"the- know -it -alls"
I'm like a lot of you, I love to listen to people try to wax informed in line, when they are just totally giving incorrect stats. I usually let it go, unless they have included me in the conversation. I've had a few times when I've gone to a park by myself, and people in line ask if I've ridden it before. Almost always yes, then they ask if I liked it. At that point, I usually try to compare the ride to other coasters I've been on. When they here me mention other coasters, then they usually start asking about how many I've ridden, where I've gone to ride, etc. Usually, by comparing the rides, I bring up where they're wrong. But by talking with them and having a conversation, they usually respond with a "really? I thought it was x feet tall. And you said y coaster is y feet tall? Wow, I'm going to have to go ride that.
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UCSigep
"Did you make a copy? Because if you made a copy, we could watch the copy."
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UCSigep
"Did you make a copy? Because if you made a copy, we could watch the copy."
ok I remebered at least something of a story. it didn't happen at a park so I wasn't thinking of it before. anyway I was eating lunch in my high school's cafeteria two years ago. my friend was telling me how he went to SFGAm with like 8 other girls. I ripped into him for not including me, but during some point of the conversation he said that Iron Wolf was the first stand-up. I believe that we were defending its honor from those who would say it wasn't a good coaster. I told him that IW wasn't the first stand-up. he didn't believe me. I then said that it was the company's first stand-up, but that the world had stand-ups before IW (note: I know that B&M built IW, but the GP doesn't know that B&M exists much less builds coasters). he siad that I was right on it being the company's first stand-up, but that he was pretty sure that it was the first stand-up ever. I ended it there 'cause I didn't want to fight with my friend over a stat, but I checked RCDB when I got home to make sure I was right.
the moral: sometimes its better to know you're right than to let others know you're right. for it is better to let others think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
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it's a mexican pirate!~Track 15 Blink 182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
the moral: sometimes its better to know you're right than to let others know you're right. for it is better to let others think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
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it's a mexican pirate!~Track 15 Blink 182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Most of the general public neither pays as much attention as someone on Coasterbuzz might to such minutae as whether Serial Thriller is taller than Raptor, nor particularly cares. If someone put me down in a football stadium, I would absolutely no idea what was going on (despite that lack of knowledge, I would still retain the right to look askance at the gentlemen who go about shirtless with their team's colors painted upon their skin:)) Everybody has particular interests not shared by others. A lot of people who have posted to this thread have a good approach to the matter... some let it go without comment, deriving amusement... others, like ucsigep just above have a good approach as well, using conversation rather citing statistics to convey info. But some of the folks here are scaring me! Relax! Let it go! No one cites wrong facts to get you!
*** This post was edited by slithernoggin on 7/26/2001. ***
*** This post was edited by slithernoggin on 7/26/2001. ***
I over heard these really hot girls talking about Raging Bull and they said it was 400ft tall. I started laughing and they asked what was funny and I said I was laughing because I still had butterfly's from going down the 400ft drop. I guess it was one of those "you have to be there" thing.
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My Milk Money, And My Milk.
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My Milk Money, And My Milk.
I was in line for Magnum at Cedar Point this year and heard of couple of college students talking about how Magnum was way taller than Millennium Force. Couldn't help but laugh at them when they got on the train.
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8 feet higher and a 6.5 feet longer drop, could never contest with a 80 degree, non-braking giga-coaster... Sorry, Steel Dragon 2000
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8 feet higher and a 6.5 feet longer drop, could never contest with a 80 degree, non-braking giga-coaster... Sorry, Steel Dragon 2000
CPgenius said:
"Some of you guys think it's a crime to memorize stats of a coaster...why? ...
It's no different than a sports fan memorizing a player's free throw percentage,yards per game,RBI's,field goal percentage,etc..."
Amen brother! Through Coasterbuzz, I must say that I have learned a bunch of coaster stats in the past year, and I don't think this is a bad thing. It is a hobby of mine and people are SUPPOSED to really be into their hobbies. Now when I'm with my non-enthusiast friends at an amusement park (which is always because I never go to parks alone and have no enthusiast friends), I don't spout stats left and right, but usually my friends are interested and ask me stuff. Yes they are interested in the stuff the average person doesn't know, and no, they are not enthusiasts. My knowledge of coasters doesn't annoy them; if anything, they are annoyed by the way I want rerides when theyre ready to go home (I guess THAT'S the most annoying quality of an enthusiast :)). I do agree with other posts that I enjoy going to parks with non-enthusiasts, though, for we talk about a lot of stuff besides coasters (females, sports, etc.)
As for the woman at IOA, like others have already said, the people she was talking to must have been interested if they let the conversation continue, and I don't think she should be criticized as a "coaster snob." If anything, perhaps a true "coaster snob" is a person who assumes the average Joe isn't interested in things like the difference between a B&M and an Arrow...people are generally inquisitive about anything! To assume that someone who is not an enthusiast would not be interested in listening to someone who knows a lot talk about coasters is already stereotyping "the GP" and "the enthusiasts". All of my non-enthusiast friends find roller coasters interesting, and yes, they are happy that they can distinguish a B&M from an Intamin.
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Gets off soapbox...
Okay, a lot of these kids that think they know what they are talking about, as many of you have mentioned in these topics are not exposed to other parks. They might not have any idea about other coaster at other parks. I think of it like this, let them talk there smack, and maybe they will one day become roller coaster enthusiasts like several of us on this site. If you correct someone in line about their knowledge, you should whip out a Nametag that reads, "JERK", causes that is what you become by stealing their pride. Let whoever keep their pride.
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Why Must they use Mulch? It smells like pooh!
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Why Must they use Mulch? It smells like pooh!
MooreOn,
I'll agree that there is no harm in memorizing coaster stats. You even compare it to memorizing sports stats. But do you memorize Jason Giambi's batting stats for the previous five seasons, and then tell some guy sitting in front of you at an A's game, who's enjoying the atmosphere and kicking back a cold beverage, that he's wrong when he says that Giambi hit .360 last year when he really hit .340? I belive the same holds true for coaster enthusiasts as well.
I still argue that these people you are with asked you and wanted to know more about coasters. Add to this that you were explaining something simple--the difference in coaster manufacturers--and I think that there is no problem. You're helping people learn. However, your incident is giving new information to a group of people you know and not telling a complete stranger that he/she is wrong/stupid (it alarms me that some of you have referred to other park patrons as stupid in comments above). The whole "showing off your coaster knowledge to impress everyone in line" is annoying and non-constructive.
I saw an example of this at SFOT in my June visit. A man was telling his two kids about how many G's Shockwave pulled going through it's loops and mentioned that he thought it was the strongest force in the park. A lady, wearing a Goliath t-shirt, immediately leaned over and told him that he "was wrong. Titan pulls X number of G's and Batman pulls Y number of G's in the pull out turn. I know because I'm a member of ACE." This is a verbatim quote, and it made me nauseous to listen to it. She ruined their fun, and gave coaster enthusiasts a bad name, all in a single breath.
Leave well enough alone. People who are having fun and miscorrect some trivial stat should be left alone. Let them enjoy their day.
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According to the "official" count, next year's new coaster lineup will feature 17 Arrow 4-Ds, 21 TA2Ks, 34 B&M floorless's, 17 Intamin Gigas, 12 beemer flyers, and 247 CCIs. And oh yeah, CP will receive one of all of these.
*** This post was edited by The Rentch on 7/27/2001. *** *** This post was edited by The Rentch on 7/27/2001. ***
I'll agree that there is no harm in memorizing coaster stats. You even compare it to memorizing sports stats. But do you memorize Jason Giambi's batting stats for the previous five seasons, and then tell some guy sitting in front of you at an A's game, who's enjoying the atmosphere and kicking back a cold beverage, that he's wrong when he says that Giambi hit .360 last year when he really hit .340? I belive the same holds true for coaster enthusiasts as well.
I still argue that these people you are with asked you and wanted to know more about coasters. Add to this that you were explaining something simple--the difference in coaster manufacturers--and I think that there is no problem. You're helping people learn. However, your incident is giving new information to a group of people you know and not telling a complete stranger that he/she is wrong/stupid (it alarms me that some of you have referred to other park patrons as stupid in comments above). The whole "showing off your coaster knowledge to impress everyone in line" is annoying and non-constructive.
I saw an example of this at SFOT in my June visit. A man was telling his two kids about how many G's Shockwave pulled going through it's loops and mentioned that he thought it was the strongest force in the park. A lady, wearing a Goliath t-shirt, immediately leaned over and told him that he "was wrong. Titan pulls X number of G's and Batman pulls Y number of G's in the pull out turn. I know because I'm a member of ACE." This is a verbatim quote, and it made me nauseous to listen to it. She ruined their fun, and gave coaster enthusiasts a bad name, all in a single breath.
Leave well enough alone. People who are having fun and miscorrect some trivial stat should be left alone. Let them enjoy their day.
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According to the "official" count, next year's new coaster lineup will feature 17 Arrow 4-Ds, 21 TA2Ks, 34 B&M floorless's, 17 Intamin Gigas, 12 beemer flyers, and 247 CCIs. And oh yeah, CP will receive one of all of these.
*** This post was edited by The Rentch on 7/27/2001. *** *** This post was edited by The Rentch on 7/27/2001. ***
Reading all the post (and as I stated in some of my previous posts), I see some of this "know it all" syndrome amongst the "enthusiasts".
Glad to know that I am not alone in thinking that, as is evidence by The Rentch's last post (who took the words right out of my mouth and stated the "argument" much better than I did previously). It sounds like the woman he ran into at SFOT could have been the twin of the woman I ran into at IOA in line for Dueling Dragons.
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."
Glad to know that I am not alone in thinking that, as is evidence by The Rentch's last post (who took the words right out of my mouth and stated the "argument" much better than I did previously). It sounds like the woman he ran into at SFOT could have been the twin of the woman I ran into at IOA in line for Dueling Dragons.
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."
After reading the Rentch's post, I am starting to better understand the points of the "know-it-all bashers" and yes, they do have some good points. I have never randomly started talking to a stranger about coasters at a park nor will I ever just interrupt a conversation so I can correct someone I don't know, so I don't know why I even feel I need to defend these coaster know-it-alls (could it be my need to play DA), but here goes:
Anybody who has a passion for something will enjoy discussing that passion with anybody and everybody. Some enthusiasts probably have no one to talk coasters with since they are not something people follow like, say, baseball. These people go to a park and hear the people in front of them talking about coasters, and of course there will be an urge to enter into their conversation. I don't think "showing off" is as big of a part of it as some people have posted. I just think a lot of enthusiasts are dying to talk coasters with people and they end up barging into people's conversations. I know that doesn't make it any less annoying or obnoxious, but I at least think the motive isn't as bad as "wanting to show off their coaster knowledge."
Anybody who has a passion for something also wants to help people get their facts straight. Now the SFOT example sounds like the lady went overboard, and I do acknowledge that there is a difference between helping people get facts straight and all-out nitpicking, but there's nothing wrong with enlightening people every now and then. Some posters make it sound like enthusiasts go the parks and listen to conversations around them just to find an outlet to show off what they know, and I don't think that is so much the case (although I'm sure that IS true some of the time, too).
I guess I acknowledge a lot of the truth in SFLake's and The Rentch's posts (among others), but I just look at it with a little less cynicism (BTW, love the sig, SFLake).
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roller coaster n: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) with curves and inclines on which cars roll.
Anybody who has a passion for something will enjoy discussing that passion with anybody and everybody. Some enthusiasts probably have no one to talk coasters with since they are not something people follow like, say, baseball. These people go to a park and hear the people in front of them talking about coasters, and of course there will be an urge to enter into their conversation. I don't think "showing off" is as big of a part of it as some people have posted. I just think a lot of enthusiasts are dying to talk coasters with people and they end up barging into people's conversations. I know that doesn't make it any less annoying or obnoxious, but I at least think the motive isn't as bad as "wanting to show off their coaster knowledge."
Anybody who has a passion for something also wants to help people get their facts straight. Now the SFOT example sounds like the lady went overboard, and I do acknowledge that there is a difference between helping people get facts straight and all-out nitpicking, but there's nothing wrong with enlightening people every now and then. Some posters make it sound like enthusiasts go the parks and listen to conversations around them just to find an outlet to show off what they know, and I don't think that is so much the case (although I'm sure that IS true some of the time, too).
I guess I acknowledge a lot of the truth in SFLake's and The Rentch's posts (among others), but I just look at it with a little less cynicism (BTW, love the sig, SFLake).
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roller coaster n: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) with curves and inclines on which cars roll.
MooreOn, you made some very good points in your last 2 posts. You also mentioned that you've never jsut gone up to a strange and struck up a conversation about coasters.
The last time I went to Cedar Point, I went alone. I'd be in line for a coaster and the people waiting in line beside me would either comment about the music being played, or ask where I was from, or if I had been on that particular coaster before, etc. Eventually, we'd get to talking about coasters. They'd ask a whole bunch of questions about different parks/coasters.
As long as you're not preaching someone, and don't intrude into someone's conversation, I think it's just fine to talk about coasters with a stranger...seeing as how most people at parks are in coaster-related moods.
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Your best? Losers are always whining about doing their best...winners go home and ******* the prom queen.
The last time I went to Cedar Point, I went alone. I'd be in line for a coaster and the people waiting in line beside me would either comment about the music being played, or ask where I was from, or if I had been on that particular coaster before, etc. Eventually, we'd get to talking about coasters. They'd ask a whole bunch of questions about different parks/coasters.
As long as you're not preaching someone, and don't intrude into someone's conversation, I think it's just fine to talk about coasters with a stranger...seeing as how most people at parks are in coaster-related moods.
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Your best? Losers are always whining about doing their best...winners go home and ******* the prom queen.
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