plasmadrive Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 If I want to clear the crowd outside, all I have to do is walk out the front door! For some weird reason people think they are staying too long or something else and I am going out to yell at them or something. Multiple times tonight, cars started their engines and zoomed off. My wife thinks they are happy smoking in private and don't want to talk to me. I have an interactive show and often ask people which song they would like to hear. One car told me they like their own music better and didnt want to change the station. lolHappens to us to... The other day a friend of mine said "we were watching your lights when you came home and waited for you to come out and greet the people but you never showed up". I responded by telling him that people leave when I come out.... so I stopped coming out..
George Simmons Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 It's funny. My wife and I have mentioned the same thing. Walk outside....croud clears.So I one night last week went outside with my Santa hat on...5-6 cars outside. No one left! Plus a couple got out and thanked me.Soooo. My Santa hat is near the front door. Try it.....works great!I second that recommendation! The Santa hat is definitely the charm. Same thing here - once I started going out in it, people quit driving off.Although, to be fair, people didn't drive off en masse when I'd go outside anyway. I'm guessing most of them didn't even notice me walking down the driveway until I actually got to the info mailbox with a bunch of candy canes to replenish the supply. I usually go out during songs for this very reason. Nights like last night, there probably would be 20 or 30 people in their vehicles hoping folks closer to the display would finally drive away.
Orville Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 (edited) Are you sure you haven't made all your visitors paranoid by sneaking up on them? And don't you live in a senior citizens park or something? They are probably all fearing having a heart attack or something when you spook them.No I DO NOT sneak up on them, it just appears I came from the "neighbors house", no sneaking, and by creeping I am trying to see where folks are so that when I come out I don't make them feel they need to drive away, so try to make it appear I didn't come out of MY house.Nor do I live in a "senior citizens park", I live in an multi-age community and the children here all love to come and hang out at my house quite often.So you got it all wrong. Edited December 22, 2012 by Orville
Orville Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 ROFLMAO.In the same post:I try and sneak out a door that hopefully wouldn't be noticed and then walk along until I can creep out Like said, people are weird.Yes, they definitely are.No weirdness to it at all, I just try and make it look like I came out and from my neighbors house, but creep out of mine to try and keep a low profile as not to have folks drive off because I came outside for some reason or another. You want to call it weird, your preogative, I just call it smart thinking to keep folks from driving away.
Orville Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 Right, I spent hundreds of hours creating this elaborate lighting display - all so I could lure people outside of my home, and then go out there and shoot them.How did they catch on?People do strange things Tim. Don't you ever watch any of those police reality shows? You might be surprised what some folks would go through and do to someone to lure them in. I see things on those shows that are inconceivable to me. And just sayin' the way things have been going lately, I think people are just a bit more aware of their4 surroundings, so when someone comes out, they don't want to confront anyone, no matter how great the display looks, so they'd rather leave than get confronted, not really knowing what the intentions may be from the person coming outside. Just doing a simple task like taking the trash out folks drive off, happened to us Thursday night when I took the trash out to the large can out back of our house.And I never said anything directly about what that confrontation would be, just that folks are going to be a bit more aware until all this stuff dies down again.
jlowe Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 No weirdness to it at all, I just try and make it look like I came out and from my neighbors house, but creep out of mine to try and keep a low profile as not to have folks drive off because I came outside for some reason or another. You want to call it weird, your preogative, I just call it smart thinking to keep folks from driving away.To me, when reading those replies, they seemed to be made in good humor. I don't think anyone was actually saying you are creepy. I'm only in my second year, and I have this problem as well. But I'm also concerned that people may just want to enjoy the lights and not necessarily be looking to interact. But I like the Santa hat and candy cane idea. Maybe next year I'll speak to folks waiting to reach the front of the line. Merry Christmas all!
Tim Fischer Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 People do strange things Tim. Don't you ever watch any of those police reality shows? You might be surprised what some folks would go through and do to someone to lure them in. I see things on those shows that are inconceivable to me. And just sayin' the way things have been going lately, I think people are just a bit more aware of their4 surroundings, so when someone comes out, they don't want to confront anyone, no matter how great the display looks, so they'd rather leave than get confronted, not really knowing what the intentions may be from the person coming outside. Just doing a simple task like taking the trash out folks drive off, happened to us Thursday night when I took the trash out to the large can out back of our house.And I never said anything directly about what that confrontation would be, just that folks are going to be a bit more aware until all this stuff dies down again.There's a reason that stuff is on TV. It isn't normal.
George Simmons Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 ... so when someone comes out, they don't want to confront anyone, no matter how great the display looks, so they'd rather leave... Either the viewers are different in Florida than they are in Minnesota or the displays are different. Even without the Santa hat, people never left in droves when Sharon and/or I would go out. In five seasons now, the only thing that I've ever witnessed that had people leaving in droves was 12 Days of Christmas by Mitch Miller and the Gang. And just the past couple of days I've seen people leave when Sail Along Silvery Moon played. Bummer - two songs I remember fondly from when I was a kid... 12 Days hasn't played since 2009 and Sail Along played it's final time last night. I don't think anyone was actually saying you are creepy. You are technically correct. I believe the term used (this time) was "weird". Although it could be construed by many that someone who describes himself creeping around in the dark could be a bit... well... creepy. Maybe it's just the salt air...
ItsMeBobO Posted December 22, 2012 Author Posted December 22, 2012 Starting a list of reasons people could drive off when the display owner appearsThese are plausible I guess....what do you think?Dont feel like talking to youI am in my pajamasI didnt brush my teeth. I am eating while I watch and dont want to share.You are too nice and good looking to talk to without my makeup on.You came out during my least favorite song.I am going to come back later and steal everything so you cant see my face.Time to go and it was a coincidence that I started my engine and gunned it. We dated in HS and you dumped me.Wearing same clothes as yesterday and afraid you will noticeYou spoke to me last week and I dont want you to know I came back.You spoke to me before and I dont like you. My car is dirty dont look in.Dont have enough of whatever I am smoking to go around.You just want me to tell you how big your christmas spirit is and I aint gonna do it. I dont give to any charities and surely you are going to ask for money.
George Simmons Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 LOL!You're probably right on many counts Bob.Merry Christmas!
Tim Fischer Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 Starting a list of reasons people could drive off when the display owner appearsThese are plausible I guess....what do you think?Dont feel like talking to youI am in my pajamasI didnt brush my teeth.I am eating while I watch and dont want to share.You are too nice and good looking to talk to without my makeup on.You came out during my least favorite song.I am going to come back later and steal everything so you cant see my face.Time to go and it was a coincidence that I started my engine and gunned it.We dated in HS and you dumped me.Wearing same clothes as yesterday and afraid you will noticeYou spoke to me last week and I dont want you to know I came back.You spoke to me before and I dont like you.My car is dirty dont look in.Dont have enough of whatever I am smoking to go around.You just want me to tell you how big your christmas spirit is and I aint gonna do it.I dont give to any charities and surely you are going to ask for money.You forgot "you're not wearing pants, and that's just weird"
dougd Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 4 cars all left right after Wish listz a few minutes ago, I thought to myself wow they didn't like that song. My daughter came in the door a few seconds later, she told me her presence ran them off.
ehgilman Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 roflmao....... I must be super ugly, if I peak out the window they bolt...... Thogh for my first year doing this, I do have quite a few cars stoping..... gotta love it, gotta get another 16 chanels for next year !!!!
wbaker4 Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) I am sorry to say that I see the most cars driving off when I list the Names of the Newtown Students and Faculty whos lives were taken.I am not sure where to go from here. Play the memorial only at the beginning of my evening show, or continue once per cycle?To a point I understand people wanting to get away and get their minds off of things and I may be, to a certain degree, not what they expected to see.Ideas? Edited December 23, 2012 by wbaker4
TonyD Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 I wonder if some people might be afraid they are going to be asked for donations?
George Simmons Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 You might shorten it up to something like "in memory of those who were taken from us last week" or something like that. I think the entire list of those killed might be a bit much for our venue, and your viewers are obviously voting with their right foot.
Tim Fischer Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 You might shorten it up to something like "in memory of those who were taken from us last week" or something like that. I think the entire list of those killed might be a bit much for our venue, and your viewers are obviously voting with their right foot.Agreed. We have 2 young sons, 8 and 5. I briefly talked with my 8yo (2nd grader) about what happened and why he needn't worry about it happening to him because it was such a rare event. I didn't mention it to my 5yo (preschooler) at all. I don't want them to dwell on it and worry that they aren't safe at school. If I were at a Christmas display and something extended like this came on, I might leave, too, just so I didn't have to explain what was going on to them.
rainyoregonchristmas Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Had one car come back three times tonight. Now thats starting to creep me out...
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