Author Topic: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.  (Read 2917 times)

MrFabulous

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The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« on: June 29, 2011, 10:47:22 PM »
PortCon is always about community, I understand that very well. It's something I've come to embrace in my seven years attending it in a row. Light hearted camaraderie. Meeting new people.


But when this involves clogging the hallways, which were already pretty narrow with people walking down them to begin with, making a ridiculous amount of noise and disrupting everything around it with its insufferable nuisance, I draw the line.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you might recall The Waddle Train.

It was irritating waiting for it to go by as it - yes, IT - unpleasantly made itself apparent, especially in the smaller panel/karaoke hallway. After about forty five minutes of it lumbering around the packed hotel, it was eventually filed outside and all was fine again.

But might I suggest it staying outside? Would it be unreasonable for Staff to better enforce/prevent something like that happening again?

Here's an example of how long this got.

Discuss.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2011, 10:50:48 PM by MrFabulous »
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Hakuro de Killer

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2011, 10:54:58 PM »
I am quite surprised that I never encountered this abomination. I must've been doing something elsewhere.

I can see how it could be a HUUUGE issue and I think that it may need to be placed under control if it gets to be problematic.


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MrFabulous

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2011, 10:58:26 PM »
I am quite surprised that I never encountered this abomination. I must've been doing something elsewhere.

I can see how it could be a HUUUGE issue and I think that it may need to be placed under control if it gets to be problematic.
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tagaseguchi

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2011, 07:52:26 AM »
It was annoying but they were moving around so a big step up from free hugs. Maybe another year they will take another step towards con maturity

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2011, 08:30:37 AM »
Another case of con shenanigans :/
I don't mean to sound like a kill-joy, but I think we should ban loitering in the hallways all together  :ThumbDown: I almost tripped over a few people sitting in the hall by the game room.
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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2011, 10:29:23 AM »
NO! YOU CANNOT SIT THERE! YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE AND GET RAINED ON! MWA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! :angry:


Yeah, that's not gonna happen, When security sees halls clogging they disperse the crowds to more open areas, but we can't force people to attend panels or events. And they have to be somewhere. :P  In regards to the Waddle Train, I never encountered it, so it seems like it cleared up pretty quick.  You said yourself, it got sent outside when it became a nuisance.  So good job, PortCon Security!

Also I might suggest if you don't want things like this happening, don't feed the trolls by giving them free publicity on Youtube. :P
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Anidex

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2011, 04:37:16 PM »
It's not like it was started intentionally. And from what I saw, most of the people would join the train long enough to waddle to where they were going to, and then left it. 

Honestly, I was more annoyed by being clotheslined by people wanting to either hug me or take me somewhere.
Hugs are awesome, and I'm all up for meeting people...but please...I almost had the wind knocked out of me once when I was heading somewhere in a hurry, because someone thought it was a good idea to stick their arm out to kidnap me. :|

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2011, 08:17:35 PM »
I thought the train was hilarious. It didn't slow me down or seem too obnoxious. People staying in one place demanding hugs: that stunk! A group of people forming a congo line? UH... Not so bad?

I don't think we should turn staff into the anti-fun brigade. If we start this, where will it end?

Harmless fun is harmless. I saw it twice and it didn't bother me too badly.

That's just my opinion though :)
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MrFabulous

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2011, 09:10:17 AM »
I thought the train was hilarious. It didn't slow me down or seem too obnoxious. People staying in one place demanding hugs: that stunk! A group of people forming a congo line? UH... Not so bad?

I don't think we should turn staff into the anti-fun brigade. If we start this, where will it end?

Harmless fun is harmless. I saw it twice and it didn't bother me too badly.

That's just my opinion though :)

I can see where you're coming from. I just felt it a bit inconvenient to be cut off from trying to walk through some hallways and be interrupted for a full minute by a train of silly people. xD

I'm not trying to stompity stomp fun, I promise~! I just wanted to put that out there as to what I thought, see what other people's opinions were.
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tagaseguchi

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2011, 09:56:00 AM »
I can see where you're coming from. I just felt it a bit inconvenient to be cut off from trying to walk through some hallways and be interrupted for a full minute by a train of silly people. xD

I'm not trying to stompity stomp fun, I promise~! I just wanted to put that out there as to what I thought, see what other people's opinions were.

see you are a polite person. if people are  in my way and I have to stand there for more then 5 seconds and they dont move I move them.

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2011, 10:40:57 AM »
At least they were single file and not a mob? :x

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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2011, 11:20:22 AM »
That's the thing. Regular con goers have to speak up and tell these people they are being annoying. There isn't much security can do for something like other than ask them to go outside. I understand it can be annoying cause I had a problem like this in the panel rooms hallway but it was waiting for lines to move. Sadly starting a line for "Waiting for the hallway to clear abit" is gonna happen. As much as I don't wanna say it Portcon is starting to get too big for the Wyndham.
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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2011, 12:14:02 PM »
saw the waddle train and all the managed for me was to get me to laugh at the people who walked like they had full diapers. never had an issue moving through them. just cut right through. I remember a conga line that would of been more of a problem a few years ago, but that was short lived so never became an issue
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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #13 on: July 01, 2011, 12:15:43 PM »
As much as I don't wanna say it Portcon is starting to get too big for the Wyndham.
Oh, people have been saying that since the pre-tent days.  Unfortunately, there's simply no place in the Portland area available for us to move to at the current time.  ...so let's not even go down that road.
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Re: The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2011, 12:58:32 PM »
Some of the artists were upset because their customers got pushed out of the room, like a human pipe-cleaner.
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