Jump to content

Obliviots


albroswift

Recommended Posts

Had to bring this back up today! Had a very unpleasant encounter with a person yesterday at Lincoln City! I had been flying for a good while and had several people come by to watch, when a good sized group of kids and a couple of grown-ups used one of the driftwood logs as their base! It was away from where I was flying, which was away from the access stairs, so I didn't give it much thought, just made sure no one was too close or anything! All the time there(several hours), I was asking people to go around lines, please not walk under kites, in general be careful! Well one of the group decided to put up a SLK right next to me!! Fellow on my left noticed it right off and warned me to watch out! I landed and waited to see if she was going to move a bit after launching and getting it sorted out!! Nope - wasn't gonna move!! So I staked out my kite and went to go talk to her. I got about 1/2 way there when she called out - "I know you want me to move - you've been bossing everybody on the beach."! WHAT? Trying to protect my stuff and warn people about possible dangers has now entered the realm of bossing!! Even with flying in the same spot for several hours? I was just floored! At least she moved, but I just couldn't get that out of my head - I am now perceived as "BOSSY"! ani_weightlift.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wayne, let it go. Most all of the folks who Lynn and I encounter on the beach are really nice, and are very willing to walk around, or stay back, however, once and a while you will run into that one person who will make your blood boil. Let roll off, and just know that they don't or won't understand, and probably never will.

Remember......you are the one having a great time. They are the Obliviot..

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an issue last year at the kite festival in OC Marlyland where there were a few of us set up in the middle of the beach under some of the big infaltables, and we ahd been there all day flying. One of the lifeguards riding a fourwheeler drove into the flying area, and was warned to not continue due to the hazard in front of him. He ignored the warning and raced ahead, becomming ensnared by the lines to my kite. After 10 minutes of untangling the lifeguard and four wheeler from my lines, the lifeguard raced away without even a trace of an apology. I spent the next hour salvaging my lines.

The next morning it was rumored that a lifeguard was injured by a kiter, and I had to set the record straight.

That lifeguard was truly an obliviot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alden - you're not alone anymore! ani_giveup.gif

Jim -- you're right - almost everyone understood my intent concerning THEIR safety and gladly went around me! You know I coulda just flown over their heads till they got by, but I was trying to explain that we are always at the mercy of the wind and s@@@ can happen! She never got to my concern over line compatibility, just walked away with a closed mind! ani_wallbash.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course you could take the Obliviots view, why do you put kite lines across where they are going to drive / ride horses sail thier boat etc. kid_devlish.gif

Ducks for cover

Good thing you ducked - I'd a spit coffee all over my screen!!kid_devlish.gif

Actually I think Baloo has a point, if we want respect we need to show it to others and we don't have any prior claim to the field and not all obliviots, are non kite fliers.

Respect is not a right it needs to be earned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I set myself up on the beach, was about 11am, no one around had it all to myself, a group arrive and they wander, more people turn up and I must say they were a little over-dressed for the beach. Within about 30 minutes I had possibly 15 to 20 people watching and roaming the flight area and I'm just learning to fly my Rev, it has a mind of its own so I new anything could happen, no dogs luckily. Next thing more guys arrive with tables and chairs and bugger me dead they set-up for a wedding right next to me. The writing was on the wall, I'd had enough so I packed up and left. I hate weddings anyway.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We flew at the Washington Monument this past 1st Sunday for our monthly club get-together. The cherry blossoms were out in their maximum bloom so the crowds were outrageous. Also a ten miler marathon with 65 thousand dollars in prize money made for big entry fields of different contestants.

Many streets were closed, no parking or toilet facilities anyplace nearby, metro rail system packed tight like a sardine can, four different "favors of security" on-site too. Our chosen base-camp area is closed for construction (the monument was damaged during the earthquake last year) so we setup nearby at the intersection of two key sidewalks.

The obliviots were out in force.

If you landed your kite for the briefest of moments, somebody spread a blanket out over the lines! We tried to keep something moving and the wind (for once) was sufficient to send it ripping across the sky. I gave a few lessons, the smallest kid had to stand in between my legs while I sat indian style, 'cause I can't bend over that far to reach down there! Lot's a of appreciative crowds though, that's why we keep coming back.

Eventually on a day like yesterday, you give up and leave as each successive wave of Obliviots is worse than the last ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a bit like parking your car, I love my car and don't like anyone anywhere near it, you can drive into a parking lot, drive to the other side where there are no other cars and when you come back you will find cars parked all around your car.

A kite is the same, like a magnet and Obliviots are drawn to it.

Actually another funny thing that happens to us (me + wife) is when we are in a large shop or store, we will go and look at a display item or what-ever, no body else will be around and we start looking and talking about the said item, then within seconds you find others start to look as well, in the end there are dozens of people all looking, then we walk away..........am I just a plain old "Idiot".

People are odd, you can sit and watch them for hours. And it's freemf_party.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...