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Obliviots


albroswift

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Cheers for the warm welcome! smile.gif

It's amazing the way non kiters sometimes seem to live in a world of their own, I noticed this comment earlier on in the thread:

I can understand not seeing the lines... how many folks are looking down when they walk; especially if it's a nice day at a park or beach.

To which I'd reply.....Usually just the one whose dog is peeing on your kitebag! angry.gif

All the best

Andy S.

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My last complaint was a guy on the beach complaining that I had just launched this monster kite (apparently a mere Rage 3.5m is classed as huge) and that the shadow was flying over him and his girlfriend all the time.

I had been flying there for the past two and a half hours in the same location. I wanted to tell him that while there are many things I can do, that controlling the movement of the earth and sun to ensure his alotment of sun was not short changed was not one of them.

We were going for lunch shortly so I told him we'd be packing up in 10 minutes so he need not worry.

Disrupting his sun .... thats a new one. How censored.gif grumpy and miserable does a person need to be to dislike kites when everyone else is is lining the pier railing to watch the show.

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We have to think about our own responisibility when we have our kites out in public. Leaving kites staked and walking away is asking for trouble, they are a trip and cut hazard, let alone damage to the kite.

Single line fliers annoy me , we had lines cut at a festival recently and we were in the arenaconfused_1.gif

listen to me being sensible

fungussmile.gif

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I find if you park a whacking great black German Shepherd of your own (or in my case my neighbours) by your gear, the Obliviots suddenly seem to wake up to its existence.....I've got most of the local dogs (and their owners) trained around my kites, but it seems that strangers are now travelling into the area specially, just so theirs can take a leak on my gear! angry.gif

All the best

Andy S.

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Try flying on Treasure Beach Flordia. Seems like almost every person walks looking down at the sand. Keep getting, "Sorry I didn't see the kite" ( which was flying about four foot off the ground right in front of them). Or watch the kite then walk between you and the kite. Like what is keeping the kite in the air. Some times I ask them if they are wearing earrings. And tell them the kite lines like to cut off ears and I pick up the jewerly. And they keep on walking. Obliviotist. Or is that Oblividiotist.

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Try flying on Treasure Beach Flordia. Seems like almost every person walks looking down at the sand. Keep getting, "Sorry I didn't see the kite" ( which was flying about four foot off the ground right in front of them). Or watch the kite then walk between you and the kite. Like what is keeping the kite in the air. Some times I ask them if they are wearing earrings. And tell them the kite lines like to cut off ears and I pick up the jewerly. And they keep on walking. Obliviotist. Or is that Oblividiotist.

To be fair, LPG lines are quite well camoflaged against the sand/shell beach at TI.

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  • 2 months later...

What can be done with the Obliviots, walking through the lines, riding rented mopeds through the lines, etc? We go up into the driftwood to get off the main tracks, even set up sticks with caution tape flying in the breeze, but still some people, oblivious to the rest of the world, seem to work their rented moped over miles of sand intent on running through camp and the lines! (Maybe these are the same people crashing rented jetskis into each other in the summer time, I don't know...) I thought the caution tape was a good idea, even though it tends to tangle up with the lines from time to time, and the sticks poking up have their own inherent issues, but I don't know, like the old saying, "Nothing is foolproof cause fools are so ingenious!"

Well, not expecting any solutions, but thanks for letting me rant!

AL

I have been on a crusade to get the leash law enforced up here. (See posts about that)

Now I understand that my 50# lines are hard to see, but the ones who run into my NINE FOOT LONG RAINBOW COLORED KITE are the ones who really annoy me. How can you NOT see that thing sitting there???

--TaK

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  • 7 months later...

Well I got to really fly my Rev for the first time today, about two hours totalB). First good winds and first Obliviot:kid_cussing:. His dog started chasing my kite and then his three year old started chasing the dog then the wind started dying along with my control so I was backing up towards the ocean while trying to watch my kite and a dog, a three year old and the father. It was a terrifying five minutes for me that ended up with me getting hit by a sneaker wave up to the knees and dropping my kite into the river and a bunch of seaweed:w00t:. I yelled repeatedly to him that it was unsafe for his child to be under my kite while trying to keep my kite away from them, his response when I told him that it if it was dangerous under the kite was that I shouldn't be on the beach, my response was that I was trying to land my kite so that I could leave the beach to him and his family but they kept following me and I didn't want to hit his kid or for his dog to bite my $200 kite. I was tired and hungry but I remembered how positive the attitude here is and tried to represent the Rev family as positively as possible. It was really hard.:kid_cussing:

On a more positive note, I had soo much fun with my EXP today and I can't wait to get around some people who know what they are doing. I think I need a Blast though because I still got out my dualy power kite when the wind picked up. I am so hooked.

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Learn to catch and throw with authority .... can get the kite out the air directly into your hands where you can keep it safe. If you can throw with some accuracy then you can back up them up with some screaming javelin throws :innocent:

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So tough to keep my cool.

And it doesn't get any easier, for me at least, with repeated obliviot offenses.

But I must keep trying. For the sake of acceptance of the sport in my city. I love flying so much, I can't lash out. Even if these people here are crazy.

<snip> I yelled repeatedly to him that it was unsafe for his child to be under my kite while trying to keep my kite away from them, his response when I told him that it if it was dangerous under the kite was that I shouldn't be on the beach, my response was that I was trying to land my kite so that I could leave the beach to him and his family but they kept following me and I didn't want to hit his kid or for his dog to bite my $200 kite. I was tired and hungry but I remembered how positive the attitude here is and tried to represent the Rev family as positively as possible. It was really hard.:kid_cussing:<snip>

Sounds like you handled yourself well, MercFlyer!

If I can give you some advice, if there is a security patrol for the beach you fly at, get to know them and how to reach them.

Just a little constructive criticism here: when in an argument like this, leave out the word "dangerous", and any other word like it. Don't want to get it in anyone's head that they can get hurt by a Rev, even if it is true. Parents get nervous and start calling your local government, and they can cause trouble for you!

Sounds like you kept your cool, and tried your best to avoid trouble. Your kite didn't get damaged, so I'd consider it a win for you ;)

Learn to catch and throw with authority .... can get the kite out the air directly into your hands where you can keep it safe. If you can throw with some accuracy then you can back up them up with some screaming javelin throws :innocent:

:lol::):kid_devlish::devil::kid_devlish::lol::)

If only they didn't hand out concealed weapons permits like candy at a Halloween party in Las Vegas......

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Kmwf, I'm on 85' lines so catch and throw is out of my abilities right now but I'll work on it:).

I agree SkyPuppet dangerous was not the best choice of words, I was tired and hungry;). We were at a state park

with no leash law signs, and the forest service doesn't patrol.

I had a great day flying otherwise and I count it as a learning lesson, I need to learn how to communicate the need for safety around kites to the general public better.:P

But when it comes down to it though it really is only a small part of the population that is like that, everyone else on

the beach that day gave me smiles and a wide berth. One gentleman came up to me with his dog and we talked for a

sec, nice dog stayed at his heel. w/e There is always more wind:P

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  • 7 months later...

So far I have been lucky, people at Kitehenge have been relatively aware of the lines laid across the grass. Maybe it is because it shows up better there than in the sand?

You need to come visit the henge someday Al, it is a lot closer then Ocean Shores too!

Yeah henge is a great place, I just learned it's nickname yesterday. I have been pretty lucky so far, and I usually set-up right in the middle between the lot and the dog park. I do try to stay between the dog park gate and the straight line to the bridge from the lot. Nobody seems to use the paths to go to either place :-p

Of course at this point I am flying power kites. 8sqm of fabric swooping around just above head level tends to grab peoples attention :-p Last year I only had to call out to one person, a young child to stop and go around, can't get mad at a youngster, they are naturally clueless. He stoped and walked around behind me and "ohhh and Awed" when I started flying. I am sure seeing a grown man dragged away by a kite got his imagination going too..

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  • 1 month later...

Wow, Some MAJOR Obliviot sightings today!! FIgured I would share.

Took the son to the park as the wind was up. He flew AWESOME his 1st time on a rev.

While he was flying we had a family letting thier 2yrd old run all over the park 30ft away from them and ran right into the lines of a parked Rev.

We had a couple of 10yr old girls lay down and trying to roll under his lines, while the mother just walked along an whatched.

We had another family with a toddler flying a single line that backed up almost into our flying window. Why are you backing up when it is blowing 10-15mph?

@10yrs old my son was calm and smart and each time when he saw the obliviots approaching the danger zone he quickly landed the kite and waited.

I must say I was VERY proud of my son, almost beyond words actually.blue_inlove.gif

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As long as were sharing, to my dismay they have painted out a football field at my favorite park and now on saturdays there is practice for some high school team. I was flying a good twenty yards to the north of the field when practice time came and I had at least a dozen guys walk right under my kite and some between me and my kite, right under my lines :kid_brooding: An hour later practice is over , I'm still flying and here comes another group walking towards me, I put my kite down and just stood there and watched them walk over my lines, the hole time shaking my head. then to top it off here comes the coach,he got to about five feet from lines , looked at them then looked at me and started walking around behind me, I said"Ok ,I can understand the whole team doin it,but you coach?" Really" We both laughed and he apoligized, so all was good. amazing how some are oblivious!!

Michael

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goodmorningheycouldyouwalkaroundmeyourewalkingrightthroughmylinesandyoudidn'tevenbothertocheckyoudidnoticethatiamtakingupaslittleoftheparkaspossiblejustthistiny

corneronfiftyfootlinesandforsomereasoneyouSTILLfoundawaytocutthecornerrihthereandwalkrightinfrontofmeandthisistwicenowirealizetheparkishereforallofusandthatyouhavethe

righttoexerciseheretoobutdon'tyouthinkyouwouldgetmoreexerciseifyoujustwalkedaroundmebecausecuttingthecorneriskindofcheatingandthisisa7acreparkandontopofthatits

justplainrudeifyouwantedtobenoticedyoucould'vejustsaidHI

O....BLIV...I..OTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*panting, fist shaking, teeth clenched*

Whew. I feel better now.

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  • 3 months later...

OMI (Obliviot Motorized Infantry)

Thought I had the Obliviots figured out, took my siren/ megaphone along this weekend

mega.jpg

(SQUELCH WATCH OUT FOR THE KITE LINES)

until a stealthy OMI approached under cover of my blind side and blew by without

so much as a brake light!

obliviots.jpg

Note the tire tracks going over my flip flops, two kite stakes, and 8 lines. 5 feet from my sitting position lawn chair next to pick-up.

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Yeah I had to scream at one as he was cruising 15mph about to go between my handles and rev about 20ft inside my Rev on the ground while my son was holding the handles. I mean how can you see someone facing a kite on the ground and think it is a good idea to go between them and the kite?

That and the horses @ Ocean shores really ruined the trip in allot of ways. They had to use the 50ft everyone flies in between all the parked cars rather than the 200ft between cars and dunes or the 75ft between cars and water line..:kid_cussing:

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OMI (Obliviot Motorized Infantry)

[...]

Note the tire tracks going over my flip flops, two kite stakes, and 8 lines. 5 feet from my sitting position lawn chair next to pick-up.

You need a chunk of pipe, as heavy as you are willing to carry, which you can drive in next to your handle stake. Put a banner on it if you want something decorative. Two five-foot pieces of 1/2" with a coupling should be enough, and fit in the bed of the pickup easily.

BTW, Obliviots are not found only on the sand-side of the waterline: I once had another boater try to go between my boat and the boat I was towing.

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