Visitors ask some obvious questions.

[BrownOut]

I know people have posted funny or dumb things in the past on the forums that visitors have said to them while passing by your light display. I guess what amazes me is the number of people asking the same questions.

I expected people to ask me things like:
"How did you make the lights do this?"
"How much time did you spend?"
"I bet your power bill is high."
"What times are the lights on?"
So far, only two people fall into the expected section...

What I didn't expect is for just about everyone to ask or suggest one or more of these:
"Why are all the lights not working?" (this was while a song and video were playing and lights flashing in a sequence)
"You should play the lights to the music." (while standing outside my house where speakers can be heard and just about falling over one of my tune 99.1fm signs. Maybe these people are saying my sequencing is wayyy off?)
"You should turn the speakers up more so people can hear the music in their car." (I have 3 radio signs that you can't miss. One from Fast Signs and two from Holiday Coro with 400 LEDs each. This comment has been made over a dozen times in my second night with lights on)

I have had three people ask for help tuning the radio in their car too. One girl can figure out the iPod connected to the stereo, but not the stock radio buttons that were easy to figure out.

But the one that got me was when I was outside and a family of four came to see the lights- the little kids in the back were really happy. I asked the parents if I could bring out some candy canes for them. I have peppermint and cherry flavor- They all wanted peppermint. I run in the house and get them, come back out and go to hand them to them. The dad just about flips out and asks if these have sugar in them, I said "yes". He said that is unhealthy in a very upset voice and they drove off.

Oh well.

[scubado]

Some parents are too brain dead to just enjoy a sweet treat!

[Guest wbottomley]

That's why I never interact with the audience. Some are too stupid to breathe. Good thing it come natural or cemeteries would be expanding everyday.

I let Santa walk around and do the interaction for me. Who would be mean to him?

[BrownOut]

I do want to add that I have had more compliments than anything and people seem to be having a good time. I am enjoying it.

[testraub]

My personal favorite is "How do you get the radio station to play your music?" I always reply..."Do you have any idea of what that would cost?" Then explain about the FM transmitter.

Tom Straub

[toddmoon]

I have two signs posted in my yard that the music plays on 99.9 FM. I am going on my 4th year broadcasting on the same channel and many still do not get it.

I have wondered about using a bigger sign or something different. Maybe it would not make a difference with them. I also have a sound system playing outside for those that are walking or want to stand outside to view the lights.

Oh, well if they can not figure it out it is there loss.

Things will be interesting for me this year as I am going be dressed as Santa and when my virtual santa walks out of the window I will walk out the door and hand out candy canes. It will be interesting to see peoples reaction to this.

[EvilM0nkey]

I can't wait to get to that stage of my light show. The guy I got the bug from sits in his circular driveway giving out hot chocolate and candy.
I always get "Your light bill must be huge!"
Nope it only goes up about $40

[friskybri]

Talk about stupid people. The intro says to park on the opposite side of the road in the grass up to the tree/curb line. So one parks on the otherside of the tree facing the wrong way. So I had to put this sign out.

Attached files

[Guest guest]

wbottomley wrote:

That's why I never interact with the audience. Some are too stupid to breathe. Good thing it come natural or cemeteries would be expanding everyday.

I let Santa walk around and do the interaction for me. Who would be mean to him?

That's a loaded question William! You might be surprised at how many folks there are that can and are rude to a person playing Santa. I've had it happen and I've seen it happen to other Santas. There are a lot of brain dead idiots out there, that I *DO* know!

Well back to moving. Just took down my entire display today(well yesterday now, Sunday 11/27), won't be going back up until after December 7, when the power will be turned on at the house. Plus I have to install the GFCI outlets first before I even plug in the first strand of lights or flip the outdoor breakers!

Better safe than sorry!

Just hope I can get it all done or I may opt to scale it back quite a bit. Having the bigger yard and the house to now put lights on, not sure if I'm going to have the time to set everything back up at it's new, but old location from prior years! Or I may just end up forgoing a show the rest of this season and just do something static and work on 2012's show. Kind of up in the air until after our move back to the house.

[Arnoldc]

I had one the other day.. I had a couple sitting in the car in awe.. I was standing out there admiring, then they asked me: do you have all these lights on one power cord, how did you do that!?"

[Guest guest]

Of course at some Seattle displays, you'll hear "Sir, why are all of your big trees lying sideways?..."...:P:P:D:D:D

[Arnoldc]

DonFL wrote:

Of course at some Seattle displays, you'll hear "Sir, why are all of your big trees lying sideways?..."...:P:P:D:D:D

ROFLMAO
or a kid say "sir I think you need this" as he hands him a blue pill...

[Mark Showalter]

So far this year's favorite came from a guy who yelled over to me as I was finishing the set-up..."HEY! You're making the rest of the men look bad."

I told him he still had time and to go get started.

He did not accept the challenge.

[ericnagel]

Re: Virtual Santa... "Who did you get to walk around upstairs dressed up like Santa?"

Re: Lights... "Did he have to program them all, or just plug them in?"

Re: Me... "He's crazy."

[PMC]

Hey, I live 20 miles from the Mason-Dixon line.......okay I get your point

Also I think I got a "Lights Stalker" this guy has been coming back to my house a few times a night since Thanksgiving evening

he will slowly drive around the house, park in a location where you can't really see the display and pull forward then backup

hes been doing this every night


It must be the Mason-Dixon effect

[jldavis1969]

I was viewing Marty Slacks show (ChirtsmasUtah.com) here in Utah on Sunday. Met Marty too. While I was chatting with Marty People started showing up on foot and in vehicles. Some that were on foot were commenting to other people how they think it was done. I was snickering to myself about how wrong they were and so was Marty. Thanks for the visit and chatting with me about your display.

[Chagoi]

PMC wrote:

Hey, I live 20 miles from the Mason-Dixon line.......okay I get your point

Also I think I got a "Lights Stalker" this guy has been coming back to my house a few times a night since Thanksgiving evening

he will slowly drive around the house, park in a location where you can't really see the display and pull forward then backup

hes been doing this every night


It must be the Mason-Dixon effect

If you hear banjo music coming from his car rather than your show tracks....run!!!

[PMC]

Well, I just had to hurry up and sequence this song, just for this thread

[David Rise]

I was just thinkin last night, that my sign was too small and I needed to get a bigger one for next year.

But it sounds like it won't help no matter how many signs or how big they are.

Ya can't fix STUPID.

[ItsMeBobO]

Got a really funny one last night. Was telling him it was controlled by software on the computer.

Guy asked excited with a hopefully smile if the light show was a "free download".