A Matter of Personal Space

[mssocks]

I should really post this under a fake name.

Personal space is very important to me as I get panic attacks if too many people keep touching or leaning against me. Nothing scary like tearing off my clothes and running out of the parks screaming, but I may lose my breath or start to shake or cry. VERY EMBARRASSING!!

If someone is too close behind me in a line, I casually step BACK. A little at a time. If they don't back up after a bit.............I fart on them. Sorry, but it's the only thing that works sometimes.

 

[Lora]

Another personal space situation...

I like to create space between myself (or my family) and the people in front of us in long lines. I don't follow on the heels of the people in front of me. This usually leaves maybe a 2-4 ft. gap in the line. It's pretty funny how people behind us get edgy wanting us to move ahead. I'm not sure what they're worried about. I figure with two children who don't stand perfectly still, we need some space to avoid getting on people's nerves.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I'm waiting to see a new thread started by someone complaining about all of the rude guests elbowing her in lines all over WDW!

 

[gshoemate]

I totally agree with giving someone space. I always try to do that. I personally don't like being crowded. I am, however, a little touchy about the umbrella thing right now. DD and I were at MGM the other day. We were actually standing still waiting to buy a drink at one of the stands when a woman comes pushing by us with her umbrella up. She scratched my DD's face with it. When Kendall grabbed at her face and made a noise, the woman sort of glared at us and moved on. No "I'm sorry" or anything. WE WERE STANDING STILL!! If everyone would be considerate of others, I'd have no problem with umbrellas. But then, if people were considerate, we wouldn't keep having the debates over strollers, cutting in line, standing up in front of parades, dropping trash where ever and smoking outside the smoking areas. I see more and more of this type of behavior and it saddens and irritates me. I'm normally an easy-going person, but a person can only take so much before it starts to wear on them. Please note that I spend much more time at the parks and other Disney areas than most, so I'm exposed to alot.

I so agree with you. We go to WDW just about every weekend and I am so frustrated by time we leave. Last weekend we were watching the Lights, Motors Action at MGM and DH was trying to film it so DS could watch it at home whenever he wanted to. And this family behind us kept spraying their water bottle. Not only to cool off but they would just hold it up and spray it in the air. I don't know where that water came from

I remember once standing in line for Festival of the lion King at AK. Me and DD were the first in line, just standing there minding our own business. This guy with a backpark on spins around and I actually lost my balance it hit so hard. A few minutes later he turned to me and said that I almost made him drop his baby when I hit his backpack. Like I just go around hitting people with backpacks. He's lucky DD was with me or I would of had some choice words for him.

I need space, if you are touching me.......you are way to close!

 

[Sherrilatte]

If someone is too close behind me in a line, I casually step BACK. A little at a time. If they don't back up after a bit.............I fart on them. Sorry, but it's the only thing that works sometimes.

You ever thought about just asking them to give you a little space? It works...really.

 

[Metallicat]

I should really post this under a fake name.

Personal space is very important to me as I get panic attacks if too many people keep touching or leaning against me. Nothing scary like tearing off my clothes and running out of the parks screaming, but I may lose my breath or start to shake or cry. VERY EMBARRASSING!!

If someone is too close behind me in a line, I casually step BACK. A little at a time. If they don't back up after a bit.............I fart on them. Sorry, but it's the only thing that works sometimes.

too funny! I found a better way. just start coughing and rubbing your throat saying rather loudly how you wish you could get over your strep throat. I sometimes do this when someone is getting a little to close and it works like a charm. once me and DD were sitting on a bench under the rocket ride at the MK and a woman comes up next to us sitting down smoking a ciggarette. (it was NOT a designated smoking area) I pull the ole strep throat routine and she got up and practically ran away. it was hilarious!

 

[kidzmom3]

Another personal space situation...

I like to create space between myself (or my family) and the people in front of us in long lines. I don't follow on the heels of the people in front of me. This usually leaves maybe a 2-4 ft. gap in the line. It's pretty funny how people behind us get edgy wanting us to move ahead. I'm not sure what they're worried about. I figure with two children who don't stand perfectly still, we need some space to avoid getting on people's nerves.

my DH and I do this with our kids in lines. He is at the front of our family of 5. he turns and faces us and places his arms on the railings. we have the 3 kids stand in the middle, then I stand on the other end with my arm on the railings. We give the kids about 5 feet of space in between. They can fidget, talk to us both, look around etc...

the only problem. People glaring, (hey we are all getting into one car, so it doesn't really matter how much space we take up in the line), also little kids try to get under our arms to get into the free space spot!

 

[mssocks]

You ever thought about just asking them to give you a little space? It works...really.

Perhaps, but not nearly as much fun. And it avoids confrontation, something I've experienced in a negative way.

If I've farted on you, I apologize. All I can say is be glad it was me and not my sister.

 

[Mysteria]

I totally agree with giving someone space. I always try to do that. I personally don't like being crowded. I am, however, a little touchy about the umbrella thing right now. DD and I were at MGM the other day. We were actually standing still waiting to buy a drink at one of the stands when a woman comes pushing by us with her umbrella up. She scratched my DD's face with it. When Kendall grabbed at her face and made a noise, the woman sort of glared at us and moved on. No "I'm sorry" or anything. WE WERE STANDING STILL!! If everyone would be considerate of others, I'd have no problem with umbrellas. But then, if people were considerate, we wouldn't keep having the debates over strollers, cutting in line, standing up in front of parades, dropping trash where ever and smoking outside the smoking areas. I see more and more of this type of behavior and it saddens and irritates me. I'm normally an easy-going person, but a person can only take so much before it starts to wear on them. Please note that I spend much more time at the parks and other Disney areas than most, so I'm exposed to alot.

Well said Peg! Based on the previous umbrella thread on this board I did a little experiment tonight. I was going into Manhattan, in the rain, around 6:00pm. DF wanted an umbrella. I told him to take one for himself but to please be very mindful of possibly poking someone with it. Also told him to watch how many times I had to duck and weave around umbrellas to keep from getting poked, jabbed, hit, run into, etc. He put his umbrella down about 2 minutes after exiting the train station and said he had never noticed before how much people did not watch what they were doing with them. He has lived in NY all his life and had just gotten used to the duck and weave. Now I'm not going to say umbrellas should be banned because there are many responsible umbrella holders. I can't say I'm a lover of umbrellas in any crowded area though.

Now as far as personal space I think we all differ in how much we need. I am much more forigivng of people in my space in a large crowd in WDW where there is just no place for people to go than I am in some other situations. For example, I used to ride public transportation to work in Toronto. More than a few men found my elbow where they would feel it when they got too close. No more explanation needed since this is a family board....and before people start defending these men there was NO doubt they knew they were too close.

Just my .02

Myst

 

[gobledygook]

Perhaps, but not nearly as much fun. And it avoids confrontation, something I've experienced in a negative way.

If I've farted on you, I apologize. All I can say is be glad it was me and not my sister.

 

[Sherrilatte]

If I've farted on you, I apologize. All I can say is be glad it was me and not my sister.

I doubt it seriously. This is one of the main reasons why I maintain my personal space and ask strange folk coming too near to respect it. One person's fun is another person's ....well, I'll let you fill in the blank.

 

[seashoreCM]

This guy with a backpark on spins around and I actually lost my balance it hit so hard. A few minutes later he turned to me and said that I almost made him drop his baby when I hit his backpack. Like I just go around hitting people with backpacks.

Who else is going to correct his misconceptions and when?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

(a thought I had some 20 years ago)

Seems like I can't sit and cross my legs without someone tripping over them.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

Another personal space situation...

I like to create space between myself (or my family) and the people in front of us in long lines. I don't follow on the heels of the people in front of me. This usually leaves maybe a 2-4 ft. gap in the line. It's pretty funny how people behind us get edgy wanting us to move ahead. I'm not sure what they're worried about. I figure with two children who don't stand perfectly still, we need some space to avoid getting on people's nerves.

We do this too and I agree that it makes the people behind us edgy. Never could figure out why exactly. But I also don't follow closely on the highway and I'm always amazed that other people think it's enough room for them to cut in.

Jackie

 

[HollisterSweetie]

.
If it is pouring rain and I have to be out in it, I will have an umbrella. And until Disney outlaws them it is my right to have it. I won't poke anyone with it and I won't twirl it. Unless you get too close. Then I might just poke and twirl with wild abandon!

 

[jjarman]

jjarman... I'm sorry the man was rude to you, but being a backpack carrier too (OH dear! I not only carry an umbrella I wear a backpack! Mine is smaller though,) I can understand how he felt if someone was constantly touching his pack. I carry my camera and a few things in mine and when someone is constantly touching it... I'm worried about pick pockets. I will change my position or even take off my pack and pull it to my front to keep people from constantly touching it.

We usually carry a backpack as well but not a big one. In this instance we would occasionally touch his backpack as we moved through the line but for the most part it was him bumping us as we was turning around and around looking for his wife and child. I wasn’t mad at him and didn’t even think about it as unusual at all. It was a normal day in a crowded line for us. He just acted so weird about it. His poor wife, bless her heart, at first after I am sure he told her about the incident and us attacking him she just stared but after a few minutes of her seeing we were really fairly normal people she would just smile apologetically at us. I told DH when we got home about the incident and he wondered if the guy worked at the post office. Please don’t flame me postal workers. I have plenty of friends with the post office. It is just a joke.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Oh I can top a few of these.

Imagine being in a wheelchair and the person behind you in line decides they are going to lean on your push bars.

 

[bopper]

I think the problem with umbrellas is that everyone is used to giving a certain amount of space around them. However using an umbrellas requires more space...but people's brains are calibrated to the smaller amount and forget to leave a greater amount of space. I do the same thing when I am wearing a backpack...I accidently wack people when turning around since I require more space than I am used to.

 

[rmontgo892]

Oh I can top a few of these.

Imagine being in a wheelchair and the person behind you in line decides they are going to lean on your push bars.

 

[pearlieq]

Claudia... We had a foreign exchange student from Spain spend a few summers with us. I noticed that I was walking into walls when she was walking with me. I would be walking with the traditional personal space between us and she would walk closer. I would scoot away, she would close the space till I was finally walking into walls! I finally had to explain the idea of personal space to her. She told me that was so unlike Spain! I found that she was right when I visited her at her home in Spain.

That was the case with my roommate in college as well. She was from Korea and we definitely had to talk about personal space. It was all very befuddling to her.

I'm pretty sensitive about my space, probably a little too much. I definitely like my "breathing room" and I find I get tense if folks crowd up on me. I've been known to throw my elbows out in crowds just to get folks to back off. Most of the time there just no need to be all squished together!

 

[PatsGirl]

I get "edgy" myself if I don't have enough personal space. To h*** with the looks from the people behind me because I'm not up the next persons' butt As for my kids, well this is a touch lesson to teach. I'm forever asking them to back up away from the next person but they don't seem to get it or they are just excited lots of times.

I stopped using my backpack because I was the one forever turning around looking for a kid or something I've dropped and "taking out" whoever is near me. Too many apologies so I just switched to a smaller waistpack and we do without all the stuff we never used anyways