Ghosting
Posted by lord thrifty the cromulent

I was idly wondering about this.  An anime convention, PopCon, came through July 7 through 10th.  I wasn't attending, but I followed some cosplayers from the Circle Center Mall into the convention center and strolled around.  PopCon is much much smaller than GenCon (it was using maybe 1/10 of the convention center, and a different event was being held on the other side).  I wandered in and mingled a little.  But there were people outside the actual exhibit halls who seemed to be checking badges at the doors, so I couldn't go in that deep.

The convention center is an open and sprawling building.  I go in sometimes when there's no events at all.  I think it's generally a pretty public place.  Otherwise, they'd have to have badge checks at the entrances.

Posted by elvinlord

I wonder if anyone remembers the year gencon decided to crack down on badges 2009 or 2010? and had check points which narrowed traffic flow down to One person at a time at pretty much every corridor that was horrible.  

Not only did it slow traffic to a crawl the security goons were rude as all get out.

Posted by bith elvinlord

elvinlord wrote:
I wonder if anyone remembers the year gencon decided to crack down on badges 2009 or 2010? and had check points which narrowed traffic flow down to One person at a time at pretty much every corridor that was horrible.  
Not only did it slow traffic to a crawl the security goons were rude as all get out.
I haven't missed a GenCon since 2000 and I have no recollection of them ever doing this...

Posted by rutherfordr

Yeah, I don't remember that, either.

AFAIK GenCon has never done anything like that.

Posted by noone

I've been going since 93 ( expect for two years) and every year since 2004.   I don't remember anything vaguely resembling this

Posted by tyoung elvinlord

elvinlord wrote:
I wonder if anyone remembers the year gencon decided to crack down on badges 2009 or 2010? and had check points which narrowed traffic flow down to One person at a time at pretty much every corridor that was horrible.  
Not only did it slow traffic to a crawl the security goons were rude as all get out.
I remember this because they had security at the end of the tube as you entered the convention center from the mall/parking garage checking for badges. I forget which year it was.

Posted by njseahawksfan tyoung

tyoung wrote:
elvinlord wrote:
I wonder if anyone remembers the year gencon decided to crack down on badges 2009 or 2010? and had check points which narrowed traffic flow down to One person at a time at pretty much every corridor that was horrible.  
Not only did it slow traffic to a crawl the security goons were rude as all get out.
I remember this because they had security at the end of the tube as you entered the convention center from the mall/parking garage checking for badges. I forget which year it was.
It most be pre 2010, because I certainly don't remember this and I've hit up every once since '10.

Posted by elvinlord

The check points were manned by convention center security. Basically once you got past registration you had to pass a check point just to walk down the hallways in addition to check points at the dealer hall.  Good times thankfully it only happened one year.

Now that think about it might have been pre 2009.  Years kind of blend together.

Posted by garhkal

Funny, the only time i remember people checking ID's (outside of the entrance to the exhibitor halls) was going into the room for checking out games..

Posted by dmhops

Several years ago we were gaming late in a conference room in the Marriott.  All the scheduled events in the room were done for the day and we were using a table.  It was well past midnight and Gen Con staff came into the room and asked to see our badges. Two people in our group has left them in their room. They were asked to leave and get them.  Gen Con is monitoring the rooms.  

Posted by bith dmhops

dmhops wrote:
Several years ago we were gaming late in a conference room in the Marriott.  All the scheduled events in the room were done for the day and we were using a table.  It was well past midnight and Gen Con staff came into the room and asked to see our badges. Two people in our group has left them in their room. They were asked to leave and get them.  Gen Con is monitoring the rooms.  
Yes, they are.  But we aren't talking about the rooms.  We are talking about the general common areas, such as the hotel lobbies. 

Nobody has asserted that GenCon can't kick people out of GenCon specific areas. 
What we are saying is that the Omni Hotel Lobby (as an example) is *not* a GenCon area, and if I don't have my badge on me and I'm hanging out there they can't kick me out.  And if they try, I'm perfectly within my rights to tell them to screw off.

Posted by bith elvinlord

elvinlord wrote:
The check points were manned by convention center security. Basically once you got past registration you had to pass a check point just to walk down the hallways in addition to check points at the dealer hall.  Good times thankfully it only happened one year.
Now that think about it might have been pre 2009.  Years kind of blend together.
I mean, I've been going since before it went to Indy.  The only times I've seen this sort of checking has been after hours.  Never during the prime operation times.

Posted by austicke bith

bithlord wrote:And if they try, I'm perfectly within my rights to tell them to screw off.

Whoa, you're hardcore!

Posted by edward_49

I wonder if you are thinking of the year they were tearing down the old football stadium (RCA Dome / Hoosier Dome) that used to be attached to the ICC, and expanding the convention center itself.  You had to go through a slightly unusual checkpoint to get from a common hallway though a bunch of torn-apart building (that probably sounds a lot worse than it was, but it was obviously still a work in progress, no carpet, construction gear roped off, etc.) to get to where the Magic and other card games were.
 

Posted by gharris

This year will already be way overpopulated. We have already seen the effects of population bloat for housing, next month we get to see the effects on food truck lines, restaurant lines, parking, getting through the exhibit hall, and so on. We don't need more people who aren't supposed to be there are showing up. I am all for enforcing wearing badges in all areas of Gen Con, including areas in surrounding hotels contracted for use by Gen Con.

Lets nip this ghosting nonsense in the bud.

Posted by stiehle gharris

gharris wrote:Lets nip this ghosting nonsense in the bud.

Now I can't get this image out of my head...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mj6B4DtNyM
 

Posted by maijstral2 tyoung

tyoung wrote:
elvinlord wrote:
I wonder if anyone remembers the year gencon decided to crack down on badges 2009 or 2010? and had check points which narrowed traffic flow down to One person at a time at pretty much every corridor that was horrible.  
Not only did it slow traffic to a crawl the security goons were rude as all get out.
I remember this because they had security at the end of the tube as you entered the convention center from the mall/parking garage checking for badges. I forget which year it was.
Yeah I remember this as well, I thought it odd since I haven't seen it before or since. The person at that entrance wasn't doing a comprehensive check they were just doing pretty much the same thing as they do at the vendor hall just seeing if you have a badge displayed. I don't remember seeing anyone at any other entrances but since I was staying in one of the hotels that was the entrance I used the most. I've been going since the mid 80's with a 10 year gap during the 90's.

Posted by garhkal gharris

gharris wrote:
This year will already be way overpopulated. We have already seen the effects of population bloat for housing, next month we get to see the effects on food truck lines, restaurant lines, parking, getting through the exhibit hall, and so on. We don't need more people who aren't supposed to be there are showing up. I am all for enforcing wearing badges in all areas of Gen Con, including areas in surrounding hotels contracted for use by Gen Con.
Lets nip this ghosting nonsense in the bud.

Cause of that food truck/restaurant issue, i am seriously considering just buying a loaf of bread (or two), some Ham/turkey and cheese slices and making my meals in the morning before heading over...

Posted by elvinlord edward_49

edward_49 wrote:
I wonder if you are thinking of the year they were tearing down the old football stadium (RCA Dome / Hoosier Dome) that used to be attached to the ICC, and expanding the convention center itself.  You had to go through a slightly unusual checkpoint to get from a common hallway though a bunch of torn-apart building (that probably sounds a lot worse than it was, but it was obviously still a work in progress, no carpet, construction gear roped off, etc.) to get to where the Magic and other card games were.
 
That was it, I was still playing magic heavily at the time

Posted by maijstral2 garhkal

garhkal wrote:
gharris wrote:
This year will already be way overpopulated. We have already seen the effects of population bloat for housing, next month we get to see the effects on food truck lines, restaurant lines, parking, getting through the exhibit hall, and so on. We don't need more people who aren't supposed to be there are showing up. I am all for enforcing wearing badges in all areas of Gen Con, including areas in surrounding hotels contracted for use by Gen Con.
Lets nip this ghosting nonsense in the bud.

Cause of that food truck/restaurant issue, i am seriously considering just buying a loaf of bread (or two), some Ham/turkey and cheese slices and making my meals in the morning before heading over...
A few years back I roomed with some people that did exactly that, brought a cooler full of cold cuts,cheese, bread and tupperware with food in it and that was their meals for the Con. They had no problems, except they really needed a mini fridge. Heck hit Walmart on the way in and you could feed yourself for all 4 days for the price of a couple of meals at the food trucks.

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