Most offensive disability-related words

One is tempted to ask - with such a wide and varied range of students, which of the above categories did YOU run with, K?

I suppose I would have been categorized among the freaks since I had long hair, but I actually had friends in all of the other groups except perhaps the crazies, even though I associated with a few of them.

I remember a certain guy called Jason who wasn't a student but who was always on campus. He had a job as Mickey Mouse at Disneyland but claimed that he was actually a reincarnation of Satan and had fathered a dozen children up and down the East Coast.

I'd have thought short hair would have made you the odd one out in those days...

I wouldn't call them crazies if they were definitely mentally ill.

OK, that's all I wanted to know. I think the people Kerouac saw appeared to be mentally ill, although he's been a bit coy about saying so.

Ok. What I thought he was saying is that there were people acting strange, but not necessarily mentally ill because he can't be sure. I might have assumed he was saying that, based on my experience with the people I mentioned. I think they must have some sort of affliction to act the way they do, but then again they seem to function ok in society and at least one of them holds down a good corporate job.

Kerouac, what about their appearance or behavior made you classify them as "crazies"?

I personally believe that anyone who actually considers themselves as 'normal' are about as juiced up as they come, because the whole of modern society is about as mental as you can get...

Anyone acting seriously odd can be classified at least temporarily as a crazy, as far as I am concerned, whether or not it is possible to call in a doctor for a serious medical opinion. I think that most of us do not have professionals with us at all times to validate or not our opinions of a situation.

On this thread, the principal question is whether you consider the use of the word "crazy" offensive or not. I find it to just be a convenient word, which I use to categorize both friends and people seen on the street, depending on the situation.

And yes, I think that some of the posters here are a little crazy, which I consider to be a much friendlier designation than if I said I thought they were mentally disturbed.

Yay! I am happy to say that today I got the chance to be the crazy as I made a little video on the metro. People watched me out of the corner of their eyes to see if I would do anything creepy or dangerous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9UNtYcGwQQ

Nice video. The train is so clean! And I love those triple-poles in the center between the doors. Wish we had them here.