Ever gotten verbal abuse off random kids/strangers because of RC?

[78Triumph 2610]

These stories are why I'm slowly becoming more of a hermit as I get older. 

[markbt73 5310]

1 hour ago, Juggular said:

Maybe they are insecure because they belong to a secret boys knitting club?  Not that I'm judging, mind you!  

But, I'll choose Tamiya Club every time.  

 

The first rule of Knit Club is that you do not talk about Knit Club.

[speedy_w_beans 4272]

I don't think I've ever had a negative comment or judgment from others, but there is definitely a wide swath of people with whom this hobby does not register.  I've learned over time to present the hobby as "detailed scale vehicle building" instead of "driving toy cars."  People seem able to imagine sitting at a desk assembling something (much like a stamp collection or butterfly collection), but the notion of driving a "toy" makes it seem childish.

By my estimates I'm over half way to the grave; there's not enough time left to really care what others think.

[markbt73 5310]

Yeah, I've gotten the condescending "isn't that cute" pat on the head reaction before too. It usually goes away as soon as you let them drive your "toy car."

[Saito2 6673]

49 minutes ago, 78Triumph said:

These stories are why I'm slowly becoming more of a hermit as I get older.

Same here. I've always been massively introverted and aging has only increased this for me. I need my wife and my child in life and no one else. You guys (and gals) on this forum literally supply all the outside socialization I require. Now, that might be different if we all lived near each other as you all seem like you'd make great friends in person as well .  I'll echo some previous sentiments. If I'm running RC with the wife or out with my daughter, then there's no problem. On the very rare occasions I go out by myself (something I really haven't done in years actually), I only run RCs if no one is around. I would seek out empty ball fields. If anyone was around, I'd simply turn the car around and leave. I'm uncomfortable around people and dislike attention, so its easier to just run at home in my case. 

[DK308 219]

4 hours ago, nowinaminute said:

So it seems like bursting my eardrums and going to the gym are my best course of action so far lol!

Don't forget the tattoos, shades, shaved head, and a black shirt with your favourite metal band or the logo of your local MMA club

[WillyChang 1814]

4 hours ago, markbt73 said:

The first rule of Knit Club is that you do not talk about Knit Club.

2nd rule is... don't go picking on herd of nerds with 13" stilettos. 

 

[Kevin_Mc 411]

6 hours ago, nowinaminute said:

I distinctly remember walking through town with friends and all staring at the goths in horror (even though I secretly thought the girls were well foxy in their stockings and makeup etc lol)

Not really adding much to the conversation here but i love goth girls! 😍

[eddieseven 5]

Hi everyone. i have never really had anyone say anything negative that i can recall. honestly, most people that do see my cars  are genuinely intrigued. Piece of advice, if someone asks about your cars, always tell them the top speed and potential speeds of these little guys first thing.  usually helps the conversation. But in my case, for the most part, the rc hobby is a more personal thing to me. i like being alone to build, i like being alone to run them and i guess in general like being alone. haha. so i have not had too many cases were i had to explain why i love toy cars so much

[Juggular 4961]

6 hours ago, 78Triumph said:

These stories are why I'm slowly becoming more of a hermit as I get older. 

 

5 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Same here. I've always been massively introverted and aging has only increased this for me. 

 

Actually, this is one of my fears.  

If left to my own devices, I would shut myself in a room and read cartoony Star Wars novels for years.  I have an uncle who never worked, who never dated. Consequently, he never married, never had kids. He's tall, smart, and decent looking. He's easy going and witty too. He's not gay. He must be about 70 now.  His siblings lent him some money, he invested in stocks. He makes enough to live on. Without human interactions, it's like he put himself in a solitary confinement. Incidentally, a friend of mine is leading a similar life too.  Both of their lives scare me because I could be them.  

I love winter, just so I don't have to see people on the street.  Luckily, my wife couldn't be more extrovert.  Within months of moving to this house, she has been inside of 6 neighboring homes, even to houses in the next street.  It's mentally difficult for me to know several families and even some of their in-laws.  We didn't lock the door properly a few weeks after we moved in, and a neighbor left a freshly baked cake in our kitchen.  That was different.  But I think getting to know the neighbors was a positive thing.  We ask neighbors to watch our house when we are on vacation. We often pick up their mails while they are gone too.  We still have some cookies our neighbor lady baked last week.  We got her some cheesecake from Pennsylvania Dutch market.  These small interactions, even bad ones, make us more human.    

I could play computer games, build static models and I could spend my time sketching.  None of them gets me out of my room.  RC gets me out occasionally.  Though it is very uncomfortable interacting with people, I think I will withdraw only as a courtesy, not to seek my own solitary comfort.  Having seen 2 hermits, I don't want to be a hermit.  

Running RC may involve being chased by dogs, running over their poo-poos, encountering rude kids. Sometimes we meet great people too.  It all comes with living a life.  We love RC.  We know the joy of building stuff with our hands.  It takes days and weeks to build one.  In the end, each car becomes a work of art of our own making.  Excuse us for not handing it to some random 3 year old kid.  They may think that we just bought a product, like all the material things in the 21st century.  They didn't see the sweat and even some blood on our fingertips.  That's why we come to Tamiya Club, isn't it?  Because we all understand the love that goes into each car.  I'd say, ignore the haters, and let's live RC.  

 

[Thommo 1217]

10 hours ago, nowinaminute said:

I'm not fit but I'm a big bloke. Long hair, beard kind of guy. 
 

 

So I imagine Hagrid with a Lunchbox.....  you're lucky they didn't expelliarmus the controller out of your hand   

 

[nowinaminute 2815]

1 hour ago, Thommo said:

 

So I imagine Hagrid with a Lunchbox.....  you're lucky they didn't expelliarmus the controller out of your hand   

 

Apparently I look more like Kurt Cobain if he had "decided to live and take comfort in food" 

[nowinaminute 2815]

2 hours ago, Juggular said:

running over their poo-poos

Oh don't get me started on that, so irresponsible. Especially where I live currently, the local footpath goes right past the kids school and it's always like a minefield of dog toffee. Don't these people at least have the morals to not leave it right outside a kids school?

[nowinaminute 2815]

It's comforting to see how many of you are also introverts lol.

I agree, if it wasn't for my two hobbies: RC and photograpy, I would have probably succumb to my social anxiety years ago.

It doesn't matter how good a time I'm having out with friends or family, it's all building up to the glorious moment when I can go back home!

[nowinaminute 2815]

3 hours ago, Kevin_Mc said:

Not really adding much to the conversation here but i love goth girls! 😍

Amen! I definitely made up for the discrimination in my early teens a few years down the line. 😍🤗😘😜

[Saito2 6673]

1 hour ago, nowinaminute said:

Apparently I look more like Kurt Cobain if he had "decided to live and take comfort in food"

lol...and I look like Kurt minus the comfort food part. 143 pounds at the moment, which isn't too intimidating. I'd just like to add that introversion isn't totally a bad thing. The brief version is that some of us derive energy from social interaction and become invigorated by it (extroverts) and some of us are drained by it (introverts). Of course, there are varying degrees of each with other factors like social anxiety thrown in. I, for instance, still need a few people that I'm very close to, in my life. That's enough for me, but I still need that much at least. Others will vary.

[Mad Ax 9285]

I can't recall any bad experiences.  As another introvert I don't actively seek company, so if I'm playing alone I tend to go where it's quiet and if people are already there enjoying the peace I'll go somewhere else.

Sometimes we compete for space with other people - where I do my crawler shakedown runs is also used (illegally) by full-size four-wheelers, mountain bikers, dog walkers and even the local fox hunting dogs are exercised there.  A few times I've been out there when suddenly I'm surrounded by hunting dogs; a smartly-dressed man on a fancy horse calls "Good morning, are you well?"  I don't think there's a place for fox hunting with dogs in the twenty-first century but I'm not about to pick a fight, so I wave back and say hi.  I usually say a cheery hello to anybody else who walks past.  The world would be a better place if we all did that.

I love being an introvert but I've also come to realise that playing with cars alone or in small groups is pretty dull, and with public gatherings, parking problems and out of general politeness almost all the events I go to now are on private land or far enough out in the country that we don't tread on anybody's toes.  Pretty much the only events that take place in public are trail runs, and most solitary dog walkers or groups of teenagers aren't about to pick a fight with twenty-or-so middle aged men, some of whom may or may not be bald, long-haired, bearded, tattooed or wearing MMA club T-shirts.

[nowinaminute 2815]

43 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

I, for instance, still need a few people that I'm very close to, in my life. That's enough for me, but I still need that much at least. Others will vary.

I would say I'm similar to that really. I have a handful of friends and family plus of course my daughter. 

I spend a fair amount of my free time alone but I think I'd go nuts if I didn't intersperse it with some socialising with people I'm comfortable around.

The one thing I never ever liked was being dragged to nightclubs where you're not only obliged to talk to strangers but you have to basically shout over the music *cringe* unfortunately I had a few exes who somehow thought they could "cure" me by coercing or even tricking me into social situations all the time.

[78Triumph 2610]

10 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Same here. I've always been massively introverted and aging has only increased this for me. I need my wife and my child in life and no one else. You guys (and gals) on this forum literally supply all the outside socialization I require. Now, that might be different if we all lived near each other as you all seem like you'd make great friends in person as well .  I'll echo some previous sentiments. If I'm running RC with the wife or out with my daughter, then there's no problem. On the very rare occasions I go out by myself (something I really haven't done in years actually), I only run RCs if no one is around. I would seek out empty ball fields. If anyone was around, I'd simply turn the car around and leave. I'm uncomfortable around people and dislike attention, so its easier to just run at home in my case. 

You sound like my long lost twin or something.  Everything you said is me in a nutshell.

[nowinaminute 2815]

1 hour ago, 78Triumph said:

You sound like my long lost twin or something.  Everything you said is me in a nutshell.

The avoidance of people when out bashing is especially resonant. Although at places like the beach I kind to have to grin and bear it because I love beach runs.

Most other places though I just go elsewhere or do a few laps of the area until other people have gone lol. Ill try my best to cram whatever RC it is into my back pack too so it doesn't draw attention.

It's not so bad when it's genuinely interested people but when it's chavs who ask if it's nitro (does it sound like one? Duhh) and talk about nitro for 30 minutes because the guy down the pub said they are the best in 1992 it gets grating.

The other annoying thing about people stopping to talk is that you then have to stand there and make polite conversation and waste precious RC time. It's annoying when I'm doing photograpy too, I turn up in the golden hour to get the good light and then someone comes and asks 50 questions right when the light is fleetingly perfect.

[WillyChang 1814]

You guys should get out more! 

I'm happy to stay in & guard the fort. 

[topforcein 1764]

i can't say i have ever had abuse throwed at me when using my rc's  but tbh i am the kind of bloke that treats how he is treated so if i get respect i give it 2 fold but on the other hand i will give as good as i get. when you get these pikeys in a group that think they are i'm hard bruce lee i will just say to them their will be a time when they are on their own. know i'm comming up to my 50th and i have a a heart problem and have problems breathing so i can ill afford to get a little excited/upset so most of the time i will just ignore it and carry on but as with all if a person gets pushed to far its "open season" i spose being over 6ft tall helps a bit.  i don't get the chance to take my rcs out know a days since my 1.1 car is off the road but wher i live i walk and collect my wife from work as we have to walk on a disused railway to get to my wife's work and the section is used by the local bike/pikey/scum bag theif's and its like a motocross track their most days and me and my wife have many a time had to jump for our life when they come blazing past us.

know this railway would be the best place to take rc's but it just is never quiet long enough witch is a shame.

i do a a local huge park about 5 mins walk from me but the grass don't get cut that often plus you get a load of dog walkers over their also so i dont fancy blazing throw dog cronk with my rc so i don't use that.

but ultimately the parents are to blame for these mouthy kids weather they are drug users dole dosers what ever that in my eyes dont come into it.

you would be surprised on how many kids not far from me do and sell drugs esp them bike thei'fs

it just come down to the parents just wanting them out of their hair and never bother to bring them up in a respectfull way. i have 3 kids with my oldest being 28 and they wont treat any one with disrespect and if they do then i will have them over it unless the disrepect is warrented as i have said i a frim beleiver in treaded the same how i am treaded

[IBIFTKH 1369]

I seem to fit the pattern here - shaved head, ink, slim/fit, introverted.

I'm old enough to know the difference between the people whose opinions I care about and those I don't. I'm happy to share my enthusiasm with others but I have no time for negative people, I just walk away. Apparently I don't have a 'friendly face' so people tend to leave me alone, which works for me.

I've had a few incidents over the years, nothing major, just people being mouthy and stupid. But that's life, some people are crap! Some people just seem to think that they have the right to be obnoxious. There's obviously something positive missing from their lives. 

Maybe they should take up a hobby....?  

[Mad Ax 9285]

2 hours ago, nowinaminute said:

unfortunately I had a few exes who somehow thought they could "cure" me by coercing or even tricking me into social situations all the time.

The difference between introverts and extroverts is introverts don't mind if you're an extrovert

[Jason1145 3986]

Some great stories on here guys, and it's nice to get an insight to some of other members and their RC experiences too.

Luckliy I've never had any verbal abuse of anyone and I feel a bit angry that some of you guys have had to suffer that,  how dare anyone else inflict their own nastiness on to an innocent person.....  I might need to copyright a new RC I have in mind, it has tiny razor blades (or tickling feathers..... I haven't finalised it yet) fitted around the edges so you can "ankle" those rude people ;p

Just this weekend I took my wife, 3yr old daughter and Clodbuster out to a local park to meet some other friends with their little ones for a play date..... I was half expecting the park to be full of people and not be able to run my RC but when I got there the weather was a bit dull and so it was quite deserted.... what a result I thought to myself as I parked up in a relatively empty car park.

But in the time it took me to get out the car and then get my daughter out and safely on the ground , some members of the public went past and that was all it took for me to become quite shy to get my TOY CAR out- and trust me to have brought my biggest RC too... it's hardly subtle 'p

But then I immediately reasoned with myself that I had bothered to charge the battery the night before,  bothered to pack the Clod into the car etc.... so why shouldn't I have my RC time! This combined with some encouragement from my wife (who likes my daughter chasing the car around) meant that moment of doubt was soon over and out came the car.  

The point is maybe if my wife hadn't chipped in I might've left the RC in the boot and not brought it with me..... and as it turned out it was a fun day with the Clod as a few of my friends wanted to drive it too and it was a nice little centre piece to the date..... I secretly enjoyed watching the Clod being driven by others, seeing them struggle with the controls and then hand it over to me and I proceed to make it dance at will..... it never ceases to surprise me how non RC people just cannot drive an RC car... even petrolhead friends who love cars!

(Women it seems have no throttle control... it's either nothing or full throttle, despite me explaining carefully to gently pull the trigger. sheesh!)

The few people who did pass us by didn't comment, just an acknowledging nod and smile and then a couple of 7-8 year old girls were squealing with delight at the sight of the Clod running around and playing chase with it. Maybe the fact there was a group of 10 of us walking through with this big RC darting off away from our main group hitting any available jump, divot or small hill, the mixture of adults, small children and a couple baby prams all helped normalise the experience -  it was quite an entourage to behold.

Luckily I do go to the gym (probably lack of self confidence!) and work hard to keep my body in the shape of a V from the waist up (always keep the chest measurement bigger than the  waist - it's getting increasingly difficult) I too have a shaved head and I can look either menacing or ultra friendly, whichever is called for.... if I see a group of lads ahead my chest will automatically puff out and I'll be ready for whatever..... but if it's a young family ahead like mine then a relaxed smile will take over