Three reactions in one day

[crboltz]

Well, I took the train from Fresno down to Los Angeles for the weekend. It's hotter then heck in Fresno, and I wanted to be comfortable, so I wore my Utilikilt (Dark brown Workman's). I don't get a lot of comments when I'm kilted, but I got three interesting ones yesterday.

1. The loading area of the train station in Fresno is all torn up as they install structures to keep the hot sun from beating down on people. The upshot, is they have to have everyone cue up in a small area, and then jut before the train comes they make some announcements (like where to stand) and then let you out on what is left of the loading platform. School starts next week and as a teacher, I am desperately trying to finish reading our new text book and highlight things etc, and it is very sunny and hot, so I'm positioned to keep the sun off my book, and probably look really grumpy. I hear this little girl start talking, and instantly I knew it was about me. "Mommy, Mommy, why is that man," she said "wearing a Kilt? He's not mowing the yard!" (I couldn't hear her mother's response)

2. The train only gets one part way to Los Angeles, one switches to an Amtrak bus to get the rest of the way (If that makes you head hurt, don't worry, it hurt mine too the first couple times I did the run). Luckily the bus drops me off just about a mile from my husbands office. I call him when I get there, and he says he's on his way home, so I should just wait and he'll pick me up. Cool! I'm waiting in front of this huge hotel by the Pasadena convention center. Lots of tired business folks are walking by. One woman, in a very expensive designer suit, walks by, slows down, smiles and winks at me. OK, not really a comment, but cool.

3. We go to a PennyLane, a local video rental store. I look around, my husband finds what he's looking for, and he checks out. On our way out of the store, the clerk stops me. "Ummmm, can I ask you a question?" I'm assuming its going to be "why are you wearing a skirt," but instead its "Where do I get one of those kilts?" I gave him Utilikilts web address. And he looks disappointed and asks if there are any stores in Los Angeles where he can buy one. I told him the only way I knew to get them was online. Poor guy looked like he really wanted one.


So, three comments in one day. And no "The Question" or nasty "skirt" comments.

Yippee!

I wonder if the trip back to Fresno will be as comment filled.


Cheers
Chris

[Ealisaid]

A good day for comments! Do men commonly mow their lawns in kilts? Maybe the little girl's daddy wears the kilt *only* when mowing the lawn?

[KiltedSkeleton]

Actually UK does have retailers. There's a list of them on the website. If the guy is smart I'm sure he can figure it out.

[Coinneach]

Finally! Finally I'll have an intelligent answer everyone can understand the next time they ask me why I'm wearing a kilt. "Because I'm about to mow the lawn!"

[crboltz]

I too was shocked at the lawn mowing question! It was so strange I had to share. I'm now off to UK's website to see if there are indeed So Cal retailers for the poor video store guy.

[Bugbear]

Perhaps Groundskeeper Willy from "The Simsons"...

[sharpdressedscot]

I have an idea... a kilted lawn mowing business....with tartan lawn mowers....and then we spray paint the yard in tartan or the Saltire...

[Ozman1944]

Pity; the nearest store to Los Angeles is over in Palm Springs; a two hour's drive-if the traffic isn't too crazy.. The others are in San Diego.
Nothing in Hollywood/West Hollywood, or San Fernando Valley.

[meinfs]

You go Chris! I'm still gathering up the courage to ride the Metro (DC subway/train system) in my kilt!

[crboltz]

meinfs, I have found (at least in the Los Angeles subway system), that if you are reasonably clean, and aren't playing really loud music, no one notices anything about you. It seems like guys in kilts are becoming "non-issues" most places which might be bad for the rebels among us, but the shy guys, like me, are quietly rejoicing.