how do you deal with the inevitable hecklings?

[A.G.Morgan]

America consists of a whole friggin' country full of people who are completely obsessed with having status, being normal (the definition of which varies by region), turning off their brains, watching sports, playing video games, imbibing in drugs and alcohol, and watching TV.

I'm impressed you could wear a Mohawk through Kansas and stick to your guns like that. That is a feat not to be taken lightly.

But I feel I must take issue with your assessment of the American populous. I myself have met very few people who match your description up there. And some who do are perfectly decent people. Besides, you forgot to add people obsessed with their own little worlds.

By my reckoning, the real problem is people who don't mind their own business, and try to tell others what to do or think.

[Sean Patrick O-Byrne]

"Hello, welcome to Ali's Discount Used Camel Lot.  We have a wide selection of quality, pre-owned, low mileage camels, and  buy-here, pay-here no-credit check financing." 

"In Allah we trust - all others pay cash!"?

[Shameri]

As far as Chavs go... I blow them a kiss ;-)
Whoever spoke out gets far more stick from their freinds than they gave you, let me assure you. 
(Mind you, not sure this would work as well for you gentlemen!)

[chromegrrrl]

I don't think a population of 303,824,646 people can easily be pigeon holed as vapid alcoholic media obsessed status thugs. We're pretty diverse in America.

Years ago, I worked in a very hardcore biker bar. Even mid-week, from about 7 pm to last call the place would be packed with guys that fulfilled every bad mean biker stereotype you can imagine (to the point where I would literally have a tray of pitchers held as far over my head as possible and had to elbow my way with my free arm just to serve tables.) We even had a stack of complimentary kitty litter to put under our patrons oil hemorrhaging beasties.

So one night this guy walks in wearing (I kid you not) a bright blue Vegas Elvis looking jumpsuit, complete with matching motorcycle helmet and bright blue rhinestone studded boots. He settled right down on a barstool, ordered a sissy beer (1/2 o'douls + 1/2 pibb), and then just sits there for a little before a few of the regulars started striking up a conversation with him. He had real confidence in who he was, if he'd walked in wearing black leathers and riding a girl-Harley he would have been sniffed out and ridiculed (or worse, this was not a nice place for wannabes and softbellies.) The worst thing that happened was that my beer back started humming the "One of these things is not like the other one" song out in the parking lot when we went out to take a peek at this guy's ride. As far as the guys in the bar was concerned he was just another biker, and an interesting one at that.

As for the "goat ropers"** it's pretty much the same deal. Be at peace with who you are and they will either talk to you or not, but if you put on then you'll be poked at with a stick until they get a response. Oddly enough, I had to explain the opposite side of this a while back to some of my lady goat roper friends about other "scary looking" people (including but not limited to punks, bikers, goths, black people, skaters,  homosexuals, migrant workers, guys in low riders and ladies with really long fingernails.)

And-- if you can't laugh at yourself a little, you'll quickly find people who'll gladly do it for you.
 

** I was brought up on a caprine dairy and milked goats every single day of my life from the time I was 6 until I was eleven when my parents divorced and the bank sold off the dairy. I showed prize purebred ADGA registered Nubians and LaManchas and won awards in showmanship and top placing ribbons in speed milking and novelty training.

[Mad Maxine]

America consists of a whole friggin' country full of people who are completely obsessed with having status, being normal (the definition of which varies by region), turning off their brains, watching sports, playing video games, imbibing in drugs and alcohol, and watching TV.

I'm impressed you could wear a Mohawk through Kansas and stick to your guns like that. That is a feat not to be taken lightly.

But I feel I must take issue with your assessment of the American populous. I myself have met very few people who match your description up there. And some who do are perfectly decent people. Besides, you forgot to add people obsessed with their own little worlds.
"
By my reckoning, the real problem is people who don't mind their own business, and try to tell others what to do or think.

Seattle has a large populace of creative, awesome folks, which is why I live here. But even here, there's still a large share of people with "affluenza" who think that there's always going to be someone around to do things for them. People know nothing of how to take care of themselves. It's amazing they even know how to pump their own gas. I've found the majority of Americans to be nothing short of sheeple. Or as I like to call them, house cows. Never fear, they'll be easy picking and good eatin' in the event our society collapses.

[Von Gast]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav ...every country has a special class of people who lend themselves to being kicked down upon.

Chavs often do the kicking (when they can gang up on some passer-by).

The anti-Chav comments are not some snobbish put down of the 'working class youth'. There is nothing noble about the Chav.

Indeed. I am always annoyed by the media types claiming that this is the case. Chavs come from all backgrounds and some of them have money (footballers...). If disliking violent, bigoted individuals who are proud of their ignorance and lack of ability, achievement or ambition is snobbery then I think any sane person is a snob!

[Ambie]

On the ligher note of cows....(with Apologies to Morgan)

Doc does warn me about gettin’ messy in my collecting (no matter what I be hunting) and don’t ever go thinkin its easy as lickin' butter off a knife.

This be a picture of a angry Boy Cow for those confused 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Sorry for the sloppy form of hyper links under the next spoilers; need to figure out how to post 'em as a single word)

Cows can be deadly; in pack form:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7068364.stm 

“A Sussex policeman has been discharged from hospital after an attack by about 50 cows left him with four broken ribs and a punctured lung.”

And ‘tis a bad idea get in the way of something a cow wants….

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/05/23/cow-kills-man-for-sex/

  “A farmer was trampled to death under the hoofs of his cow because he was blocking the animal as it was rushing to mate with an ox, the City Evening News in Northeast China’s Jilin Province reported today.”

Trampled to death:  Ohio farmer

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248899,00.html

 

Cows attack the workshops!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dd1_1212724208

Runaway Cow Attacks Man in Tire Shop 2008 Fresno, CA

Car attacks of course

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.propeller.com/viewstory/2006/12/12/escaped-cow-attacks-police-damages-car/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbc11.com%2Fnews%2F10516969%2Fdetail.html&frame=true

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- It was a case of "mad cow" in Riverton, Wyo., Monday as an escaped cow sent a police officer to the hospital and badly damaged a squad car.

Even flying cow attacks!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20071106/NEWS/71106011

MANSON, Wash. — Charles and Linda Everson were driving back to their hotel when their minivan was struck by a falling object — a 600-pound cow…..
The year-old cow ….landed on the hood of the couple's minivan, causing heavy damage.


Hmmm, maybe the Doc might want to change experimental types for awhile.  An Army of Mutated Cows attacking the East Coast?  That just might work.....we could load them up on cattle trains...no one would ever suspect the cows until it is too late....Mahahahaha


As for other folks being passive or cowlike. True it seems a lot of folks (most? I dunno as I only know a small number of folks) now-a-days are logy scum.  Their main goal in life be lining their fat flues with tasty treats while absorbing mindless penny dreadfuls; but heys, I don’ts mind.  That’s just not the way I gets my kicks and as long as no one tries to make me like themselves; all is good.  Its when the rules start that I gets all slashy.   

[Frankensteam]

Coming from a predominately street punk background and also being very heavily tattooed and pierced i've grown accustomed to peoples stares and pithy comments. It's best to stand your ground in a mature manner and throw back a bit of your own wit.

For instance, a few weeks ago while traveling home on my trusty scooter a dirty south guy in a monster truck pulled along me at a stop light and said "That is the gayest thing I have ever seen in my life!" and to that I replied in a calm, straight faced manner "Good sir, I do so find it hard to believe that you grew up in a household that did not have any mirrors there in." He was caught off guard and yelled some nosensical fould mouthed gibberish at me, squealed his tires and sped away almost hitting the car in front of him. I scooted home happy.

[Mad Maxine]

LOL on all 'counts.

[Lt.Mycroft]

Coming from a predominately street punk background and also being very heavily tattooed and pierced i've grown accustomed to peoples stares and pithy comments. It's best to stand your ground in a mature manner and throw back a bit of your own wit.

For instance, a few weeks ago while traveling home on my trusty scooter a dirty south guy in a monster truck pulled along me at a stop light and said "That is the gayest thing I have ever seen in my life!" and to that I replied in a calm, straight faced manner "Good sir, I do so find it hard to believe that you grew up in a household that did not have any mirrors there in." He was caught off guard and yelled some nosensical fould mouthed gibberish at me, squealed his tires and sped away almost hitting the car in front of him. I scooted home happy.

Well played sir....well played.

As for me I find a quick wit, and just being confotable in who am is the best way.
I often have worn a kilt to work, or dressed up for Halloween and as a  reenactor I'm used to "looking" odd and having the general public try to crack wise at me I have a few pat replies that I trot out that leaves their jaws flapping and their brain stripping gears trying to respond.

[Commander Obadiah]

Haha, all these stories are wonderful. I was once told by a very, very gothic young lady that she wouldn't want to see me coming for her in a dark alleyway. Coincidentally, that's the very thing I was afraid of when we first met. Quite often, the stranger you look, the more normal you are underneath.

Commander C. Obadiah

[Zwack]

I was once told by a very, very gothic young lady that she wouldn't want to see me coming for her in a dark alleyway.

When I was younger I was walking down a dark alleyway at night (doesn't everyone?).  I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a dinner jacket.  I stopped and stepped to one side as there was a walking tour party coming the other way (one of the ghost tours that wander around Edinburgh with staff members leaping out on them).  About half of the party had passed when there was a small gap.  A couple of young women at the front of the second batch suddenly saw me, jumped and screamed. 

This scared the bejesus out of me (and the guide who came running back, saw what had happened and promptly laughed)...

Z.

[plum phlogiston]

 Mr Frankensteam, i don't suppose you have any suitably witty retorts to the inevitable inquiry into how you get through airport security with your piercings that I might steal from you?

 The best I have come up with is 'I don't fly', which is quite weak, really.

[Zastrozzi]

I was once told by a very, very gothic young lady that she wouldn't want to see me coming for her in a dark alleyway.

Once, at Uni, as I strode towards a friend of mine, her friend turned to her and - only partly joking - said 'Fuck me, it's Darth Vader.'

I was happy for days...

[Commander Obadiah]

Mr Frankensteam, i don't suppose you have any suitably witty retorts to the inevitable inquiry into how you get through airport security with your piercings that I might steal from you?

 The best I have come up with is 'I don't fly', which is quite weak, really.

A friend has used "I'd let you count them all, but you'd have to take me someplace private" to great effect.

Commander C. Obadiah

[Sean Patrick O-Byrne]

"Are you some kind of biker or something?"

*Shrug* "Yeah."

"Cool man, what kinda bike you ride?"

"Eh. Two wheels, too pedals."

 

[rogue_designer]

Mr Frankensteam, i don't suppose you have any suitably witty retorts to the inevitable inquiry into how you get through airport security with your piercings that I might steal from you?

 The best I have come up with is 'I don't fly', which is quite weak, really.

"Airport security is full of more holes than I am"

"you don't need an airport when you have your own airship"

[Josh of Vernian Process]

I generally don't deal with it, because I don't dress Steampunk. I don't feel the need to outwardly express my love of the genre, when I do plenty of that with my music, and just being comfortable with who I am.

Of course I'm also 30 and have already been through the whole dress up thing in the Punk, Goth, Industrial, and Deathrock scenes.

being new to steampunk, and, feeling a little more inclined to the punk/scene fashion sense right now, i dont wear much that would be classed as steamy as of yet, but one thing that made think was how you guys do it!

ive seen some of you talking about wearing steampunk toolbelts for general day wear, goggles in place of sunglasses. now as im sure most of you fellow brits know, people have even gone so far as to beat anyone who dares to be different literally to death. not long ago a goth girl was stamped to death by a group of chavs. at least 16 all male, stamped a girl to death. so, there is an inevitable risk to being steampunk and such, so how do you chaps and chappettes cope?

[Mad Maxine]

At 40, I'm still part of a crowd that enjoys a good costume. Fortunately, Seattle is a big costume town. Lots of people wear what they like, even at places like Microsoft.

I consider everything I wear to be a costume, whether it be a suit for a work conference, overalls for working in the yard, me going to the office (where I dress pretty much steam punk), or me working at an industrial site (where I wear a reflective vest and hardhat). What's considered a costume is really just a matter of perspective.

And the human brain is designed to categorize based on appearance as to whether what it sees is a threat or not. Some people treat things that that are different or unfamiliar as a possible enemy. Some people find things that are different to be marvelously intriguing. I'm somewhere in the middle, and tend to be more reserved around new people, but if I'm treated well, I settle right in.

Based on my experience, I've found that the most likely enemy is the one with money who's wearing a business suit and driving a nice car. Everyone else seems to think they're the crowd to hang out with.

[Ambie]

 

Based on my experience, I've found that the most likely enemy is the one with money who's wearing a business suit and driving a nice car.

Ah, a modern interpretation of the traditional "black hat" I believe!    

"Airport security is full of more holes than I am"

Haw!  How about, "I have a bone/wood/plastic set I wear while traveling."   ?

[chromegrrrl]

And the human brain is designed to categorize based on appearance as to whether what it sees is a threat or not. Some people treat things that that are different or unfamiliar as a possible enemy. Some people find things that are different to be marvelously intriguing. I'm somewhere in the middle, and tend to be more reserved around new people, but if I'm treated well, I settle right in.

In nature color and pattern often warns one that a creature is poisonous (like the dart frog) or is used to attract a mate (peacocks) or facilitate familial groupings (various species of schooling fish and parakeets) to confuse predators (octopus, cuttle fish, zebras) or to camouflage (like birch moths, octopus, walking sticks.)

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see that humans replicate the same functions on a social level with our choices in clothing. The problem is then trying to figure out the meaning of the garment, a street punk might be inviting a familial grouping with other street punks, or attempting to attract a mate but to the non-street punk the style would represent a warning (as in "don't eat me, I'm poisonous")

Which brings me to fancy Lorne Green narrating a New Wilderness episode that never was "The steam punk wakes up after the tranquilizer has worn off and is released back into the wild, he's completely unaware of the tracking device  and scientists will be able to follow his migration patterns once he has returned to his dirigible."

[Hyren von Henry]

i simply say I'm going to a party later.

works two ways

1) I get points for being invited to partys and so appear socially superior.
2) Partys excuse most sorts of behaviour. (in my experience)

usually their response is "oh, right..." or "can i come?"

or in the worst case scenario "Must be a GAY party *snigger*"  (they're not very mature/good at insults)
to which the reply of "Explain how!" usually works.

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

i simply say I'm going to a party later.

works two ways

1) I get points for being invited to partys and so appear socially superior.
2) Partys excuse most sorts of behaviour. (in my experience)

usually their response is "oh, right..." or "can i come?"

or in the worst case scenario "Must be a GAY party *snigger*"  (they're not very mature/good at insults)
to which the reply of "Explain how!" usually works.

That's....genius.

The wall at the bottom of my garden's still not four feet high, however.

[Hyren von Henry]

why thankyou.

[Zastrozzi]

or in the worst case scenario "Must be a GAY party *snigger*"  (they're not very mature/good at insults)
to which the reply of "Explain how!" usually works.

You could just say 'well, by the end of the evening when everyone's naked in a big pile, the difference stops really mattering...'