I go to the zoo for the benches and paintings, you?

[SpaceCore]

I normally never witness SC's in the wild even when I'm trying but I guess a zoo/amusement park would bring them out.

There is no escape!
The zoo was packed. You know, it's summertime.
So the lot was full, and they had staff directing cars to parallel park along the road that lead to the entrance. It meant you had a bit of a walk, maybe 5 minutes to get to the ticket booth. We've got no problem with this so we're getting out of the car and getting out stuff ready while a family of four two cars behind us is doing the same, and Loud Mom (LM) has a problem...

LM: THIS IS TERRIBLE! There's no way any of us are going to be able to get out of here!
*silence*
LM: THE CARS ARE TOO CLOSE! We won't be able to get out!
*silence* At this point we take a look, we have a good foot or two in front of our car, and a very generous four feet or so behind us, so we're cool and start walking up the road. LM still has an issue.
LM: THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM!

LM was ignored by us, the car behind us, the car behind her, the staff who were directing the ever expanding line of car, and oh yeah, her family.
I guess she just gave up, because the family speed-walks past us up to the entrance. Kinda sucky that the staff didn't say anything to her, but really lady, tires can turn you know. Not a single car we saw on that road would have any trouble getting out, especially when you consider the odds of the cars around you leaving before you.

Missing the point
Why do you go to a zoo?
"Oh look! A painting!"
There's a Plush-crested Jay next to that painting, they're very pretty too.
"Honey, let me get a picture of you on the bench!"
That very normal bench is facing some lovely swans.

That's a...
- The Pot-Bellied Pigs at the zoo were very young and small. I have no idea what convinced you to tell your daughter that they were Wild Boars!
- Then there's a lady inside the deer feeding area who points something out for her kids. "Oh, look at those goats resting in the shade, they got the right idea!"

[Fleur]

my family and i went to Greenfield Village near Detroit the other day. as we were exiting one of the really old houses (from like 1750 or something), i held the door for a woman and her kid on the way on. as the door shut, i heard the lady say to her kid, "oh look! that's where Harry Potter lived!"

cue WTF look from me and my sister, both fans of the series.

there wasn't even a cupboard under the stairs; i have no idea what she was talking about.

[Mr Hero]

So does this mean it was sheep and deer that was taught in the Bible? All this time I could have sworn they were goats.

[LillFilly]

I heard a guy at a zoo christmas exhibit tell his girlfriend that the reindeer were really elk because reindeer weren't real and were made-up for the Santa story. I told them the truth, and I think I might have caused a break-up.

[Frantic Freddie]

Watching an episode of "Cash Cab" once & the couple got to the Video Bonus question & Ben showed a pic of a bighorn sheep.

The couple said it was an elk

[Squeaksmyalias]

That's a...
- The Pot-Bellied Pigs at the zoo were very young and small. I have no idea what convinced you to tell your daughter that they were Wild Boars!
- Then there's a lady inside the deer feeding area who points something out for her kids. "Oh, look at those goats resting in the shade, they got the right idea!"

As a person who spent from freshman year of high school and all of college in many many animal science classes I will fully admit to wincing when I hear people like that and sometimes correcting them, of course they never believe me. I once had a high school student point to a horse and ask if it was a cow, he wasn't joking, he was completely and utterly serious. Right now my neighbor is completely convinced that the woodchuck that lives between our yards is a Fisher, now we DO have a fisher that passes into the area every month or two, but no matter how many pictures I show, she is absolutely convinced the friendly woodchuck is 11lbs of growling snarling dangerous Fisher. Of course in her mind our Fisher (the woodchuck) is friendly and doesn't listen when I say the real Fisher is back, keep your dog in at night. *sigh*

[Elspeth]

what is it about zoos that bring out the stupid in people? Hubby and I went to the zoo and we were by the owls and hawks exhibit. They have them out on their stands, you know tied to them, and this someone in the family next to us says "I wonder how they get them to stand next to their signs" We looked at each in shock, trying not to laugh. And of course I call my mom to tell her when we were out of earshot of the family.

[ApolloSZ]

I once had a high school student point to a horse and ask if it was a cow, he wasn't joking, he was completely and udderly serious.

Fixed that for you.

Also... by Fisher do you mean a Kingfisher? Or something else. Cos I don't see how you could confuse a BIRD with a woodchuck.

Also also... How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.?


Space core - Didn't you realise, the "Bench" or, "Gluteus Locus", is a rare and wonderous creature, if you manage to sit on it you will be bestowed with.... Nothing really. Its a friggin bench!

[Solumina]

A fisher is along the lines of a weasel, they have been know to attack people and pets when cornered but as far as unprovoked attacks they are rare, though they can be really serious. The things eat porcupines as a rather significant part of their diet so they are certainly a formidable foe, even though they aren't terribly large.



One of my friends works over at Colonial Williamsburg, where they have some really interesting farm animals, the breeds are true to what you would have found in area during the 1700's. A lot of people are very interested in seeing the animals but most of them are off to the side so frequently people have to ask directions and they don't always know what they are asking for. My poor friend had to try to help a woman find the "fuzzy pigs", some of their hogs are a bit hairy so she assumed that was what the lady meant and gave the woman directions. This upset the woman as she had already been there and "those things are all dirty and gross, I want the cute, fuzzy pigs!" After some questions and a moment of inspiration she was able to figure out that the lady was talking about sheep.

[MoonCat]

Not zoo animals, but....

One of the aides who sat with my grandma years ago thought that mice grew up to be rats.

[Squeaksmyalias]

Also... by Fisher do you mean a Kingfisher? Or something else. Cos I don't see how you could confuse a BIRD with a woodchuck.

They are also called fisher cats, pekan, pequam, and wejack, It's a North American weasel of doom, really neat creature that sounds like a zombie baby which scares the heck out of me when it's outside my house at night.

[dragon_wings]

Not zoo animals, but....

One of the aides who sat with my grandma years ago thought that mice grew up to be rats.

Dude. One if my creepy customers believes this. When he told me this and insisted on it I was cause .

[zombiequeen]

My husband used to think that the terms pony, foal, colt, and filly were all interchangeable. Horse-lover me had to correct him. Poor thing just points and goes "HORSY" now so I won't correct him anymore.

[RetailWorkhorse]

- Then there's a lady inside the deer feeding area who points something out for her kids. "Oh, look at those goats resting in the shade, they got the right idea!"

Swear to Dog, this happened to me... er, to EQ.

The family unit and I (Mum, Dad, and EQ) were down in Helen GA for a day trip since they're doing the whole German Town schtick (fabulous place, really) and we're all walking down the sidewalk enjoying the sights and the on-going music from the bands. EQ's walking next to this beauty of a Clydesdale that's pulling a cart and here comes some tourists....

Dumb-Dad: (Points to the horse for his small daughter) Look, honey, a cow!

Horse looks over at EQ like he'd been called that before and EQ says: I know, don't worry about it. They're just stupid. You're not a cow, you're lovely.

I died laughing.

[dalesys]

Dumb-Dad: (Points to the horse for his small daughter) Look, honey, a cow!

Well, he knew a horse was supposed to look like a embiggend pony, you were next to it, it didn't, so it must be a cow.