<p>tanman: Love the blog you posted. I think I've been on those tours. I agree that those folks on the tours who insist on letting everybody know that they're "special," stems from pure insecurity and a feeling of inferiority--that they somehow don't belong--so they have to let everybody know they do. I think it gets really amusing after a while. </p>
<p>One of the funniest stories I ever heard was a friend telling us about taking their older daughter (graduated a few years ago from Duke) on the college tour. Their much younger son accompanied them. They visited Brown, and while on the rather crowded tour, they got separated from their son. They knew he was in the crowd--they could see him--but he was at the far end from where they were. Halfway through the tour, while stopped in front of some building, someone asked about the total costs to attend Brown. When the tour guide spelled it out for them, and all got quiet, they heard this voice booming over the crowd, "Dad--hey Dad-- Alison can forget this school. We can't afford it. Let's get outta here." And the kid started leaving. Probably funnier if told in person (or you had to be there), but I loved that story. :)</p>
<p>jack, I loved that story! I got a real chuckle out of it--and I needed a laugh today!! </p>
<p>As far as those annoying people on college tours, I tell my daughter that people who feel the need to broadcast how great they are must have real insecurities. People who are confident and sure of themselves don't need to tell anyone else about it. You almost have to feel sorry for them. We ran across several like that last summer.</p>
<p>I took my daughter and a friend of hers to tour LA schools a couple years back. We had a very normal tour at LMU, and then went to Pepperdine...beautiful place by the way. There was only one other group of people in our tour group. They were out from the mid-west (we were eavesdropping). Anyway, it was a mom, her two high school sons, and one of the son's girlfriend. The son and the girlfriend were holding hands, a kiss here a kiss there...a bit wierd in that we were on a college tour. But what was really weird was that anytime the boyfriend/girlfriend got lovey-dovey, the other son woud grab his mom's hand, kiss her cheek, rub her back. </p>
<p>The three of us did not hear a thing the tour guide had to say because what was going on in our tour was SOOOO strange! At first I thought I was the only one who had picked up on it, but the second we broke from our tour group, my daughter and her friend said in unison, "did you see that?" We laughed all the way to USC....where the next day they were waiting in line for a tour. We opted for different tour group.</p>
<p>^ ew...that reminds me when my family and me went to a baseball game...and a kid (maybe 9?) slapped his mom's butt (like one of those husband/wife butt taps...ya know??) about two rows in front of us. </p>
<p>My mom and me both turned to eachother at the same time making really weird faces. Pretty gross.</p>