The Dumbest Comment I Ever Heard

[grundie]

Here's a dumb comment I get a lot. Actually it's more of a dumb question, but it still counts.

"Go on sell me that hat." or "Go on give me that hat."

Followed by much begging and pleading when you say no.

In fairness, this comment does come from inebriated types and you may say I should avoid getting near these sorts, but living in such a pub oriented city as Dublin I cannot avoid it.

It's one of those things that really angers me. I have a personal attachment to my hats and no amount of money would make me part with them. It's even worse when they guy (or girl) is trying to thrust a 10 Euro note in to my hand thinking that I will happily accept such a paltry sum for a hat that is worth considerably more.

 

[Edward]

It's one of those things that really angers me. I have a personal attachment to my hats and no amount of money would make me part with them. It's even worse when they guy (or girl) is trying to thrust a 10 Euro note in to my hand thinking that I will happily accept such a paltry sum for a hat that is worth considerably more.

Same mindset that sees folks lifting someone's hat in a club and passing it around.... I presume the thought process is 'hat = costume, costume = some crap fancy dress I pick up in a shop for a fiver before gonig on a hen / stag night, hat = cheap crap'. [huh]

One night last week I was passing through the tube station, wearing a black linen two piece, white shirt, red cravat w'white polka dots, corespondants, and a black fedora, and I got "Eeee Heee!" from a couple of passing teenage girls. Normally I don't mind, but, well.... Michael Jackson is most assuredly not someone whom I wish to emulate! I suppose that was their only frame of reference for a black fedora. I've received anti-semitic abuse (and I'm not even Jewish) on one occasion for a fedora, so, well.... [huh]

 

[Neophyte]

I was in Buffalo Wild Wings last week, not knowing that one of my old schoolmates was working there. I was walking towards the restroom when all of the sudden someone grabbed my hat off the back of my head. By the time I had turned I already had a half-raised fist. This was a response neither I nor my friend expected, though luckily he didn't see it.
This surprised me, as one of the things that characterizes me is nearly crippling levels of self-control (a girl told me once to chill out, relax and have a beer, to which I responded I don't drink, I am restless and I don't know how to chill out...yeah)...I guess I really, really like my hats.

 

[Feraud]

Grabbing a hat off a guy's head doesn't seem very different from lifting a wallet or cell phone out of a pocket. A person could get hurt doing that..

 

[Neophyte]

Grabbing a hat off a guy's head doesn't seem very different from lifting a wallet or cell phone out of a pocket. A person could get hurt doing that..

lol

 

[VitaminG]

Remember, if anyone ever come up to you and gives you any flak, just return to sender with something akin to this:

if you feel a compulsion to run your lip at the type of mouth breather that shows so little restraint that they must blurt out the first thought that runs through their head upon laying eyes upon your clothing, you may want to bring something more than a withering stare and a pithy well-rehearsed rejoinder. They may not take too kindly to what appears to them to be you making fun at their expense, and having tested the limits of their mental acuity with a witty "HA! Indy!", feel they have no recourse but to get physical with you. They may just pound on you for being uppity or talkin' purty.

Of course, if you have planned ahead, you can practice your pre-prepared secondary and tertiary responses (assuming you had considered that the conversation may continue beyond their initial comment and your initial response) as you wheel about above their tassled woollen beanie or ventilated trucker hat from your new aspect swinging by your heels over their head.

If the originator of the comment appears to be an insecure weed (which seems unlikely as they felt self-assured enough to comment on a stranger's appearance in the first place), feel free to let them have it. Be aware that if they are big enough and dumb enough, there may be consequences for anything you say to them and you had best be prepared.

 

[Neophyte]

lol

I have my pride, but I can easily throw that out the 11th-story window when my physical being is in danger. Fights with my brother (he's a soccer player, so I'm not allowed to hurt his legs) have taught me several of the human body's weak points. I'm especially fond of the knees and ribs...


...That said, I do not actively look for fights, and avoid them whenever possible. Besides, I hope that the prepared retort I mentioned would confuse my aggressor for long enough to allow me to escape, much like an octopus' ink cloud.

 

[Feraud]

I am not advocating violence at all.
Someone grabbing a hat off your head is like reaching for any other personal object. Whether or not they intend to ridicule you or steal it is not our concern.
Let anyone know in no uncertain terms that touching your hat is a serious violation of your space.
Apparently adults are still acting like children playing in a schoolyard.

 

[frussell]

Consequences

VitaminG and I are on the same page basically. In the part of the world where I lived and worked the last decade or so, a "permanent glare" or any witty comeback could very well cost you more than a beating. I'm not a small person, and do not generally attract predators of any kind, but I've had to learn when not to mouth off, which is my natural inclination. Witty comebacks seen as disrespect have resulted in firearms being pointed my way at least twice by people I could easily have beaten physically if needed. A gun, or the addition of three or four more gangbangers to the equation quickly takes away my need to feel intellectually superior. Depending on the neighborhood, sneering glares of artificial toughness can be misinterpreted as "mad-dogging," resulting in immediate conflict. It's a hat, not your religion, your family, or your country. It doesn't need you to defend it with your life. I realize this is extreme, and most folks here don't live in this environment, but you never know who you are talking to out in the real world. Frank

 

[Neophyte]

Apparently adults are still acting like children playing in a schoolyard.

Well, we are both 19 years old, so.......lol

 

[Neophyte]

VitaminG and I are on the same page basically. In the part of the world where I lived and worked the last decade or so, a "permanent glare" or any witty comeback could very well cost you more than a beating. I'm not a small person, and do not generally attract predators of any kind, but I've had to learn when not to mouth off, which is my natural inclination. Witty comebacks seen as disrespect have resulted in firearms being pointed my way at least twice by people I could easily have beaten physically if needed. A gun, or the addition of three or four more gangbangers to the equation quickly takes away my need to feel intellectually superior. Depending on the neighborhood, sneering glares of artificial toughness can be misinterpreted as "mad-dogging," resulting in immediate conflict. It's a hat, not your religion, your family, or your country. It doesn't need you to defend it with your life. I realize this is extreme, and most folks here don't live in this environment, but you never know who you are talking to out in the real world. Frank

Solid advice. Though the glare will be hard to get rid of (I don't even notice it half of the time), I'd definitely be able to shove the aforementioned cork in my mouth.

 

[jamespowers]

Grabbing a hat off a guy's head doesn't seem very different from lifting a wallet or cell phone out of a pocket. A person could get hurt doing that..

Or even end up pulling back a stub instead of a hand.

 

[ScionPI2005]

I am not advocating violence at all.
Someone grabbing a hat off your head is like reaching for any other personal object. Whether or not they intend to ridicule you or steal it is not our concern.
Let anyone know in no uncertain terms that touching your hat is a serious violation of your space.
Apparently adults are still acting like children playing in a schoolyard.

I find this interesting. Neophyte, I've been in the same situation, albeit probably six years ago. Back when I was in high school, I was one of the few students (there were maybe three of us) to wear a fedora to school. Of course, with the fedora being such a unique hat, or perhaps a "novelty" to some of my fellow students, they would grab it from my desk once I sat it down for class, or they would grab it off my head and try it on without my permission. This would really irk me, regardless of how much I thought of the person doing it as a friend.

Thankfully, I haven't had anyone do this to me since that time. Maybe some people eventually grow out of it.

 

[TrenchGuy]

"Excuse me, are you a lawyer or something?"
I heard this one from an old man while wearing a gray suit and had my hair styled. What a classic...

It's just so hard to avoid stupid comments, when most of the people these days dress in jeans and a t-shirt. But the worst ones are the members of "The Shell Suit society". This society is mostly seen in Finland and the members are around 30-50 years old. They have a habit of complaining if they see something they don't like(someone smoking near them for example). If someone lives or has been to Finland, probably knows what I mean. Finnish people have to worst sense of fashion ever...

 

[jamespowers]

"Excuse me, are you a lawyer or something?"
I heard this one from an old man while wearing a gray suit and had my hair styled. What a classic...

It's just so hard to avoid stupid comments, when most of the people these days dress in jeans and a t-shirt. But the worst ones are the members of "The Shell Suit society". This society is mostly seen in Finland and the members are around 30-50 years old. They have a habit of complaining if they see something they don't like(someone smoking near them for example). If someone lives or has been to Finland, probably knows what I mean. Finnish people have to worst sense of fashion ever...

"No, I am a summons server. Here's your summons."
Or
"No I am here to serve and eviction notice. Now what was your name again?"

 

[John in Covina]

"Excuse me, are you a lawyer or something?"
I heard this one from an old man while wearing a gray suit and had my hair styled. What a classic... It's just so hard to avoid stupid comments, when most of the people these days dress in jeans and a t-shirt. But the worst ones are the members of "The Shell Suit society". This society is mostly seen in Finland and the members are around 30-50 years old. They have a habit of complaining if they see something they don't like(someone smoking near them for example). If someone lives or has been to Finland, probably knows what I mean. Finnish people have to worst sense of fashion ever...

Yup, Lawyers usually draw such complaints.

 

[TrenchGuy]

With lawyers drawing complaints do you mean the complaints about smoking or the dumb comments? I'm confused...

Today I encountered a couple members of the Shell Suit Society. Father, mother and son all dressed in tracksuits...
And where were we at the time? In the middle of a mall, where you should have more sense of style than dressing in a tracksuit to go shopping...
I didn't get any stupid comments, but I almost felt like saying "Hey, there's no gym at the mall" but I kept it to myself like a gentleman.

 

[John in Covina]

In general people complain about lawyers.

 

[John in Covina]

Today I encountered a couple members of the Shell Suit Society. Father, mother and son all dressed in tracksuits. And where were we at the time? In the middle of a mall, where you should have more sense of style than dressing in a tracksuit to go shopping. I didn't get any stupid comments, but I almost felt like saying "Hey, there's no gym at the mall" but I kept it to myself like a gentleman.

******************
This phenomenon has been around for a long time in the US and certain segments of society have grab it and made it the daily wear. People are lazy and in reality don't actually want to have to get dressed to go outside. As a result the concept is to look for the easiest form of clothes to wear and still be dressed as opposed to in your underwear.

Track suits and sweats fit the bill quite well. Pants are easy to put on and off some you can do that with your track shoes already on, talk about convenience. The jacket portion has a zipper so it's quick and easy. They are available in various weights for different weather and since they're a co-ordinated set they have a sense of regulated fashion so you don't have to make decisions. They give a sense of uniformity to the wearers as well as a sense that they're "excercising" at all times and living a clean life style.

In the US you can go and buy big name designer ones, brand name ones and novelty types with sexy exclamations across the butt incase no one realizes how sexy you are in the track suit or sweats.

I can't remember when it was but track suits and similar sweat suits got a recomendation as the best clothes for airline travel. Since then they have become for certain parts of society daily wear for any event under semi-formal. It's also related to the "I go out shopping in pajama bottoms and slippers" set. I see this mostly in teens to twenty somethings girls who think it's "cute."

 

[handlebar bart]

This thread seems to be veering offtopic as some of you are now judging complete strangers based solely on one outfit you saw them wear on just one day of their lives. Does it not seem odd to make such rash judgements about strangers and then share it here as though their attire has offended. Here's a possibility since we love making assumptions about strangers. Maybe their house burnt to the ground along with all their belongings and the track suits were donated to them til they could get insurance money to buy new clothes at the mall, or maybe they just like the look like I like the look of fedoras.