+1 I almost always have a yoyo with me, and am happy to use it when appropriate, but also want to stay available to those around me. However, lets face it, I’m not such an important guy that people are falling over themselves to get my attention, so, throwing in public wouldn’t hurt people’s perception of me… in fact, it might help.
I think it is all about each of us being comfortable in their own skin. Years ago, I wore fedora hats a lot. There was a saying on a hat forum “wear the hat, don’t let the hat wear you.” This meant that you would likely get less negative attention if you were comfortable with the hat, if it was part of your personality vs. if you looked like you were wearing a costume & trying to draw attention to yourself. Anything out of the ordinary can bring you attention, be it wearing a hat, using a fountain pen, throwing a yoyo. Depending on your motivation and where you are in your life, the attention could be a good or bad thing. I’m an old man (but not ancient), I have gotten to the point where I generally don’t get concerned with what other people think of me. That being said, I wouldn’t yoyo in church or on a job interview, so, I recognize I still have some concern about what other people think of me, and some sense of what is and is not appropriate for a given situation.
Definitely the people around you should get your consideration. I don’t completely ignore the yoyo when I’m around friends and family because they know I’m a yoyoing kinda guy. But I often find myself recognizing opportunities to show them they have my full attention and I put away the yoyo.
If we’re just yammering about last night’s hockey game, they don’t mind if I’m yoyoing.
I have a business that I’m usually stuck at for 11 or so hours most days. Regardless, I throw my yoyo there when I’m not busy. If a customer walks in, I stop, help them, and situation allowing I pick it back up and keep going. Sometimes they are still in my place and, I figure so be it. I mostly get reactions from kids, or customers with kids.
That being said, I’m still a novice. I try stand off to the side and work on my tricks so I’m at least partially obscured. Finally, I almost never throw when I’m out and about in public. Maybe if I was better I’d consider it.
I really dont like drawing attention to myself so i typically only throw in public when the urge is too great. i also make sure there isnt a massive crowd thats going to hover over me and ask questions cause then i get embarrassed lol.
I yoyo primarily in public. I don’t throw a ton at home. I basically throw while I am waiting for something or walking too somewhere. I do this so much that if I don’t have a yoyo I really don’t know what too do with myself, while waiting.
I also don’t do it for attention. In fact that’s the only thing I don’t really like about yoyoing in public is the interactions. I handle them fine but would rather just be left alone.
I almost never do unless I am with other yoyoers. I don’t know I just don’t feel too comfortable doing it. However, I still do sometimes because I’m bored and why not.
I have been throwing for some time now and I love throwing in public. I do it because I love when people stare or come and watch. If people don’t watch I don’t mind, but I love it when they do. I love when people gather around and are amazed.
The coolest trick that people are always amazed at seeing is magic trick. I always play it out like I messed it up and got a knot and people usually are like “awwww messed that one up!” then bam I blow on the string slap my hands together and its unknotted. Man they get a kick out of it.
I throw all the time just because I find it relaxing and fun. Sometimes I happen to be in public. I always find myself trying to hide it a little bit, but in the end I don’t really mind who sees. I threw in a mall for a while today. I didn’t get any looks as far as I know. I was too deep in my yo-yo trance.
Yo-yo is toy for killing time, so of course I play it any time when I have some spare time - waiting on bus, waiting on next lecture, etc.
Other people look on me, sometimes they ask what it’s, sometimes we get in long conversation about it, other times I give them flyer to local yo-yo shops.
Today was definitely a “yoyoing in public” kind of day when I went to my local amusement park California’s Great America. People were playing kendama while waiting in line at the amusement park so I figured why not work on my Pop n Fresh, doesn’t require a lot of space either. In line for one of the rides, people in the next section of the line were talking to their friends, and can faintly hear them mentioning about a bearing and having to “do something to get the yoyo to return” while another guy ahead of me who was playing his Kendama paused as he watched me.
Later in the day at another ride, I was doing a few tricks when some kid asked me if my yoyo was an “Accelerator”. Initially thinking he was talking about this: C3yoyodesign – YoYoExpert I asked him what accelerator he was talking about. He then said that it was one that you pushed down and it stayed down…(which told me he knew nothing really about yoyoing). I showed him my Shutter. Later he asked me where I bought it at. I told him to check out YoyoExpert and they have tutorials there too. Seconds later he goes back to his dad and tells him where he can buy these yoyos at
I had also let one of my friends try my Too H.O.T. and surprisingly he knew how to make it sleep…but that was about as far as he got. I explained to him about the bind and he actually did the front mount and that’s where he lost it and the string tangled up on him. His last experience with a yoyo was in the 90s.
And lastly one of my other friends had told me that a couple weeks ago when he was at the airport back east (I think he was in Virginia) he saw somebody doing some “crazy tricks” with a yoyo. He found out that this guy was on his way to a contest…Mid West Regionals perhaps?
I yoyo wherever I go. I always have a yoyo with me. It just makes me happy. I like to yoyo in public because it brings awareness to our awesome hobby. In fact, my favorite place to Yoyo is at Disneyland. I Yoyo everywhere in the parks. It is also fun to throw with the demonstrators at the Duncan kiosk in downtown Disney. Just go out there and throw.
Yea, can’t wait to visit Disney and since I’ll be having a “Zero Day” (day of arrival, checking into hotel, and just chill) I’m going to head to Downtown Disney and hit up the Duncan Kiosk and do some throwing. Maybe I can convince my friend into getting a yoyo, he sees how much fun I have all the time when we’re at the parks. And since I’m a Disney Annual Pass Holder, I can get a discount there
So today…I was in a very crowded Costco ready to go insane. I’m sure many here have shopped Costco and know there are absolutely rude shoppers there who will barrel their way through the aisles with their cart. I even reached my breaking point when one almost ran over me with their shopping cart as I told them to watch out as I don’t want my feet to get ran over.
Finally in a clear area and waiting for my pizzas to be picked up (had about 15 minute wait) I decided to work on my combo and work on Pop n Fresh…something to take my mind off the overwhelming Costco crowds. A Costco employee walks by and says “Wow, you’re pretty good with that thing!” (Mood gets better from the compliment). Now I just happened to be wearing my YYE shirt and as I’m leaving the area with my pizzas, this kid looks at me and says “Wow, man! You really are a yoyo expert!”
me personally…I could care the eff less what people think about what im doing. if they like it awesome, if they think I have no life awesome too. I guess that modo comes with age
I throw whenever I feel the urge which is often, I have a “work” throw that is silent so I don’t disturb my co workers, ive got a kindda beat throw I take with me everywhere. two nights ago I was waiting at outback for a seat, we walked out front, wife sits down daughter sits down and I throw…5 mins later there’s 5 people watching and I helped pass the time for everyone…win win…plus I got the “ive never seen a yoyo do stuff like that before” line.
maybe someone went home and hit youtube then maybe looked for a throw…ive still yet to meet another thrower in the wild other than luke hildy
But I often find myself recognizing opportunities to show them they have my full attention and I put away the yoyo.
so i typically only throw in public when the urge is too great. i also make sure there isnt a massive crowd thats going to hover over me and ask questions 
cause then i get embarrassed lol.