[The Final Dakar]

In the spirit of the PL I've only given too extremes as the option.

I find umbrellas to be utterly pointless in nature. If it's a drizzle or rain, the amount of water I'm about to endure is not really an issue. If it's a downpour, that umbrella isn't going to save me from shit, and it's a lot easier to run (if so inclined) without it.

What say you, 15 remaining members of the Lounge?

[ShortcutToMoncton]

What do you mean, the "amount of water isn't really an issue"? Do you like being wet? Are you going to walk 5+ minutes in a drizzle or rain and say "hey...it's not really an issue"?

A good umbrella is essential. I just accidentally lost mine, and I'm pissed, and it's raining out and I'm just about to walk home. You suck donkey balls.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

You suck donkey balls.

At least I'm not banned in the PL.

[mattyb]

Flimsy push-button-to-open-and-it-can-fit-in-a-shoulder-bag umbrellas are shite. They protect your head only, leaving trousers and shoes exposed.

I have 2 of this sort. A real man's umbrella.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

A real man's umbrella.

Oxymoron.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

You suck donkey balls.

...

[SSharon]

I personally don't use umbrellas very much since it is rare that I have to walk more than a couple hundred feet outside. Between my car, apartment, and office I find it easier to just run since opening and closing an umbrella while carrying other items and trying to open a car door doesn't work well.

When I worked in NYC and walked 10 blocks to the train or bus it was useful having an umbrella some days, but there was the problem of overcrowded sidewalks and not being able to maneuver while holding an umbrella.

[olePigeon]

They're useful for certain occasions. If for some reason I have to take a bus somewhere and it's raining, I'll bring one if only to keep the water out of my face. Otherwise I don't bother, I enjoy the rain.

However, I wouldn't say no to one of these: Blade Runner Umbrella

[andi*pandi]

If I had to walk more to work, I'd find them more of a necessity. Today I forgot mine and was fine walking from the parking lot in the rain.

[sek929]

I have never owned, and can't recall ever using an umbrella.

I see why it makes more sense for women, or really anyone concerned about their hair-style.

[Face Ache]

Staunchly pro-umbrella here. Being English, I thoroughly enjoy jauntily leaning on my brolly at every opportunity.



They also serve as handy self-defence weapons, since swords on the train are illegal.


What I'm really interested in is Umbrella Theory. The shorter the carrier, the wider the umbrella. What's the deal with that? Bloody eye-poking mushrooms.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

What do you mean, the "amount of water isn't really an issue"? Do you like being wet? Are you going to walk 5+ minutes in a drizzle or rain and say "hey...it's not really an issue"?

A good umbrella is essential. I just accidentally lost mine, and I'm pissed, and it's raining out and I'm just about to walk home. You suck donkey balls.

Amen. Who in their right mind thinks it's an enjoyable time to have a nice dinner out, sit through a movie, watch a concert, etc. while soaking wet and freezing cold?? There are certainly some people who overdo it, thinking they need to pop out their umbrella as soon as they're confronted by a fine mist, but c'mon...I mean, c'mon.

[phantomdragonz]

living in colorado its pointless to own an umbrella, it never rains hard enough to be used, much less useful...

HOWEVER, seeing the types of rain on the coasts or the midwest, having one is an absolute necessity... BTDT.

this is a dumb thread

[Ω]

14 votes, only one more member of the Lounge to report in.

As for umbrellas, hate the things. The amount of times I nearly lose an eye from obnoxious pricks who don't follow good umbrella etiquette - cunts of the highest order.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Ω 

The amount of times I nearly lose an eye from obnoxious pricks who don't follow good umbrella etiquette - cunts of the highest order.

Nice to see the censors allowing sentences like the above.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by Ω 

14 votes, only one more member of the Lounge to report in.

Now there are 16. I probably don't count.

[Ω]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Now there are 16. I probably don't count.

Don't worry as I am voting mattyb off the island. Cheese eating surrender monkey!!!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by gradient 

Amen. Who in their right mind thinks it's an enjoyable time to have a nice dinner out, sit through a movie, watch a concert, etc. while soaking wet and freezing cold?? There are certainly some people who overdo it, thinking they need to pop out their umbrella as soon as they're confronted by a fine mist, but c'mon...I mean, c'mon.

Exactly! And plus, oftentimes it's warm and raining and I wear a suit to work - so even a light overcoat means I'd sweat like a mofo. Umbrellas let me be suit-only and not get my fancy-ass suit wet.

On the flip side - and to make this thread useful - can anyone recommend a great umbrella for windy areas? Where I live, rain generally comes down on an angle - it's almost always windy to some degree. Regular umbrellas tend to fold like a twig.

[Atheist]

Can't live in the tropics without an umbrella. People use them here to block the sun as well as the rain.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

Staunchly pro-umbrella here. Being English, I thoroughly enjoy jauntily leaning on my brolly at every opportunity.

Let's face it, there are very few people who have the chops to pull off what Steed does so easily.

Originally Posted by phantomdragonz 

this is a dumb thread

You're a dumb person. It's a light-hearted poll in the Lounge, lighten the hell up.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

On the flip side - and to make this thread useful - can anyone recommend a great umbrella for windy areas? Where I live, rain generally comes down on an angle - it's almost always windy to some degree. Regular umbrellas tend to fold like a twig.

Absolutely not. This thread is supposed to be useless. All posts talking about umbrella recommendations will be reported as off-topic.

[The Final Dakar]

So do you guys check the weather a lot? Spend a lot of days carrying an umbrella about uselessly?

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Ω 

Don't worry as I am voting mattyb off the island. Cheese eating surrender monkey!!!

I'm English - showing the Froggies how to work for the past 10 years.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

So do you guys check the weather a lot? Spend a lot of days carrying an umbrella about uselessly?

Absolutely to all.

I live in an area that probably has some of the most inconsistent weather in the world. It's perfectly normal to start the day foggy, grey and drizzling, have a sunny beautiful and balmy midday, and be absolutely pouring rain by 4pm.

For example, this morning was cool (3-4 C) and sunny, with only a few clouds in the sky. Right now we're completely overcast; we're supposed to have 10cm of snow by tonight, although that might end up being rain. And tomorrow, it'll be 6 or 7 C and everything will disappear.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

So do you guys check the weather a lot? Spend a lot of days carrying an umbrella about uselessly?

We have 2 seasons... hurricane and non-hurricane. Either way, you still prepare for rain every day.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by gradient 

Amen. Who in their right mind thinks it's an enjoyable time to have a nice dinner out, sit through a movie, watch a concert, etc. while soaking wet and freezing cold?? There are certainly some people who overdo it, thinking they need to pop out their umbrella as soon as they're confronted by a fine mist, but c'mon...I mean, c'mon.

I live in semi-rural Pennsylvania, which I imagine gets about average rainfall. The times I can recall it raining exactly when I'm out are fairly low. The amount of times it was heavy enough to be problematic: maybe one? But hey maybe you're going out five days a week.

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Exactly! And plus, oftentimes it's warm and raining and I wear a suit to work - so even a light overcoat means I'd sweat like a mofo. Umbrellas let me be suit-only and not get my fancy-ass suit wet.

The times I would feel compelled to use an umbrella are those times the rain is so aggressive that there's no saving the are below my knees from getting soaked.

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Absolutely to all.

You must hate weathermen more than I do.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Meh, it's a tough job - I did a few atmospheric science courses in uni so I appreciate how much of an art their job is.

But yeah...there's no such thing as "long-term forecast" where I live, really. Anything beyond the next two days probably has no more than 50% chance of being mildly correct.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Meh, it's a tough job - I did a few atmospheric science courses in uni so I appreciate how much of an art their job is.

In regards to bad weather, I (unscientifically) find them to be wrong more often than they're right. As far as "trends" are concerned, sure they can be accurate, but that's the easy stuff. It's the aberrations that make them useful, and in that regard I feel like I could break even against them using my own intuition.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

So do you guys check the weather a lot? Spend a lot of days carrying an umbrella about uselessly?

You can always go hands-free.

[The Final Dakar]

I feel like if that was made of tinfoil, that would kill two birds with one stone.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I feel like if that was made of tinfoil, that would kill two birds with one stone.

[ort888]

My 2 year old son thinks umbrellas are the coolest mother ****ing thing ever.

I don't have much of a use for them. I keep one in my car and use it about once ever 3-4 years.

[ghporter]

I have lived where umbrellas were essential, and I currently live where they are handy on a very rare basis. It all depends on where you are, and what sort of experiences you run into regularly. While living in South Mississippi, or in Panama, or Honduras, an umbrella was quite important to be being able to get back and forth to work relatively comfortably, while here in San Antonio, it's widely believed that this "rain" people speak of is a legend based on a lawn sprinkler malfunction ages ago, so why prepare for such flighty-headed fairy tale events?

Here's an example of the whole "in context" issue: While in both Honduras and Panama (with the Air Force and colocated with Army units), I regularly used an umbrella because rain was a frequent and consistent event. The Air Force at that time allowed members to use umbrellas, while the Army flatly banned them. I had a number of people (mostly relatively senior Army enlisted people) run up and dress me down for using my umbrella. I let them sputter for a bit then pointed to my "US AIR FORCE" uniform label and quietly stated "the Air Force specifically allows umbrellas because our members are supposed to be able to show up sharp and dry, instead of unable to work because they are soaked to the skin; excuse me, I have a job to do." Army First Sergeants never liked that, but they didn't have an answer. But they did have great facial expressions during this sort of encounter. While in Honduras, I was a Master Sergeant (Air Force E-7) and was able to shut down an Army captain with this exact exchange. Fortunately, most of the NCOs there were aware that "Those Air Force idiots are different..." We were also the ones that got them their supplies and equipment, and for the most part we cooperated sort of well.

[The Final Dakar]

I loved button action umbrellas growing up. Of course, I've probably used them more as toy than a legit rain repelling device.

Edit: And opened them more in doors than outside.

[ghporter]

All the umbrellas I've owned for the last 20 years were button-type. Getting out of a car in the rain with a more conventional umbrella sort of makes the umbrella superfluous, since you get half soaked getting it open anyway.

[Uncle Skeleton]

I used to need a good umbrella when my local bus stop was uncovered. Then for some reason they built a shelter at it, and now I never use my umbrella. It's the little things that make all the difference, whether you think everyone should be just like you and have one, vs everyone should be just like you and not need one. Needless to say, no matter what the details, everyone should be just like you (whomever you are).

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

I used to need a good umbrella when my local bus stop was uncovered. Then for some reason they built a shelter at it, and now I never use my umbrella. It's the little things that make all the difference, whether you think everyone should be just like you and have one, vs everyone should be just like you and not need one. Needless to say, no matter what the details, everyone should be just like you (whomever you are).

Well, if you want to be serious, I'm not arrogant enough to think no one should use one because not everyone is in the same circumstance. But I am arrogant enough to think that the people with umbrellas standing in the company lobby waiting for the rain to abate before they make their trek are missing the irony of their situation.


I hope I remember to make a similar shitty thread i have in mind regarding stupid winter habits people have when it's more apropos.

[Ω]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

I'm English - showing the Froggies how to work for the past 10 years.

I knew that, but I just like saying Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys. There, did it again.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Well, if you want to be serious, I'm not arrogant enough to think no one should use one because not everyone is in the same circumstance. But I am arrogant enough to think that the people with umbrellas standing in the company lobby waiting for the rain to abate before they make their trek are missing the irony of their situation.

That's why I always wait around inside with my umbrella waiting for the rain to start. Gotta represent

[Waragainstsleep]

I took Kung-Fu classes at university and while I ran out of money to pay for classes long before I got that far, the list of weapons they would eventually train you with included the umbrella.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Ω 

I knew that, but I just like saying Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys. There, did it again.

So long as my sister doesn't get bitten by a moose, I'm OK with that.

[Face Ache]

The umbrella is the modern-day sword. What man would pass up the opportunity of swinging a steel-tipped pointy stick in public?

Also, you can offer damsels in distress cover from the rain with an umbrella(-ella-ella). So umbrellas can get you laid.

And you have a licence to tap dance in gutters, should you so desire.

But you have to have a manly umbrella. Black or grey, and none of this pop-up rubbish made for women and carriers of "manbags".

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Let's face it, there are very few people who have the chops to pull off what Steed does so easily.

Well... precisely.

[Tiresias]

Dakar, am I correct to assume you have a raincoat?

[imitchellg5]

Umbrellas are how I tell the tourists apart from the natives.

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Dakar, am I correct to assume you have a raincoat?

Of course he does...


I voted AND posted in this thread.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Umbrellas are how I tell the tourists apart from the natives.

You mean, Seattle natives don't have umbrellas? They just get wet?

Most people in Vancouver have an umbrella.

[imitchellg5]

I can't remember ever using an umbrella. Generally on most of the misty/rainy days here the only people you see with umbrellas are Asian tourist groups.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

I can't remember ever using an umbrella. Generally on most of the misty/rainy days here the only people you see with umbrellas are Asian tourist groups.

So do you get wet, or just drive everywhere?

[imitchellg5]

I wear a coat.

[subego]

I prefer a raincoat unless my hands need to stay dry.