It is called the 'perching instinct' and you are born with it. If you hold your fingers out to a new born child they hang on like there is no tommorrow!
Pretty hard to fight it.
See YA Adrian

I've had this happen too. Someone not too dissimilar to Borat was asking me questions about my kite when I was walking up the beach and then he just reaches out and grabs the bar. He didn't steer the kite too much before I got it back out of his hands. I was stunned that a complete stranger would do that. Some people have a very different concept of appropriate behaviour.

Maybe they figure the kites "turned off" or something when you're on the beach with it overhead... I dunno.

We have had the same thing happen several times. A woman grabed a a friends bar after being told not several times. He even told her why not to grab the bar. The second he looked away to talk to a guy on the beach she reached up and sent the kite through a loop. I have had several people try to do this to me too. Most of the time they are drunk. I have actualy had to push people away and walk off from them. all of them say they just want to see how hard the kite pulls on them. I make a point of telling all my students that they need to be aware of what people on the beach might do intentionaly and unintentionaly, especialy if they are drinking.

I thought to be the only one involved in this kinda adventures!!!
It happened to me one year ago....i was on the beach with the kite in the side of the window ( i never put the kite to the zenit ) when a man comes to me and begins to ask questions...he never saw a kite before...after 2 minutes of conversation ( i wanted to come back to water ) he grab a rear line!!!...WTF!!!..i say NO!!!...too late kite was already looping and i dragged the beach......he explained that he wanted to see the material of the line!! ..Holy S.!!.....since then i take more attention to the folks around me when the kite is in the sky .

Bye

IMAV

This guy will buy a bow kite cause depower is safe..........

Sols next time
After 3 warnings quickly unhook, disconnect the suicide leash and place the bar under his chin.
Sometimes its the only way to gain respect.

and here's what you do to stop them.

put your foot behind their knee and push forwards until their leg buckles and then keep on going...


it's amazing how falling flat on your face will make you drop whatever you are holding onto.

I like it!

I like it more

I have a better idea. I'll train my dog to attack anyone that comes near me when I fly a kite