Confrontations with other visitors

  • Thread starter Thread starter JT
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It's moreso a problem I think of ignoring zoo-rules and a bit of ignorance combined. Most people often respond with a ''oh I wasn't aware it's not allowed in here'' and such.
The fact it didn’t even cross there mind shows how self centred a lot of people can be.
 
I've run into smokers several times at zoos. Doesn't matter that smoking is banned in zoos and similar places just about everywhere in the USA, and has been for a long time. They'll walk right by signs that say no smoking. Always have young kids with them, too :( If I see an employee nearby I'll say something, but I don't confront smokers myself; too much overlap between smokers who don't care and people who are possibly carrying a gun.
 
I've run into smokers several times at zoos. Doesn't matter that smoking is banned in zoos and similar places just about everywhere in the USA, and has been for a long time. They'll walk right by signs that say no smoking. Always have young kids with them, too :( If I see an employee nearby I'll say something, but I don't confront smokers myself; too much overlap between smokers who don't care and people who are possibly carrying a gun.
Some crazy lady was smoking INSIDE of the Hall of Wonders attraction in the Texas Wild portion of the Fort Worth Zoo. We had to get out of there very fast due to my sister's (and possibly my) asthma.
 
Just issues with people throwing things at animals, banging on glass windows, trying to feed them and children trying to climb over safety barriers and into enclosures, etc.

I can think of one occasion where it almost got into a physical confrontation which was a guy who was squirting water from a water bottle into the face of a crab-eating fox.

The only physical confrontation was during an environmental education talk where an adult visitor tried to poke an axolotl with a biro pen deliberately to provoke me and I grabbed him by the forearm and made him drop the pen.
What an absolute Chad move.
 
What is a "Chad move"?

Sorry, I'm way behind the times when it comes to today's slang.
Don't worry, despite being a teenager, I am too, but that's the one thing I know just because I try keeping up to date with memes. Normally (Or at least from my understanding) it's being very confident and not caring about what other people think. Also, I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure I described this horribly.
 
Oh, well I guess I never looked up what it means because that is certainly not what I meant.

Words and phrases can actually mean different things in different places around the world. It’s quite cool. I’m intrigued to know what you meant by it?
 
Still not quite what I was going for, but I was thinking something closer to these.

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Don't worry, despite being a teenager, I am too, but that's the one thing I know just because I try keeping up to date with memes. Normally (Or at least what I believe it means) it's being very confident and not caring about what other people think. Also, I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure I described this horribly.

Well from memory with the axolotl it was just some moronic reggaetonero from one of the more deprived areas of Mexico city just trying to get a rise out of me in front of "La banda".

The worst time for people like that would be during "la fiesta de San Judas Tadeo" (Saint Judas Tadeo day) as they would all flock to the zoo as it was free entrance.
 
A behavior that I've only ever seen the results of but know I would confront if I witnessed it is throwing coins into animal pools; I remember during my earlier visits seeing the bottom of LA's tomistoma pool littered with peoples' loose change. I cannot understand for the life of me why people feel the need to throw coins in bodies of water that are not wishing wells.

Otherwise I've only occasionally given stern requests not to bang on viewing windows or holler at sensitive animals. In general I've found that people become defensive or sullen in the face of confrontation, rather than becoming thoughtful about their behavior.
 
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A behavior that I've only ever seen the results of but know I would confront if I witnessed it is throwing coins into animal pools; I remember during my earlier visits seeing the bottom of LA's tomistoma pool littered with peoples' loose change. I cannot understand for the life of me why people feel the need to throw coins in bodies of water that are not wishing wells.

Otherwise I've only occasionally given stern requests not to bang on viewing windows or holler at sensitive animals. In general I've found that people become defensive or sullen in the face of confrontation, rather than becoming thoughtful about their behavior.
Oh yes throwing coins and banging on glass. I hate this, but it happens so often.
 
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Throwing coins into bodies of water seems to be a cultural thing. I remember joking here on Zoochat that Italians seem more prone to it than, say, the Scottish or the Swabians... ^^
 
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To return to the original topic: a behavior that I've only ever seen the results of but know I would confront if I witnessed it is throwing coins into animal pools; I remember during my earlier visits seeing the bottom of LA's tomistoma pool littered with peoples' loose change. I cannot understand for the life of me why people feel the need to throw coins in bodies of water that are not wishing wells.

Otherwise I've only occasionally given stern requests not to bang on viewing windows or holler at sensitive animals. In general I've found that people become defensive or sullen in the face of confrontation, rather than becoming thoughtful about their behavior.

I almost never see coins in pools any more, so something seems to have worked with educating the public on that, at least! Though it's probably more tied to the decline of shopping malls and water fountains that encourage tossing coins. Shame so many animals had to die for it to get better :(

People have generally listened to me the few times I've had to say something, but I think that's because they don't notice my short, quiet self until I'm suddenly being very stern ;) Usually it's been when kids are about to touch an animals and their guardians aren't paying attention/they're unattended.
 
Some consider it good luck.

Yes, but where does that practice and belief stem from and why is it a human universal ?

Thats where anthropology may offer some explanation which of course doesn't matter to the unfortunate zoo crocs which end up swallowing coins and requiring veterinary surgery but it is still interesting if you like to take a deeper look into human behaviour.
 
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