Tartan MIS-identification?

**RockyR** · 4th December 07, 08:49 AM

Arlen...

At that point (when she got condescending and rude) I would have blown off a little steam with 1 of the following options:

1. (looking at her jacket or shirt side to side) "Hmm.... Sorry, I can't seem to find your TARTAN POLICE badge. Are you going to write me a ticket?"

2. "Well you MUST know what YOU'RE talking about. I'm not from Scotland and didn't pay top dollar for my kilt in someone else's tartan that I have nothing to do with. Yup... you MUST be right b/c you saw your brother in law wear a kilt once... if that doesn't make you a tartan expert, I don't know what would. You should offer your services to the Scottish Tartans Authority with that eagle eye of yours."

**Daaaaang** · 4th December 07, 09:07 AM

In her defense, she thought she had a connection with you, and made the daring step of saying hi to a stranger in strange clothing. She was understandably embarrassed when she got shot down for being completely wrong. I'm not saying that getting defensive is the best answer (it isn't), but it is the natural answer for an approximate 100% of the human race.

I doubt she was really trying to push her idea of which tartan was correct as much as she just didn't have a clue how to handle the awkward situation.

**Rampant Lion** · 4th December 07, 09:20 AM

It's really too bad you were in an airport, because that's one place you don't want to make a scene. I can understand people mistaking tartans, even ones that don't look anything alike, but it doesn't give them the right to be condescending. If you had been anywhere well this lady was deserving of a in-your-face tartan lesson.

And to say your accent was fake; even in the airport I would've whipped out my passport on shown her that she was so very wrong.

You handled the situation very well. Just for that, you get a

and a

**Clockwork John** · 4th December 07, 09:46 AM

Wow... that's pretty bad... Welcome to America. I hope that kind of rudeness doesn't bother you. You may be in store for alot of it, depending on where you're staying.

I've never had to deal with someone like that,and I've never had one of my kilts mis-identified. I once had someone ask me if my kilt was Black Watch or Campbell... I chuckled and said, "yes, it is." We had a good laugh about that one.

**fluter** · 4th December 07, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Crusty

Wow... that's pretty bad... Welcome to America. I hope that kind of rudeness doesn't bother you. You may be in store for alot of it, depending on where you're staying.

Never fear: in my experience, Oregon is a very civil(ized) place.

**Galician** · 4th December 07, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Arlen

You know... I never get any hassle about my kilts in America unless I am in an airport.

I too am sorry that you encountered that kind of attitude, Arlen. What kind of hassle have you encountered in airports?

When I fly, I usually so need to compartmentalize all the various items required for the trip that I can't imagine flying kilted.

**Clockwork John** · 4th December 07, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by fluter

Never fear: in my experience, Oregon is a very civil(ized) place.

People in Oregon and Washington are quite civil. My grandparents used to live in Washington, so I would drive through Oregon a couple of times a year. As a punk rocker,I got my share of stares, but once people got over the patched pants, studded leather jacket, and mohawk, they were quite nice.

**RockyR** · 4th December 07, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Daaaaang

In her defense, she thought she had a connection with you, and made the daring step of saying hi to a stranger in strange clothing. She was understandably embarrassed when she got shot down for being completely wrong. I'm not saying that getting defensive is the best answer (it isn't), but it is the natural answer for an approximate 100% of the human race.

I doubt she was really trying to push her idea of which tartan was correct as much as she just didn't have a clue how to handle the awkward situation.

I politely disagree. If more people would be willing to say "oops, I'm sorry" rather than INSIST they're right or get defensive (which she had no reason to do since Arlen wasn't OFFENSIVE), the world would be a much nicer place. Even if they still think they're correct, what gives them the right to walk up to a COMPLETE STRANGER and tell them their opinion or berate them for not wearing the proper tartan or for being mis-informed (which Alren was not)? Was Arlen being rude or hurting anyone? No. He seems like a very nice, polite, civilized man. What gives this crazy lady the right to talk to him like that when he said nothing to her to even warrant her approaching him in the first place?

The POLITE thing for ANYONE to do in that instance would be to apologize for being so presumptuous and either admit fault or to agree to disagree or to at least admit they look similar. To insist you're right and to pick a fight (verbal argument) with a complete stranger is crazy and rude.

**Joe Gondek** · 4th December 07, 10:50 AM

I think Arlen is using this whole tartan confusion as a way to hide the fact that he needs to work on his fake Scottish accent.
You can't full us Americans, we've all seen the movies and know how real Scots sound!!

We all know that"real Scots" sound like Mel Gibson in Braveheart

**Mr. MacDougall** · 4th December 07, 11:15 AM

I get around this sort of thing by never asking, "is that 'x' tartan?" Or, "Is your dog of 'x' breed?" Instead, I ask, "What tartan is that?" and if it turns out to be what I thought it was, I'll say, "Oh, I thought so. Here's an interesting thing I know about that..."

I'll do that even if I think I know beyond a doubt what tartan (or breed of dog) I'm looking at. It's less presumptuous, and I've been known to be wrong on occasion.