What do you mean I can't bring my weapon???

[FANGS]

I'll start checking the websites of the most upcoming cons and post any new weapon/prop rules.

Much appreciated!

Apparently they've installed metal detectors and bag checks at PCC but the lines are moving fairly well.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

I've gone through several of the cons web pages already. Most cons have instituted peace bonding of weapons. Either by securing "swords" to their sheaths or pistols to the holster. Regardless the orange tip seems to be the standard for all cons. Before going to any con, check the website for any changes in prop policy. It would really suck if you get to the front door and they tell you your weapon can't come in and your parked 6 blocks away.

 

[mblackwell1002]

Much appreciated!

Apparently they've installed metal detectors and bag checks at PCC but the lines are moving fairly well.

Well that's good. Metal detectors aren't too bad, at least I get to keep my guns. I'm sure that once one convention accepts a reasonable policy, most conventions will adopt it as well. RN, ECCC is pretty prop-friendly. I saw people with all sorts of props who didn't have to deal with the po-po, so I don't have any reason to be afraid there. But I feel that they will eventually adopt the metal detectors...but I've got nothing to worry about, right? *nervous smile*..........right?

 

[GMer56]

Let's be honest; if someone really wanted to bring a weapon in and do some damage, they could smuggle it in their costume or something. Or even just attack people outside the convention center.

A lot of times the type of people who implement these extreme measures do so out of a "feel good" mentality more than getting results. Granted, they do get the results at the expense of their convention goers. The appearance of security is more important than security itself: no one will try anything with a 7ft bouncer, but might try something with a 5ft martial artist in street casual.

If I made a "weapon" for one of my costumes -the character wields a giant scalpel- it probably would get away with being a giant spoon or something.

Best thing to do is either vote with your wallet - not attend such a restrictive con- or attend and submit a complaint.

All well, Vermont permits open carry as long as you aren't in a school, bus or courthouse. There are rural areas here with "neighborhood watch" signs, so you can cipher out what that means.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Well this conversation is geared more towards conventions rather than a school, a bus or any other public location. We are also trying to not draw any unwanted attention towards our group...... unless it's positive. If some individual gets dressed up in a generic costume and attends a con w/ weapons, the headline would read "Cosplayer w/ weapon".....We wouldn't like to see "Master Chief on the Rampage" or "ODST out of control" or any other variant of that nature. Just be careful and aware of the prop/weapons rules of the con you are attending. Lets not get in to what other people do and why they do it. That isn't what this group is about.

 

[GMer56]

I'm not advocating anyone breaking rules, I just think its important to know the reason rules exist and their efficacy. That way they can be discussed and come up with solutions/improvements.

Make sure to research a convention's rules before attending!

 

[NZSpartanz]

Here in New Zealand we only have Armageddon Expo. Last year people had weapons with cosplay, be interesting to see if we follow suit with the rest of the world.

 

[TheAstroBot]

Well written post, and an excellent way of expressing the reasons behind a change in policy that people have highlighted as... Well, frustrating.

Denver Comic Con this year actually implemented the "No Gun" policy, however, it wasn't handled well in my personal opinion. The policy on Prop guns was put in place the day of the Con, and people sadly just weren't being informed on time, not until they reached near the front of the line, in some instances. From there, cosplayers had to go to the opposite end of the building, turn in their prop (Which I hadn't even been told this by the time I was there, and had to ask three different staff members inside the con as to why my weapon hadn't even been inspected or anything of the sort, just taken and put under a table), and had to go to the end of the line. People managed to easily sneak weapons in, or at least did so on day 1. Saturday was a nightmare for cosplayers unto itself.

Now, I'm not saying anything about the policy itself as a gripe about "Oh, no gosh darn guns, dis con sucks", but more so to point out that I think the policy makes sense, but I do hope that they implement it in a much neater fashion. In similar circumstance to Kaween's statement on GC, the timing was WAY off, and the only reason people outside the con heard about it was because a news reported about it, or so I heard. The most troublesome thing is the fact that I had to ask several people about the policy, which meant not all staff knew about this policy.

I suppose what my rambling actually means is that while I'm fine with the no gun rule, I just hope for it can become a cleaner and better policy, rather than the somewhat nightmarish thing I personally ended up seeing there. FANGS is right- We live in a time full of uncertainty. I think the idea of erring on the side of caution and removing guns is a good thing. I just hope that cons that decide it can refine it so it doesn't end up making people angry or upset, and hurts the con's value itself.

 

[ThermalSoarer]

Reading about all these cons in the US implementing prop bans makes me all the more impressed with the way the show staff at MCM handled London Comic Con at the end of May. Bearing-in-mind that there was a terrorist attack in Manchester just a week before, they decided to maintain the prop policy the way it was (which is already fairly strict anyway), and instead implemented mandatory bag searches upon entry and sniffer dog patrols.

I was there with the Rebel Legion, who were exhibiting, and I remember in the morning briefing being told that the police would also be patrolling the con all day, and while the Army weren't at the con itself they were nearby due to the countries' threat level being critical. We were also asked to refrain from arresting people or pretending to shoot people where possible as a precaution, but apart from that we were permitted to carry our blasters as normal and honestly it didn't feel much different from previous times I've been (apart from the show being much more spread out this year, which was so nice!). On the Sunday we were informed the threat level was reduced to severe, so the Army had stood down; but the police patrols, sniffer dogs and bag searches were still in force.

Given that they already had a difficult time as there was construction work happening on the Docklands Light Railway that reduced the service available for people travelling too and from the convention centre, I think the show staff at MCM did a good job of making the show as good as they could for those of us attending (even if trying to get in to the show on Saturday proved to be a bit of a nightmare...).

 

[FANGS]

I think that any time organizers of a large gathering of people have to make changes to the rules it can be difficult to implement properly. And what they end up coming up with may actually the be the best they could come up with based on all of the things they need to consider. Sometimes that best is really icky for those of us going to the event. Not to mention how easy it is for wires to get crossed in what the message is when conventions are mostly staffed by volunteers. You're more likely to deal with a volunteer than with actual con staff which makes for a really horrible game of telephone where the story gets changed each time it's passed along from volunteer to volunteer. It leaves room for a lot of inconsistencies which make con goers confused and angry. Or sometimes you're dealing with two different organizations on top of everything else. The staff and volunteers for the convention and the staff of the facility the con is being held at. Now we're seeing another layer added of hired security and even police. It's only adding to the confusion.

All I can say is thank you to all of you for doing your best to ride this out.