ID woes at Con (2 Tales)

[Igorina]

And by 'Con', I refer to science-fiction and/or fantasy conventions.

In the normal course of things I don't work in retail, I don't work with the public, and am generally chained to a lab bench far away from the majority of human intereaction.

However, I am a sci-fi/fantasy fan, and cons are where I am social. To the point where I am a con volunteer. *thunder rumbles*

Since a rarely interact with people at work, I will seek out front line work at cons for two reasons. 1) It gets it out of my system, and 2) I quickly find out if I know anyone attending the con.

One con, I was working registration. Attendees who had pre-registered took advantage of lower rates, more impressive name tags, and other spiffy extras (banquet tickets, higher quality of alcohol and/or energy drinks at the consuite).

One would think that if you had the foresight to pre-register that you would like the Con to make sure that you got what you paid for. And that no one else scampered off with your badge by saying they were you.

Curse my naivete! Apparently asking for photo ID was tantamount to asking for a blood sacrifice of a beloved pet. Also, Fascist.

Other cons, I help some friends run a room party. It's a good time, however, the laws of the state this particular con was in are such that EVERYONE must show ID to get alcohol.

The city this con is held in has a tendency to run some plainclothes officers through to make sure we're all behaving. As none of us could afford the fines involved for alcohol violations in this state, we took no chances and carded everyone; graybeards and younglings alike.

Knowing that we were setting ourselves up for SCs galore, the men did roving security, bouncer work, and us women filled the roles of ID checker, Bartender, and Tip Jar. For our part, a few cute smiles, mild flirting, and distracting outfits made the mostly male clientele docile. And much of the female clientele were hugging us for cading them.

However, as ID checker, I still got yelled at for carding some one who was 'old enough to be my father', didn't I know who the person was!?, was just here 30 minutes ago, Idon't have my ID, I'm in costume. I'm certain those of you who work with alcohol distribution have heard it all before.

The Guests of Honor for this con, who are well-known enough that I could recognize them and knew they were generously of age were not the ones asking if I knew who they were, either.

It makes me happy to have the lab to scurry back to, as I could never work retail for long without becoming violent.

[-H-]

And by 'Con', I refer to science-fiction and/or fantasy conventions.

Sounds like some of the room parties i've attended at Dragon*Con ... ah memories, or lack of memories in some cases, yeah i've noticed some bizarre and wildly differing laws regarding alcohol, whilst travelling in America!

[ThePhoneGoddess]

In the US only the most basic alcohol laws are federal, such as the minimum age to drink. Most all else is up to the individual state and counties, and such, they vary incredibly. it is like a patchwork.

[Igorina]

Sounds like some of the room parties i've attended at Dragon*Con ... ah memories, or lack of memories in some cases, yeah i've noticed some bizarre and wildly differing laws regarding alcohol, whilst travelling in America!

Last year was the first year I went to DragonCon...That is an interesting con to work.

Nearly had one guy take a swing at me. Got yelled at for not knowing where some strange woman's husband was. Escorted a guest or two. Nearly got moshed into a favorite author.

And the thing of it is, as stressful and exhausting as working that con is, I'll be doing it again next year. There's just something about it.

[napoleana]

I am glad you volunteer despite this. I am fairly certain that the reason why every year, our volunteers are almost entirely new faces are because each year, most of them work dealer's room or registration and find out how much so many of the congoers suck.

[Igorina]

I am glad you volunteer despite this. I am fairly certain that the reason why every year, our volunteers are almost entirely new faces are because each year, most of them work dealer's room or registration and find out how much so many of the congoers suck.

I always find it fascinating what goes on behind the scenes. Plus, I get to yell and/or use sarcasm.

[Seolta]

Last year was the first year I went to DragonCon...That is an interesting con to work.

On behalf of some of the more sane D*Con frequenters...thank you. If by "last year" you mean this past('07) con, I'd like to throw in a bunch of exclamation marks, maybe a capslock or two...the previous two years(I've gone for three now) seemed to be a lot less hectic, and I know for a fact that registration(and the pre-reg lines) were WAY understaffed, and judging by some of the comments I heard, it's a wonder the rest didn't walk.

[Igorina]

On behalf of some of the more sane D*Con frequenters...thank you. If by "last year" you mean this past('07) con, I'd like to throw in a bunch of exclamation marks, maybe a capslock or two...the previous two years(I've gone for three now) seemed to be a lot less hectic, and I know for a fact that registration(and the pre-reg lines) were WAY understaffed, and judging by some of the comments I heard, it's a wonder the rest didn't walk.

You're welcome. But if you really want to thank the people who make it work, trudge up to the con security offices and tell them there. They hear thanks far fewer times than those of us circulating, and they are the people who do the trouble-shooting.

Yeah, '07 was the first DragonCon I worked.

I was watching reg lines a bit throughout the weekend. I was just greatful the weather was as pleasant as it was with all the lines that ran outside.

[trunks2k]

In the US only the most basic alcohol laws are federal, such as the minimum age to drink.

I don't think even that is a federal law. It's just that all states have the same drinking age. IIRC, the reason that the drinking ages are all the same is that the federal gov't threatened to withhold money for highways in states that kept the drinking age at 18.

[Geek King]

I don't think even that is a federal law. It's just that all states have the same drinking age. IIRC, the reason that the drinking ages are all the same is that the federal gov't threatened to withhold money for highways in states that kept the drinking age at 18.

In that case, it is properly referred to as a Federal Mandate. Do it or we withhold our money.

Kid: And now I know!
Bar-B-Q: And knowing is half the battle!
<Bar-B-Q gets run over by a dump truck.>
<Kids giggle and run off to do wholesome things.>

[chops]

In that case, it is properly referred to as a Federal Mandate. Do it or we withhold our money.

Kid: And now I know!
Bar-B-Q: And knowing is half the battle!

G. I. JOOOOOOOOOOOOOE!

[Eric the Grey]

That reminds me of the one (and only) time I worked registration for a con. It was titled Once Upon-A-Con and was a LARP con put on by the IFGS. (If you're lost with all the acronyms, don't worry. They're not important to the story).

Like I said, I was in charge of registration. All Pre-Registrants had hand-made badges (via badge-o-matic, the absolutely worse way to do a lot of badges) and ready to be picked up at the door. Simple hand-written badges were put together for those who did not pre-reg.

Anyway, Friday night, and one of Con-com comes up with our Author GOH (Guest of Honor), Mercedes Lackey (one of her last con appearances). There was NO badge to be found for her at all. None!!!

We ended up making one up on parchment paper special on the spot, but man, what an embarrassment.

It didn't help that I didn't know who she was and had never read any of her books at the time...


Eric the Grey

[Igorina]

Anyway, Friday night, and one of Con-com comes up with our Author GOH (Guest of Honor), Mercedes Lackey (one of her last con appearances). There was NO badge to be found for her at all. None!!!

When I working registration the one time it was the GOH's Husband's tag that went missing.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

The worst thing that ever happened with me & a GOH was, as I was standing the registration line & talking to the woman behind me, I noticed a man in an absolutely beautiful vest. I am a self-confessed textile whore. So I immediately compliment him on the beautiousness of his vest (for Panigg & other non-native English speakers, that translates to 'the utter beauty of his vest, so beautiful that I must make up words to encompass said beauty').

As he's telling me about his vest (friend wove the fabric as well as made the vest for him, my little textile heart went budda-bump in lust for his vest), I notice that he's wearing a GOH badge (at this con they were a special color, etc). I even recognized his name, although I have not read many of his books. I'm playing it cool, completely ignoring that he's a big-time author. Because after all, what kind of moron exclaims over a man's vest, completing ignoring his literary accomplishments. Yeah. This one.

Then the woman behind me exclaims, "Oh, you're So&So, I love your books." At which point I could only exclaim, in the bitterest tones that I could manage, "Thank you very much. I've been trying very hard to ignore that because I've been gushing all over his vest & not him & you've ruined it. I look like a complete idiot, instead of only a partial one."

On the bright side, both the woman & the author thought it was funny. So it wasn't a complete loss.

[Stormraven]

Who knows? Maybe he was pleased that you weren't going all 'fanboi' on him.