Bad Parents!

[Sir Brian]

Time to rant!
Bad parents piss me off! I was in armor yesterday and came across a couple of mundane families that had three little bastards with those wooden swords. I was wearing my helm and had seen the three of them approach me, I thought they wanted to check out the armor or pose for a picture. They circled behind me and began to whack me with their swords! I snatched my helm off and told the oldest brat to stop hitting me and then glared at the parents who were at that time trying to put on a good show about being horrified and embarrassed by their little monsters. Since I’m wearing armor they of course didn’t hurt me but the complete lack of respect perpetrated by those heathens completely pissed me off and gives a strong argument for mandatory sterilization. What is worse is I have had more than one moronic parent, usually the father, tell his son to take his wooden sword and challenge the knight! I’ve noticed that occurs specifically at the Maryland Renaissance Faire, gives kind of a validation for that fair’s no weapon policy huh?

Oh and just for reference to all those idiotic types of dads: If your kid continues to hit me after I tell them to stop, I’m going to start hitting that idiotic dad and brother let me tell you that it is a BAD idea to fight bare knuckles with someone wearing steel! 

[Sir Edward]

Oh man, that's just lovely. That's the thing that really gets me- The parents. Are they stupid? Do they just not care? How can they not realize they're raising their kids to be thugs if they don't set limits?

[Dragonlover]

Yep, had one at Charlotte about 8yrs ago go to town on one of my boiled leather greaves with a waster. I think those damn things need to be outlawed from faires. Goes back to the kid in Charlotte
last year stepping on my spur shanks while dad thought it was funny....til I told him I was going to thug HIM if the brat didnt cease and desist. Now you know why some animals eat their young.....

[Sir Matthew]

Wow, I must be really intimidating or maybe I just have better luck with this.  Except for the occasional person asking if they can hit me, I don't really recall ever having this kink of thing happen to me.  I have stopped more than one pair or group of kids with those damn wooden swords from swinging them about haphazardly or beating each other with them.  I the latter case, I usually only step in when they are swinging them wildly and risk hurting innocent bystanders.  If parents want to let their kids beat each other silly I'm all for letting them too.  I can almost always get the kids to stop, especially when I offer to teach them basic sword handling.  Most kids are thilled to learn how to use a sword from a real knight and when I throw in lessons like when to use the sword and obeying the rules (especially the no fighting on a faire day one) that almost always puts an end to the sword use.

[Sir Edward]

I've had kids "attack" me at Halloween (great fun to stomp on the feet of the grim reaper?), but not in armor.

In armor, I've had adults hit my shoulder with their hand or a rolled up program as they walk past. The worst case though was a drunk woman with a baby on her hip who did an open-palm punch to the face of my helm, while I was wearing it. I ripped it off, and she reeled back to do it again, but stopped when she finally noticed I took it off and was giving her a "try it and die" sort of look. Now THAT is a bad parent!

[VaughnStrever]

I wish this happened/happens to me! I will be going to the texas ren fest in a month or so. My armour is munitions grade and a wooden sword would crack before my armour gave in. I would either do two things... 1. "Take your best shot kid!" and let him bust his sword in half. Or 2. The second time he swings just rip the thing out of their little hands and give it to the parents.

I don't really know what I would do, but parents let their kids control them now - a - days...

[Sir Brian]

Yes I've resolved that should it happen again I will take the sword away from the child. If the kid's
dad protests then I'll offer him the chance to "take" it back while I'm tapping it menacingly in my hands,
otherwise I will turn the sword into security and let them worry about it. 

[Silvanus]

It's not just kids.

Today a woman wanted to test the functionality of my hauberk and started jamming a stick into my ribcage. I stood there patiently and let her have her way with me. Then she punched my shield very hard with her bare hand.

Her friend then ran up and pulled her off, explaining that she had enjoyed one too many ciders.

 

[Sir Edward]

On a couple of occasions someone would walk up and say "is that real?" while they halfheartedly hit my pauldron or breastplate, and then yelp "ow!!"

Serves them right.

[Sir James (Fiat Lux)]

I'm ok with folks pounding and beating on armor, to a degree, but you never -ever- try to grab someone's weapon, especially if it isn't peace-tied like in our open demonstrations and events. The attention may be endearing, but I've had to explain to one too many folks, both kids and adults, that to attempt to take a knight's weapon was considered by many to be a mortal offense. The threat of a gauntleted backhand tends to shoo off the kids, a glare for sober adults, but I've had to throw a shoulder check or two on some drunk adults. I've got a squire who can take care of fingerprints, and I know how to clean my own weapons, but hands off the arms.

[Sir Edward]

Very good points, Sir James. People sometimes forget that they're deadly weapons. Even if it's blunted as a demo or practice weapon, it doesn't change the fact that it's a properly stored sword on someone's person. It's like reaching for a police officer's gun.

[Sir Robert]

Just to comment on this, my home Fair has been the PARen Faire, and maybe I'm just scary but I rarely have had issues with this, touching just does not seem to be as common there. It does happen, someone will want to see if its real, or get a picture taken, but not to the extent you lords describe it.

Then this year I mentioned going to the MDRen Faire and a couple of by brethren made a point to tell me to expect more "touchy" there, all based on their experience. Now I must say that I love the MDRF and its far above most Faires, my experience was awesome BUT I did notice a bit more of this and some bad behavior from children and parents. I was challenged a few times with wooden sticks, and had several people think about touching and a few actually do it, so I do agree with Sir Brian on this.

I don't know why this is, its not the MDRF in any way, its one of the most enjoyable Faires to be sure. Maybe its the lack of weapons? (that could be good judging on what I have seen with sticks) Maybe that makes us look a bit scarier? In any event parents should know better regardless of setting or what someone looks like- kids should have respect for others and not do anything that they would not want done to them. But I think Sir Brian hit the nail on the head with the parents being to blame here.

[Sir Edward]

I think that has a lot to do with it-- the lack of weapons. People are more comfortable and more responsible with them through exposure. In an environment that lacks them, people are less... how shall we say... savvy?

[Sir Robert]

I do agree with that, in fact I have worn a braodsword for two seasons and know excatly how to wear it, how it sticks out and how to do just about anything wearing in in any garb, from full plate to a Kilt. But this year, for a Pirate weekend, I wanted a more pirate look, so I bought a rapier, andit was almost 6" longer than my broadsword. I found that I had to be extra careful turning, sitting, and whatever to allow for the extra length and not inconvienience anyone. So experience does make one better at carrying weapons.

As a comment- since most Faires do sell beverages and weapons, and there tend to be, lets say new initiates to our world, buying them and enjoying malts. They can often act with far less than rational thinking, last season I had one such patron, dressed in his best "I slept in this for the last five days" dorm wear, come up to me and thump my armor with his newly aquired battle axe...all wrapped up in tape and cardboard. So although I enjoy browsing the merchent's wares, and certainly don't want to ban weapons, as I think it completes the look, I do like the fact that a security guard saw this incident and removed the axe from my young friend to be pick up on exit I'm sure.

So here's a plug- the security guards at the PARen Faire are first notch, I always thank them for the work they do, many have been in cast and love the Faire, and they keep it well in hand. So kudos to them. Its also one of the reason's the ticket prices are higher, but it keeps everything running smoothly.

[Sir Matthew]

Stormdelver, PaRF is also my home faire and I agree completely that the security there is top notch.  I have had lengthy discussions with them and have found most of them to be very level-headed and fair, not something particularly common with people in there jobs.  I must say that in all the years of going, I have never once been hit by someone with a real weapon, albight wrapped up.  That would certainly make me very unhappy, getting hit with the wooden weapons is enough insult.  I also find that MdRF has far more touchy people, I went in the armor for the first time there this season and found that I had alot more people wanting to touch it.  Perhaps you are on to something with the lack of weaponry.  I don't mind patrons touching my garb and equipment, so long as they ask and are polite about it.  That is much of the reason why I wear and carry what I do.  My intention is to actively engage them in learning about the period, so I attempt to carry period acurate weapons and equipment.  By allowing the patrons to touch and examine what I carry I make it more real to them and hopefully recruite some younger ones to eventually join in the fun.  I am always carefull to point out that the weapons I carry are real and are still dangerouse, even if they are obsolete.