Ever been embarassed to call yourself an enthusiast?

I know I have.

I find it hilarious when all of the 13 yr old "enthusiasts" think they're above the GP just because they know the height or length or whatever on a coaster. I know it's not just 13 year olds, it's a lot of them. You buy a ticket to get in, you're part of the General Public. At least one incident displays this ignorance in a big way. I was in line for Vortex at PCW with some friends of mine. I run that ride, so I know it like the back of my hand. Anyway, a friend asked me how tall it was, and I said about 90 feet. This kid behind me (wearing a coaster shirt of some kind) taps me on the shoulder and says something to the effect of "No it's not, it's 92 feet tall". I could have (and probably should have) turned around and smacked the kid for being nosey, but I didn't. I just laughed at him and turned away.

If someone says the wrong fact about a coaster, it doesn't make you "cool" to go and correct them. It just makes you look like a big geek who needs to mind his own buisness. Let people have their fun, and keep your thoughts to yourself.


Sorry about this, I just had to get it off my chest.

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MOTHERLAND ERROR TILT WOK

That happened to me once also when I was on Cyclone with a friend. My friend knew I liked coasters so he said "how many seats did S:UF have". I said I didnt know because I didnt really want to go saying anything to look stupid. Then this kid who was in some type of club and I think lived in california since his dad had a SFMM hat on said "it is 4". I felt like telling that kid I am not a dumb@ss and my friend was referring to how many rows it has, but I didnt. I

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Skeeber [/i]
[B]
If someone says the wrong fact about a coaster, it doesn't make you "cool" to go and correct them. It just makes you look like a big geek who needs to mind his own buisness. Let people have their fun, and keep your thoughts to yourself.[/B][/QUOTE]

Exactly. There's a difference between 'enthusiast' and 'jerk.' If someone asks you (or me, or any coaster enthusiast) a question, we should feel free to respond. We shouldn't be embarassed about our knowledge and interest in coasters.

However, I do think its inappropriate to interrupt uninvited into someone else's conversation. We have no business 'sticking our noses' into others' discussions, even if they are incredibly ignorant.

The only time I thing its right to interrupt in any situation is if someone is talking about a death/serious injury on a ride, and you know its baseless and false. We do have a responsibilty to prevent dangerous rumors from being spread, but that's it.

And its all about how you approach it, too. Anything can sound pompuss, just as anything can sound kind and helpful. Its all in the attitude.

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Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.

i never do that. i think its a mixture of being a little shy and i dont want to butt in on their conversations. its happened to me a lot online for coasters when i hear people saying reaslly stupid things about coasters but i just keep it to myself.

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I'm Back
I was once TN's top poster!
2007 Gadv Count: Kingda Ka-6, El Toro-6, Nitro-4, Medusa-2, S:UF-2, R:TC-1, B:TC-, GASM-0, Skull Mt-0, B:TR-0, RMT-0, RT-0

no, i'm not. My coaster fact challenged friends ask me the same questions everytime i go to the same park, but i awnser them all the time. I don't correct other people, cause its rude, i just laugh.

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Its murda...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Skeeber [/i]
[B]

If someone says the wrong fact about a coaster, it doesn't make you "cool" to go and correct them. It just makes you look like a big geek who needs to mind his own buisness. Let people have their fun, and keep your thoughts to yourself.


Sorry about this, I just had to get it off my chest. [/B][/QUOTE]

The soul purpose of being an enthusiast shouldn't be to brag to others about how much you know. Me and my best friend are enthusiasts, and whenever we hear people give totally inacurrate information(ex. Nitro is the tallest coaster in the world or Steel force pulls 5 1/2 negative G's) we just laugh to ourselves. I find it ignorant to correct someone, while they are trying to have a conversation.

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Let's Go! HOKIES!

I really never like butting in to peoples business about coasters, I hear alot of people saying falsle things about the coasters at SFOT while I am there but I just look at them with my eyebrow raised and roll my eyes! This past Thursday while in line for Freeze some women turned around and was yammering something to my fiancee' about how fast Freeze was and some other yadda yadda - she was like way off! My fiancee' turned around and to me and said that lady doesn't need to tell my anything cause I know my baby(me):kiss: knows alot more than she does!:sun: I never but in because I don't know everything about coasters and I am learning everyday- I sure as hell don't wanna look like a fool!;flower; All I know is that I love coasters and you don't need to be a genius to know your crazy about them! I take alot of jokes and harrassing by my roomate for being a coaster enthusiast but to be embarassed- I could never- why be embarassed with something that you love!

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I left my heart in Sandusky!!!

I will give information if it's asked and correct information if it's directed to me, but I would not interupt someone's conversation. Embarassed to be a coaster enthusiast? Never!

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"BECAUSE someone like you cared a whole afwul lot, this park is alive where before it was not." -The Street of the Lifted Lorax, IOA

I've never been embarassed to call myself an enthusiast. However, I don't go butting into other people's business. If they are talking to me, then it's my business. If they aren't, it's not my business and I stay out of it. I don't like to be nosey because I get angry when people have no right to butt in, and yet they do.

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I don't ever do things like that, but I can think of quite a few people here on TN that probably do that while at a park. I won't mention nay names though ;).

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Millennium Force Crew '05
Magnum Crew '06

Proud member of the Notre Dame Class of 2008

Being nosey about a coaster stats is a pure sign of immaturity.does it really matter if people think that a coaster is about 90 feet, 92 feet, or 1000 feet? The answer is no.

How do you even know that the stats for the coasters are even correct? Say SD2K, they wanted the tittle for the tallest coaster. It could be 308' feet tall, but they were threatened by Millennium Force, so they just said there coaster was 318'. There is no way of knowing for sure, unless you mesure it yourself, but that is next to impossible.

The way I look at it is "Don't speak unless spoken to" If someone asks me a question, I'll go ahead and answer it, but to just butt in on someone else's conversation is just rude.

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"Cedar Point has a wide variety of wooden coasters" - Discovery Channel

Wait til a lot of you start hanging around enthusiast events and so forth. There are some real freaks out there in coaster enthusiast circles. People who think that their opinion is the only right one. Or that complain loudly because a coaster isn't the right color.

Then of course there are the crowds of goods talking about how their park is going to build a standing suspended looping woodie with a height over 400 feet that will hit a speed of 150 mph. :rolleyes:

Or the ones that call the Beast at PKI a steel coaster because they don't know the difference. or say their home park is something like Six Flags Sandusky (huh?)

But the worst are those that think a certain park is like god with no imperfections and can never do wrong- even when it's blatantly obvious that the park has screwed up.

but if you're going to be an enthusiast, you just have to learn to deal with those nuts. But then they're going to be involved in whatever you end up dealing with to.

But it does kinda make you feel :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

:devil:

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Have you read my number 1 best seller? There will be a test! ~God
Life with God is one thrill ride you'll never want to get off of.
My park & coaster photos: Sir Willow's Smugmug pictures

I'am not embarressed to call myself an enthusiasts but I know when to keep my mouth shut. If someone in line for a ride is talking about some coaster I don't interrupt because I probably won't know what they're talking about. I might like coasters alot but there's alot of coasters i know nothing about.

Sometimes i like to show off to my friends or some cocky kids in school because i know something they don't

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Millennium Force-You don't ride it, you survive it!

I have never done that, but I am not afraid to share my ~~coaster knowlage~~ :D But anyway, I have never been embarassed, because otherwise I wouldn't feel like I were an enthusiest.

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The College of William and Mary Class of 2009
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