And then he passed me the wrench

[jchrisobrien]

I was going to title this rant Why I Hate Gamers, but that wouldn't be precise enough. I stop off at the store to play some cards last night, and the place is full due to card players and a mechwarrior tournament. There is one table in the back holding all the bags of the mechwarrior players. One of the card players asks them if they can move their bags, so we can play. The mechwarrriors say "No, we're having a tournament and we can't move them now; we need a place to put our things." We then offer to move them somewhere safe and out of the way. A few of them, one short woman in particular, turns and says in a low menacing voice. "Don't. Touch. My. Things."

First of all, this behavior epitomizes two of the worst stereotypes about Gamers: self centeredness and obnoxiousness. Common courtesy in a public store dictates that tables are used for gaming, not coat racks. While one of them did have a very nice leather coat, we offered to find a place off of the floor where it wouldn't get stepped on, yet he refused because "he was there first." We tried several times to arrive at diplomatic solutions, and were met with third grade rhetoric and intimidation.

Now, I'll put up with lots of grief at work. I'm in tech support, it's my job. But I'll be damned if I have to put up with inconsiderate rudeness on my own time. So my voice started to raise and the adrenaline was coursing through me, and I was a hair's breath away from a brawl in the middle of a gaming store (ponder the ridiculousness of this for a moment) when one of the players tapped me on the shoulder and said "Kevin said to take this" and then he passed me the wrench. A heavy duty, plumbers wrench, the kind you take apart sinks or toilets with.

And I calmed down. I smiled, tucked it into the waistband of my pants, and sat down. I wrestled my anger back under control, with a few sarcastic barbs thrown their way, and catty comments among our play ground. Admittedly, I could have just kept my mouth shut, but I was on the Edge, and I needed to wind down slowly. Emotions are not binary. And so we threw cards, engaged in our trash talking, and then I left the game to meet up with an old and dear friend at Ceremony. Where the people were pretty, and the music was moving, and people respected one another's space and didn't behave like 11 yr olds trapped in a 44 yr olds body.

Comments

I would have vomited on the bags.

[uncletang.livejournal.com]

And next time I will.

That is why you rock

[silas7.livejournal.com]

You and MrSarcasm would have pissed yourself had you witnessed this. It was a classic Bad Gamer Moment.

[sbazzy.livejournal.com]

that's when you talk to management about the situation.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

We will talk to them. Space is at a premium in the store, it's very close quarters downstairs. It might be better for them to reserve the store for specific groups, or alternate playing nights.

Or, people could bloody well store their gear under the tables. The store could also spring for a coat rack.

[frederic.livejournal.com]

"Don't. Touch. My. Things."

My response would've been, "You have 30 seconds to do it for yourself then (before I throw your shit on the floor)" that way they could be the ones to touch their stuff.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I did consider tipping the table over and dashing it all on the floor. There would be no touching involved.

[damiel.livejournal.com]

... didn't behave like 11 yr olds trapped in a 44 yr olds body.

Bwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!

Awesome.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Grown up's just shouldn't behave like that! It's far too common that they do, but it's still disgusting.

[atalanta.livejournal.com]

heh.
this, among other things, is why I had such an aversion ..

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I can completely see your point if the people you knew were like this! I'd rather host everyone out at my house. It would be far more civil. The worst thing about it is, they might be sharing our night every week. Something will have to be done. Heads will get flown!

[spriggan.livejournal.com]

the kind with which you repair airplane engines
the kind with which you dismantle empires

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Kneel before the implacable might of my wrench!