I've had fans point out an untied shoelace before, so I stopped the clock for the player bringing up the ball (well in their own end, no pressure) to tie the shoe as a safety measure (on a fast break or something I'd wait until the play had run its course) and then said a quick "Thank you" to whoever said it.
Sometimes a fan will ask you some innocuous question that you can answer very quickly without getting into a conversation. But I focus too much on the game because I'm still new at this, and I can't let myself get distracted.
If a guy I was working with had been drinking? Hooh-boy. That's a tough one. If it was obvious, I'd pull him aside and try to diplomatically get him out of there. Or hope that game management did it. Even if it left me on an island (if it was a 2-man game).
__________________
"And I'm not just some fan, I've refereed football and basketball in addition to all the baseball I've umpired. I've never made a call that horrible in my life in any sport."---Greatest. Official. Ever.
|