Scary? No, more comical actually

[Kiwi]

We have a group of guys who shop at our store often enough the staff are aware of them. It's a group of three who look like they could be cast in the Jersey Shore (not that common in Vancouver).

They are all bulked up gorillas, slicked back hair, diamond earrings (or CZ most likely) orange tan, covered head to toe in ed hardy and covered in tattoos and waxed eyebrows. They buy everything in cash and have large wads of it and make this huge deal about counting it out and flashing it around.

I hadn't ever had to ring them out before but yesterday they came in to buy a bedset for the lead gorilla and all of the staff came up to the front of the store to "support me" because they for some reason think these guys are dangerous. The staff all became "busy" at the front of the store but kept shooting me looks and mouthing "are you okay", I was fine.

In fact I was trying so hard not to bust up laughing. This mr macho man was not only carrying a LV man bag (read purse) he looked like an over inflated oompah loompah and he was buying this paris/london/rome bedset we have for sale with 25 pillows for the bed, all decorative pillows, you won't even be able to see the bed under the damn pillows!

The entire time I am ringing this guy out the other two are intimidating the staff, getting really close to the females, leaning right close to them to pick up a product, yelling back and forth about these "hot chicks" they were all banging last weekend and all the action they got just generally being nasty and crude.

The guy who was paying made this big deal about counting out $700 in twenties and was like "impressed?" to me and I smiled and pretended to be confused and said "oh at what, the duvet cover, yes it's nice isn't it"

after they left the manager and a couple other staff came up and checked I was okay and told me how scary they thought the guys were and I told them to go home and google the Jersey Shore, they weren't gangsters they were guidos about the worst thing they could do is fist pump if techno came on the radio

[Seraph]

Quoth Kiwi

they were guidos about the worst thing they could do is fist pump if techno came on the radio

I just about died laughing at this. Its so TRUE.

The louder someone acts, the more I know they're probably just about harmless. Its the quiet ones you have to worry about!

[PepperElf]

Quoth Seraph

I just about died laughing at this. Its so TRUE.

The louder someone acts, the more I know they're probably just about harmless. Its the quiet ones you have to worry about!

Anyone else thinking of the original Harold & Kumar movie? Where the "extreme" kids turn out to be closet soft-rock fans?

Quoth Slave to the Phone

I ride a Harley. My friends are bikers. When we are out on the bikes, we wear jeans and leathers and chain our stuff to our bodies. We don't do this to intimidate people, we do it because its the most practicle way to dress.

It always amazes me when we go into a store to get water and snacks and the clerks look frightened. We are always polite and everything.

Like the original idea for Happy Days - iirc they didn't want The Fonz wearing the leather jacket because of the 'rough' look - but he won the argument for it, pointing out that it's promoting motorcycle safety.

[Catwoman2965]

"over inflated Oompa Loompa" you just made me laugh out loud at work.

Yeah, they are harmless. More brawn than brain. I know. I'm from Jersey. And while MOST of us are NOT like the cast of Jersey Shore, sadly, there are enough who are....

[LillFilly]

At my last mall I was always getting complaints from concerned busy bodies about these 'dangerous persons.' My area had a large population of goths. Every day it would be "Security! There's a man in a black trench coat by the food court!" And I'd ask what was the problem, what was he doing, etc. They'd say "Well he's wearing BLACK TRENCHCOAT and looks suspicious." So this guy wasn't doing anything expect wearing a trench or looking punk or goth which as we all know means you're going to start shooting schoolchildren or something. I'd wander over and it usually ended-up being a friend of mine and I'd say "hey Steve, got another complaint about you!" And he'd be like "Hee, I scared someone again huh?" My old supervisor even asked me to talk to my friends and get them to 'dress normal' to which I said no, it's their right to dress however they want as long as doesn't violate any of our rules. Can you believe in 2-years NEVER did we kick-out a goth or punk (the ones always labeled as troublemakers) it was always the cute preppy kids in their gap and abercrombie and fitch shoplifting underwear from Debs and the like. You can never judge.

Now I keep thinking of inflatable oompa loompas....

[Mytical]

People who think they are intimidating are comical, or most of them are at least. The others respond to the 'stare' with very comical results. Especially when they are screaming and yelling at you..right in your face. A good yawn really throws them for a loop *laughs*. What..I wouldn't know this from first hand or anything

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Quoth LillFilly

At my last mall I was always getting complaints from concerned busy bodies about these 'dangerous persons.' My area had a large population of goths. Every day it would be "Security! There's a man in a black trench coat by the food court!" And I'd ask what was the problem, what was he doing, etc. They'd say "Well he's wearing BLACK TRENCHCOAT and looks suspicious." So this guy wasn't doing anything expect wearing a trench or looking punk or goth which as we all know means you're going to start shooting schoolchildren or something. I'd wander over and it usually ended-up being a friend of mine and I'd say "hey Steve, got another complaint about you!" And he'd be like "Hee, I scared someone again huh?" My old supervisor even asked me to talk to my friends and get them to 'dress normal' to which I said no, it's their right to dress however they want as long as doesn't violate any of our rules. Can you believe in 2-years NEVER did we kick-out a goth or punk (the ones always labeled as troublemakers) it was always the cute preppy kids in their gap and abercrombie and fitch shoplifting underwear from Debs and the like. You can never judge.

Now I keep thinking of inflatable oompa loompas....

I certainly CAN believe that, and I believe that sort of thing happens all the time. Less so in the UK, sorry to say it, but my own experiences prove to myself at least that the UK is generally more open-minded to the alternative subcultures than some parts of the US...goths have never been associated with school-killings over here.

The truth is, as you pointed out, Goths are more likely to be the quiet kids, and the adults as well. A group of goths on the Londong Tube on NYE were much better behaved than a bunch of "normies" bouncing off the bloody train! (And people think Goths have a death wish :P ).

I generally find I get a lot more disturbed or frightened looks when in goth garb in the states than I do at home. I react to it much the same way as I do at home (either indifference or amusement lol) but in the UK I don't believe I've ever had parents pull their children away from me...has happened in the states though lol.

(The sad thing is, unlike the guidos who do like to act obnoxious even if they are harmless, goths generally are kinda shy and quiet...with some exceptions, we're also very polite and friendly!)

[blas]

Weirdly enough, if I see a person in a trenchcoat, I think they are naked under it. Not a terrorist or someone who is going to actually physically harm anyone. Mentally, maybe.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Quoth blas

Weirdly enough, if I see a person in a trenchcoat, I think they are naked under it. Not a terrorist or someone who is going to actually physically harm anyone. Mentally, maybe.

Or give someone a laugh at their lack of "abundance."

[Mamochan]

They are just peacocks. flashing their looks around to make them look alot more scary then they are ^^;