which brings up an interesting question. Are we born this way or is it something that we become while we are growing up? (lol)

I never show off my knowledge for coaster stats because I really forget a lot of them. I am getting old and my brain doesn't hold useless information like it used to.

A lot of coaster enthusiasts are like Trekkies. They know too much about something that will get them nowhere in life. No offense is intended, it's a hobbie. We all need hobbies. I've been strangely attracted to Star Trek lately, I hope I'm not becoming a Trekkie.

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What??? you have aproblem with being a Trekkie??? Now I'm mad...

*Calls in Troi to mind probe Dexter!*

I dont know the whole idea of wanting to push your body its physical limit does not fit the whole geek persona.

I vote we get put in our own catagory, like Nascar fans (they arent fans of a sport, arent geeks, arent all rednecks, etc).

We belong in that void between geeks and sports fans.

Except for those of us who are both geeks and sports fans...

Brian Im not talking about individual coaster fans (I must admit I am too a cross over) Im talking about coaster fandom in general.

Im usually to psyched about riding a coaster to worry about the wrong facts I hear. If its something really dumb I usually just make fun of them to one of my other enthusiast friends. (when they are long gone of course)

OT Warning, Skip to next post if not interested in semi-rant.

Nascar isn't a sport??? Wear a t-shirt stating that to a race, if you dare. It is the perfect American sport, the average(overweight) 'mericun can delude themselves into thinking they could compete if they just had the money. I myself don't find 4-wheel oval racing all that interesting as a spectator sport though I do seem to be in the minority. If you're gonna race over-sized-armoured-boxes chain em' up in pairs and run them on a figure eight. Now that's good spectatin'.

What?