The Energon Pub

Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:14 pm

i get funny looks everywhere. i am a tall creepy guy in a black trench coat with long hair and a beard. if i saw that in a toy isle i would stare too

if you see someone wearing a black trench coat with long hair in a toy isle, its me.

News Credits: 3 · Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:31 pm

Screamfleet wrote:If someone who worked there was watching me like a hawk, I'd feel bad. That's usually done on a suspected thief, and I'm no thief. So, they'd be wasting their time, while someone was potentially stealing from them.

One time I felt uneasy when I was a kid, well maybe 13, and I was buying checking out the toys. Super excited to be holding, and soon to be buying TM2 cheetor repaint of ravage, tripredacus agent. I was shifting around the other toys for a while. This adult kept eying me, sooooo bad. Like, creepy stares. I didn't know what to do exactly. I figure, running out of the store would be a bad idea, I was safer in the store. Being pre-teenish I was ready to slug him and put up a fight if he tried anything.
Eventually he asks "are there any more of those?" And I told him where they were. Man....It was creepy creepy creepy. I'm sure he was an adult collector, and was one that was certainly giving them a bad name. It was a huge relief he wasn't trying to kidnap me, he just wanted the wal-mart exclusive, but man, he went about it all wrong.

I sometimes think I kinda have that look at times, but it's just me letting the kid finish looking through before I do. I'd feel more like a dick to swoop in and snatch something a kid wanted even if it were a figure I've waited months for.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:56 pm

Personally yes. Being 6'2" at 15 doesn't help ether.

Once I was in a walmart looking at some Rotf stuff when this little kid runs up and grabs the figure I was going to buy right out of my hands. Then his mom comes up with a cart looks at me and says " You should leave before I call the police."
Then I was like what did I do, anyways your son toke what I was going to buy.
Her reply was, " I know he toke it from you, because I told him to take it from you. Also someone who is 26 should not be buying toys. "
After that I left and never went back to the walmart.

Another time, a cashier saw the figures I was buying and said " Dangit why did these have to go right now. I was going to buy them once my shift was done. I hope they are good."
So then I get to my house and I see the cashier walk by.

Glad to here rts might be hitting normal retail.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:49 pm

Yeah, I'll get looks from moms and dads with their kids when we're in that section, but I could give a rat's ass. I have a job, pay my bills, and take care of me and the missus and our pets. Sometimes I'll get the "why do you want that?" question. I just tell'em it's my life and my money I earned, so i'll spend it as I please, thank you, then I walk away. The most I get out of these stares is pissed off. It's our business what we do with our spare time and hobbies....

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:18 pm

I just don't care, I guess. And the fact that I don't care equals the look of being casual, maybe?

I actually hate going to TJ Maxx.......it means I am shopping for stuff for the house with my lady. But, I prefer that to the alternative, which is NOT shopping with her. So whatever, I suppose.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:50 pm

I sometimes think I kinda have that look at times, but it's just me letting the kid finish looking through before I do. I'd feel more like a dick to swoop in and snatch something a kid wanted even if it were a figure I've waited months for.

It was obvious to me, after the fact, the guy wanted my tripredacus agent. At the time, before he spoke up, I was worried he was going to try and grab me or something. It all made sense in the end, he just took way too long to ask. I remember it pretty well too. For some reason the tripredacus agent was in the car/hot wheels aisle, not the rest. He wasn't trying to give me space, or let me finish, he wanted what was in my hand. He was so focused on me, he didn't bother looking around to see if there were more. Creeper status....

Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:39 am

Prime Riblet wrote:I just don't care, I guess. And the fact that I don't care equals the look of being casual, maybe?

I actually hate going to TJ Maxx.......it means I am shopping for stuff for the house with my lady. But, I prefer that to the alternative, which is NOT shopping with her. So whatever, I suppose.

prime riblet.....that prime rib picture looks DELICIOUS! thats my favorite dish and youre teasing me with those pictures. now i gotta go buy me a prime rib to cook before xmas!

anyway back on topic.....since i have a 9 year old son...i usually take him with me to get my toys so nobody would suspect anything.

Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:18 am

I only feel awkward occasionally like if the cashier is attractive. Otherwise I could care less what other people think. It also helps when my gf is with me.

I can't imagine someone calling me out for being sick, weird, freak, extra for checking out the toy isle. I would love to give someone like that a piece of my mind.

News Credits: 241 · Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:07 am

t$money$49 wrote:Personally yes. Being 6'2" at 15 doesn't help ether.

Once I was in a walmart looking at some Rotf stuff when this little kid runs up and grabs the figure I was going to buy right out of my hands. Then his mom comes up with a cart looks at me and says " You should leave before I call the police."
Then I was like what did I do, anyways your son toke what I was going to buy.
Her reply was, " I know he toke it from you, because I told him to take it from you. Also someone who is 26 should not be buying toys. "
After that I left and never went back to the walmart.

O, my, freaking, god, are you serious?! I don't know what I would have done, but my wife would have blown her top lid clear into orbit. So would her mom, they can have big tempers.

Next time this happens, tell her this surely would have been caught on camera somewhere (be it store or even better, cell phone), and if she presses the issue further you'll get the manager. You'll see she's back right off

Can't really say I have that feeling whenever I go hunting myself. When someone asks why I buy Transformer toys at my age (I think it helps I look pretty young for my age), I'm honest with myself and tell them I collect them. No sense in beating around the bush and living a lie.

News Credits: 9 · Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:24 pm

I only worry about being close to children in the toy aisles- I know I would not want a grown man standing too close to my kids. If there are kids looking at TFs I'll usually go do something else until they leave.

If I happen to have my own kids with me, then it's OK, except it wouldn't be fair if I got something and they didn't.

Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:30 pm

I usually don't give a crap about what people think of mew hen I'm on the hunt. I usually draw less attention to myself at Walmart or Target than I do at TJ Maxx or Ross. I have become friendly with a few of the loss prevention employees at TJ Maxx though and usually only get looks from shoppers. I got a look from a REALLY hot mom yesterday, and I just smiled. She smiled back. She was disarmed. If I get bored I'll sometimes spin a story about shopping for my nonexistent kids and how we both love Transformers.

Just walk in like you own the place. For the record, I'm sort of intimidating looking and 25.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:06 pm

there was a time when I kept my eyes downcast, didn't look at anyone, didn't speak; now I'm OK with what I am there for, and I will talk to people in the aisle, and I usually get a friendly response; I have even given advice on where to locate items to people who are looking

News Credits: 2 · Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:12 pm

So far I don't have this problem when shopping for toys. Or think I probably used to it.

There was one time I drove to a business trip and stop at a McDonald in a little town in Wisconsin for food. When I walked in, the entire store was like frozen. I believed almost everyone stared at me, some kids had their mouth open and fries dropped from their mouth. I guess they have never seen a 6 feet Asian guy before.