Do people give you weird looks in public?

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Replies

  • Gearjammer71
    Gearjammer71 Posts: 151 Member
    I'm sure I do, but I don't pay enough attention to anyone to notice. Unless they are approaching me, I just keep moving.
  • creech6317
    creech6317 Posts: 869 Member
    My husband and I attend a lot of Ren faires/reenactments, so it's not uncommon for either of us to get odd looks and/or outright staring when seen in our garb outside of an event. I find it rather amusing, actually. Last summer, I was in the ladies' room at a rest stop on the interstate, dressed in full pirate regalia, when a little girl (3, maybe 4 years old?) turned to her mother and said "Mommy - is that lady a princess?" The mother looked me up and down, and replied "No honey, she's just... weird." (said with a smirk)

    I turned to the little girl, and told her "I'm not a princess, I'm a pirate. And your mommy? Well, she's just an old lady with no imagination who has forgotten how to play make-believe. Remember that growing up doesn't mean that you're not allowed to have any fun." I then handed her a string of beads from my belt pouch, stuck my tongue out at her mother, then strolled out. :laugh:

    And in my opinion, being a pirate is WAY better than being a princess. :drinker: :flowerforyou: :drinker:
  • msaprilm1
    msaprilm1 Posts: 47
    My spouse and I are tall people (I'm 5'10, he is 6'4)unless we move to the land of giants we will probably never blend in and I am cool with that, be unique and let your your freak flag fly I say!
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    I totally get weird looks, because I am kind of massive. It's not like it's easy to miss me, and apparently some of these people have never seen a fat chick before.

    7396232.png
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    My spouse and I are tall people (I'm 5'10, he is 6'4)unless we move to the land of giants we will probably never blend in and I am cool with that, be unique and let your your freak flag fly I say!

    This made me think of my aunt and uncle. She's 5'1" and he was 6'5". That got a few glances. :laugh:
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Sometimes when I'm dressed in my motorcycle gear. I think most people are just thinking "I wish" ;)

    But this thread has given me the compulsion to profile creep. LOL!
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    I always get strange looks and even more so I get approached by random people that want to talk to me about things I really don't care about...

    Very odd.
  • Cindy873
    Cindy873 Posts: 1,165
    I tend to avoid eye contact, so I have no idea if I'm getting weird looks. I probably am.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    I always get strange looks and even more so I get approached by random people that want to talk to me about things I really don't care about...

    Very odd.

    OK seriously I thought it was just me! Strangers seem to like to talk to me. I have no idea why.

    7396232.png
  • KokowithaK
    KokowithaK Posts: 88 Member
    My daughter has a lot of tats, and used to dye her hair crayon colors. She'd complain when we were out about people staring. I'd just tell her "If you weren't looking at them, you wouldn't know they were looking at you."

    When she would mention some outlandish outfit an old person was wearing, I'd just say 'Remember that when you complain about people staring at you."

    Everyone is weird to someone else.

    This right here. It's easy to feel like others are staring, but we're not all innocent either. I get stared at because I'm a heavily tattooed minority in an otherwise all-white community. People are attracted to looking at things they aren't used to. It's not necessarily a negative thing all of the time; I enjoy it when people have the courage to come up to me and ask me questions about the art I have on my body. They're genuinely interested and leave with a good impression of me. I think it's important that if you do excessive body art, you still act like a good person because we have enough bad stereotyping. Changing those perceptions is important.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I always get strange looks and even more so I get approached by random people that want to talk to me about things I really don't care about...

    Very odd.

    OK seriously I thought it was just me! Strangers seem to like to talk to me. I have no idea why.

    7396232.png

    From your picture, you look like a very warm and approachable person.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Well, when I was 16 and doing my best imitation of Quasimodo at Notre dame in Paris you bet I got some very strange looks, and I'm sure the first time I wore running tights in public I frightened a few people.........:laugh: :laugh:
  • tjsoccermom
    tjsoccermom Posts: 500 Member
    So let me get this right, you've gone out of your way to make yourself look different and then you don't like it when people look at you because you do look different? I'm not sure what else you expect to have happen.
  • zytah
    zytah Posts: 153
    So let me get this right, you've gone out of your way to make yourself look different and then you don't like it when people look at you because you do look different? I'm not sure what else you expect to have happen.

    to be treated like a "normal" human being and not stared at like they are a freak of nature?
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
    My husband and I attend a lot of Ren faires/reenactments, so it's not uncommon for either of us to get odd looks and/or outright staring when seen in our garb outside of an event. I find it rather amusing, actually. Last summer, I was in the ladies' room at a rest stop on the interstate, dressed in full pirate regalia, when a little girl (3, maybe 4 years old?) turned to her mother and said "Mommy - is that lady a princess?" The mother looked me up and down, and replied "No honey, she's just... weird." (said with a smirk)

    I turned to the little girl, and told her "I'm not a princess, I'm a pirate. And your mommy? Well, she's just an old lady with no imagination who has forgotten how to play make-believe. Remember that growing up doesn't mean that you're not allowed to have any fun." I then handed her a string of beads from my belt pouch, stuck my tongue out at her mother, then strolled out. :laugh:



    I hope you never talk to my kid that way. Telling a toddler their mom is just an old lady? Wow. You are soooo cool, especially when you stuck your tongue out at the woman. I guess she wasn't too off base.
  • blt0087
    blt0087 Posts: 115
    I deal with this on a daily basis. I have tattoos on my arms and wrists, a few facial piercings and work in retail in a city where 60% of the population is senior citizens (that may not be accurate, but it sure as hell seems so). So I'm constantly getting judgemental looks. I just brush it off, kill em with kindness, and try to show them that just because people have tattoos, they're not about to go out and Rob a bank or murder a bunch of kids. Sometimes it bothers me, but hey..haters gon' hate lol
  • gogoyubarino
    gogoyubarino Posts: 104 Member
    No, people don't give me strange looks and that is the intention. I look average so that I don't have to commit random acts of kindness in order to create a contrast to some strange quirk in my appearance. Sounds like too much work.
  • sirduckbutt
    sirduckbutt Posts: 23 Member
    Yeah, they do. Usually it's because, people can't figure out, if I'm a girl or a boy, haha :D
  • splashtree1
    splashtree1 Posts: 27
    when my eyes simply look the empty but i have a cold staring at and people misunderstand and they get worry and people look at me like....i 'm angry..or ...something like that
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    slcpunkliquorstorescene_zps84705e88.jpg

    Remember the liquor store scene from SLC punk?
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    I was at the store yesterday with my 5 year old daughter. An obese woman walked past and my daughter stared at her the whole time. I was just about to talk to her about it not being polite to stare (figuring she was staring at the woman's weight) when she said, "Momma, isn't her shirt beautiful?". I was so proud.

    I used to get a lot of glares and long looks because I used to look differently. Not so much anymore unless I'm drinking, then I'm rather loud and sometimes inappropriate.
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    My husband and I attend a lot of Ren faires/reenactments, so it's not uncommon for either of us to get odd looks and/or outright staring when seen in our garb outside of an event. I find it rather amusing, actually. Last summer, I was in the ladies' room at a rest stop on the interstate, dressed in full pirate regalia, when a little girl (3, maybe 4 years old?) turned to her mother and said "Mommy - is that lady a princess?" The mother looked me up and down, and replied "No honey, she's just... weird." (said with a smirk)

    I turned to the little girl, and told her "I'm not a princess, I'm a pirate. And your mommy? Well, she's just an old lady with no imagination who has forgotten how to play make-believe. Remember that growing up doesn't mean that you're not allowed to have any fun." I then handed her a string of beads from my belt pouch, stuck my tongue out at her mother, then strolled out. :laugh:



    I hope you never talk to my kid that way. Telling a toddler their mom is just an old lady? Wow. You are soooo cool, especially when you stuck your tongue out at the woman. I guess she wasn't too off base.

    If I overheard you telling your child (and last time I checked, 3/4 years old was beyond the "toddler" stage) that it was OK to call people who look or act differently than you do "weird," you can bet I'd say something to you. What you didn't hear was the playful tone in which I spoke, nor did you hear the mother's rather rueful laugh as I walked away. *She* understood in a way that you clearly did not.

    Wouldn't this world be a much better place if people could just ACCEPT that others are (and CAN be) different instead of judging them on appearance alone? People complain on this very website about it all the time, don't they?

    And for the record? I am NOT "cool."

    I'm frakking AWESOME.
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    I am also guilty of staring sometimes but only because I am looking at all the tattoos or trying to read one. Then I get lost in thoughts about what that tattoo means to that person and sometimes my "thinking face" looks like a scowl.

    So, I would say, unless a person makes a direct, nasty comment to you or about you, don't assume they are staring because of negative thoughts.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    Oh for goodness sake. This thread is unreal. Heaven forbid anyone should look at us. Pierced, crazy hair, tattoos, weird skin growths, obese, extremely skinny, or just straight up ugly....we have all seen it all or been/had all of the things listed. No one cares! Yes you may get a strange look or what you perceive to be strange look but people move on and don't think twice about you and your own perceived weirdness.... But alas we always think people minds revolve around our existence, appearance, presence, everything is about SELF.
    Get over yourselves.

    Get over ourselves? For what? Having a discussion?
    This thread seemed to get to you a little bit there.
    Then again, it's only inevitable that someone comes in to ruin everyone elses fun.
    You're "that" person at parties, aren't you?

    Come on, you dress and look that way to get stared at! You like it, so be honest.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    slcpunkliquorstorescene_zps84705e88.jpg

    Remember the liquor store scene from SLC punk?

    Awesome.
  • KokowithaK
    KokowithaK Posts: 88 Member
    Oh for goodness sake. This thread is unreal. Heaven forbid anyone should look at us. Pierced, crazy hair, tattoos, weird skin growths, obese, extremely skinny, or just straight up ugly....we have all seen it all or been/had all of the things listed. No one cares! Yes you may get a strange look or what you perceive to be strange look but people move on and don't think twice about you and your own perceived weirdness.... But alas we always think people minds revolve around our existence, appearance, presence, everything is about SELF.
    Get over yourselves.

    Get over ourselves? For what? Having a discussion?
    This thread seemed to get to you a little bit there.
    Then again, it's only inevitable that someone comes in to ruin everyone elses fun.
    You're "that" person at parties, aren't you?

    Come on, you dress and look that way to get stared at! You like it, so be honest.

    I personally don't mind or care what others think. But it's such a commonality for me. However, I didn't get tattooed solely to impress the likes of the public. I'm an artist myself so I just enjoy having it on me. Not sure if you think everyone who is 'different' does it for attention, but perhaps you shouldn't judge and make assumptions.
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    Just an observation...


    A lot of senior citizen bashing going on. What's that about?
  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
    Oh for goodness sake. This thread is unreal. Heaven forbid anyone should look at us. Pierced, crazy hair, tattoos, weird skin growths, obese, extremely skinny, or just straight up ugly....we have all seen it all or been/had all of the things listed. No one cares! Yes you may get a strange look or what you perceive to be strange look but people move on and don't think twice about you and your own perceived weirdness.... But alas we always think people minds revolve around our existence, appearance, presence, everything is about SELF.
    Get over yourselves.

    Get over ourselves? For what? Having a discussion?
    This thread seemed to get to you a little bit there.
    Then again, it's only inevitable that someone comes in to ruin everyone elses fun.
    You're "that" person at parties, aren't you?

    Come on, you dress and look that way to get stared at! You like it, so be honest.

    Just as you write comments to get a reaction?
  • Julip89
    Julip89 Posts: 25
    I get funny looks all the time, most of them dissaproving or disgusted. Whatever, they wish they had my butt.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    Depends on what I am wearing, I look quite conservative (back to a naturalish hair colour at the mo!) and I don't have visible piercings any more, but I have quite a lot of tattoos. People who don't know how many I have are very like "oooo I didn't think you were that sort of girl"...... Really? Now we should be getting better weather I don't look forward to the grabbing and questions! But I love my tattoos :laugh:

    Sounds like me - I have one small piercing but my tattoos are hidden and people still get shocked when summer comes and they notice i have tatts.

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