Stare Down

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I find that flashing my cheesiest, most obnoxiously cheerful grin followed by a loud, hearty "HI THERE!" and a friendly wave is a very effective way to deal with this. It makes hostile people uncomfortable, but the nicer folks will just say "hi" back.

I do that ALL the time. XD

Offhand, you'd think older people would know better, but when you think about the environment they grew up in, when it was still Okay to be discriminate, prejudice, and socially punish those who are different...

This generation, fortunately, has teethed on the concept of Acceptance. So... no. I don't think you will be that rude when you're 80, and I don't think the rest of us will be, either.

Unless they are already like that.

[blas]

I don't think there are really any age boundaries....ignorance rolls downhill, just like shit. People teach their children that different people are "weird" and "unacceptable" and their children adapt that same need to glare and stare.

[seigus]

I was living in a moderately sized town in central Texas, and was, well, not like most everyone else. Ungodly long hair, bearded, pierced ear when it was uncommon even in large cities. Some friends of mine and I went into a diner to eat, and the ENTIRE PLACE, dozens of people, turned and unabashedly stared, open mouthed, the WHOLE TIME we were there. Many dinners were not touched until they turned cold, I'm sure. Amusing, if you're a young rebellious Texan with a chip on your shoulder. Still laugh when I think of it.

[Rapscallion]

I find that flashing my

I read as far as that and my brain melted.

Rapscallion

[Kitten in the box]

This happened a few weeks ago.

A friend and I decided to go do some shopping and have lunch. Since we're very poor college student we went to Hardee's to eat. We're both in our usual goth wear as my mom calls it me more so since I had fallen asleep in my jewelry the night before. We put in our orders, pay, and find a booth to sit in. When I was walking towards the both I noticed an older couple sitting behind and catercorner to the booth we usually sit at. As I'm walking, the man looks up from his food and gives me one of those looks. You know the "wtf are you going to pull you little punk" type. I ignore this. I've gotten these looks for years now they don't phase me.

My friend and I sit down and wait for our food. We chit chat a bit and then dig in when the food comes. After a bit I realize that the old man every once in awhile looks my way and glares at me. He'd do this almost every time I took a bite of my burger. I found it rather rude and said so to my friend. I wanted to do something immature and bitchy like blow him a kiss, but it would have been kind of hard to do that with a full mouth. Plus my friend wouldn't have been too happy if I got ABC food on her.

I'm just curious if I'll be able to be that rude in public when I get to that age.

I would have asked him if he wanted some of your lunch being as he kept glaring at you...and if he said no then I would have said "Good then quit staring at me...its annoying, rude, and pissing me off.

[Golden Phoenix]

My hair is This shade of purple I get stared at a lot ^^ especially by kids.

I find it fun, however the sucky turn-and-glare would just make me a) paranoid and b) mad.

I think cos of my hair, tattoos and piercings i may scare some of the little-old-lady types, but i'll talk with anyone and they quickly realise i'm actually rather nice. I like to think i'm breaking up the stereotypes. heh.

[RedRoseSpiral]

My hair is This shade of purple I get stared at a lot ^^ especially by kids.

I find it fun, however the sucky turn-and-glare would just make me a) paranoid and b) mad.

I think cos of my hair, tattoos and piercings i may scare some of the little-old-lady types, but i'll talk with anyone and they quickly realise i'm actually rather nice. I like to think i'm breaking up the stereotypes. heh.

Are you my long lost twin or something? I've had my hair that color, got the tats and piercings, and for the most part try to break the stereotypes. I always find it funny when I get looks for holding doors open for people.

[Golden Phoenix]

Yay! I has a twin! ^_^

It's great to break stereotypes, it's fun to see people wrapping their heads round the concept.

[RootedPhoenix]

There was a girl I once went to same school with who had purple hair. It had shading such that had I not known that human hair doesn't come in purple, I'd have nearly thought it just grew that way. It was very awesome.

I often think of coloring my hair, but I always back down because I don't know where to find non permanent dyes in unnatural shades. (I don't want to be stuck with any shade for more than a couple shampoos, you see.)

It's one thing to be all "wow, how'd they DO that?" but the guy in the OP was exceptionally rude.

[Sableonblonde]

I used to dress very strangely when I was a teenager...I was obsessed with Stevie Nicks and tried to duplicate her style, but failed remarkably since I had no money and therefore my only avenue for clothes shopping were thrift stores. At fourteen (in the mid-90's) I used to go around in these long eighties-style evening dresses with sequins and puffs of chiffon. I must have looked like something was missing upstairs.

Nowadays, if I see someone who is obviously trying to grab attention or create shock with the way they're dressed or styled, I go out of my way to pay them absolutely no attention.

[Skrae]

This actually reminds me of a few times I've gone out. The first time, I was on my way out, and our new dog escaped because my friend left the door open (I'm still a bit miffed about that) and I'm running around the neighborhood calling her name, still dressed in full garb because I thought this was more important, asking anybody if they've seen her, and then there's the jackass who said to me in the asshat manner, "Halloween's in 8 months you freak!" Despite the fact I was obviously distraught, and was screaming the dog's name till my voice was hoarse.

Then there's the time, and I can understand this one alot more just because of how I was dressed, I was a few days away from my first LARP and my roommate and I decided to wear our costumes around town in order to get used to moving around in them. He plays a pinkie who looks like he should be in SWAT, and I play a Mystic Wood Elf, so we've got a SWAT man with medieval looking armor and an elf with horns and a somewhat tribal looking armor piece and long "robe" (my form fitting trench). Walking into a store and a man and woman come out on our way in, woman just gets the look, man says "Oh Jesus fucking Christ," loud enough to hear from 6 feet away.

I understand the shock, but he didn't have to be that rude that close to us.

[Misanthropical]

I dress very conservatively and my hair is my normal color and not done in any weird way. Anyway, my husband and I were at the local grocery store, checking out when this old couple got in line behind us.

They were both scowling while staring at me. They didn't even notice my husband was glaring at them, that is how much they were staring at me. They never said a word to me or each other, they just rudely stared at me.

I have no idea why, since like I said, there was nothing weird about me. I now regret not asking them what the hell their problem was.

[Jackofalltrades]

I remember something along these lines happening to me and those around me. My girlfriend, three of her friends from out of town, and myself decided to celebrate a birthday by going to a really nice restaurant that is fairly low-key when it comes to dress (Ranging from suits, to t-shirt and running shorts). We all show up, and everyone but my girlfriend has multiple facial piercings (she is afraid of needles). The whole time we were there, nearly everyone around us was staring at us. Our attire ranged from low-key all black(gf) to heavy goth-pants and band shirts(friends). It also didn't help that there were 5 of us and we had to be seated in the middle of the restaurant.

So long story shorter, the bill comes and without even looking at it, I hand my card to the waitress and tell her that it is covered. She seems completely blown away that we weren't counting change on the table and that I am covering a $100+ bill myself. She smiles, and that was that. We gave her a huge tip for great service and left to the sight of gaping mouths and goofy stares.

Newbury St. Boston is fun

[Nyoibo]

I get that on occasion, I dress daggy most of the time, have dyed red hair that's half grown out, which gives an interesting look, and I have a beaded lock of hair at my left temple that is copper wrapped at the end with a brass ring in it. People always seem surprised that I can pay for things, I've even been asked "Can you afford that?", to which my response is "Well given I haven't had a bank balance ever under four figures in over 4 years, I think so".

My favorite thing is to go into the Swarovski store in town dressed all daggy and having the manager there come over to me in preference to people in suits and such and see the dirty looks I get from the other customers, I once heard a customer ask why I'm so special and heard one of the sales people tell them "He buys several pieces a year for his mother, one on mothers day, one for christmas and one for her birthday" and the response, which I'll never forget "How the hell does HE afford that?"

[GingerBiscuit]

There was a girl I once went to same school with who had purple hair. It had shading such that had I not known that human hair doesn't come in purple, I'd have nearly thought it just grew that way. It was very awesome.

I often think of coloring my hair, but I always back down because I don't know where to find non permanent dyes in unnatural shades. (I don't want to be stuck with any shade for more than a couple shampoos, you see.)

It's one thing to be all "wow, how'd they DO that?" but the guy in the OP was exceptionally rude.

Try searching for LaRiche hair colours.
Or SFX.