The Waddle Train - PCM 2011's Free Hugs issue.

[RichardtheDragon]

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?

probably the most important part of this thread, while the closed quarters "swimming upstream" was bad, at least people were moving. I think this was the first year where everything seemed... accessible, no one standing in the way, blocking god knows what (except for pictures, but that's fine.)

remember kids, keep moving, cause there might be a panel someone wants to go to, and if they have to stop or go the long way and that panel hits capacity, you'll make that person feel bad

[ragabash!]

Hmm...  I guess, being a 6'3" big guy, I've not really had problems moving through crowds.  But there's a bit of a skill to it.  Just make yourself as large as you can and act like you need to go somewhere.  This even works for smaller folk.  If this fails you can always follow the Fezzig method.  Say forcefully from the diaphragm, "Everybody, Move!"  I know Col. Mustard has seen me use this one. ^_^

[Spawn]

I'm only 5'9", but I never have problems getting through the halls. If you don't have size going for you, you can be polite (but demanding) and it works quite well. 

[Motokoluver]

I never ran into the waddle train.

[Shika]

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.

I haven't even cleared the land for that road. I'm not complaining cause I love the Wyndam and I think they like us as well.

[ync]

I haven't even cleared the land for that road. I'm not complaining cause I love the Wyndam and I think they like us as well.

they DO like us haha - or atleast some of them do - when i was setting up in the alley thursday night 2 of their workers came in and said "this is great, people coming together and having a good time - with unique and creative ideas, i don't see why people find this a problem - i'll take this over the NBA conference any day." that was really nice to hear - and they were walking around looking at the already set up tables quickly saying how good the stuff was and how they wanted it.

but the waddle train - i only encountered it twice and both times it was in the alley - i didn't really know what it was until after the con. it didn't really bother me, it didn't make me lose customers but i could see some people losing some customers. but all in all i think it's fine - MUCH better than free hugs imo - the waddle train only happened every now and then (or just saturday?) while free hugs happen All weekend, ALL the time, EVERYWHERE. the people in it made me giggle and brought some entertainment to the more kind of boring/slow moments of the alley

[nik the foamsmith]

I'm only 5'9", but I never have problems getting through the halls. If you don't have size going for you, you can be polite (but demanding) and it works quite well. 

well when you spend a con threatening to kill people that happens.  also people may be letting you pass to watch you walk away

i dont get it but really not some thing that should be going to the artist ally or vendors room

[Archimer]

Vendors and the Alley are congested enough without a train trying to muscle its way through. Next year, I think we should mention this to security, and make sure that people-trains and the like are prevented from entering these rooms. Me and Art Staff couldn't do much to stop them once they were in the door.

[nephilistic]

Vendors and the Alley are congested enough without a train trying to muscle its way through. Next year, I think we should mention this to security, and make sure that people-trains and the like are prevented from entering these rooms. Me and Art Staff couldn't do much to stop them once they were in the door.

note has been made. I'll make sure to bring this up with the rest of security.

[j99450]

I'm 5'1 and was carrying around a huge hammer most of the time, but I didn't have much trouble getting around them...of course I wasn't averse to using the hammer to create an opening

[tagaseguchi]

Yeah I had the cage that day it was basically close my eye and go through people if I needed to get through quickly.

[Mephistomg]

Heh. I joined it for a bit, but it was a real eye opener. I must admit that I stayed inside this "Waddle Train" to view just how humongous PortCon has become. From a observational point of view, all of con is becoming a giant, unorganized Waddle Train. When trying to get from point A to point B, you're waddling all of the way there to #1: Avoid tromping on precious cosplay and feet, and #2: Avoid causing a case of jumble-noes (a cross between staggering people and dominoes). In all truthfulness, the Waddle Train had to have been the most organized movement of bodies within the entire con. And OF COURSE people are going to loiter in the main lobby. There's ramune, vendors, art, t-shirts, waiting for friends to arrive, etc. If we spread out main hangout attractions like those a bit, we may make it work.

"Annoyance" and "having a good time" sometimes go hand in hand. It all depends on who you are and your mood that day. I joined the train for a grand total of two-five minutes, and most of it was spent in there to observe PortCon's jumble of bodies from an outside (or, as I said, observational) point of view. You may not want to go down that road, but pretty soon that road is going to be filled with immovable bodies, full panels, unFATHOMABLE vendor rooms and artist alleys, and full seats. I had a blast, Waddle Train included, but if you follow the pattern of increasing attendees, this is going to get scary... fast. Waddle Train is a perfect example. Who knows what's in store next year. And when one or two people can get half of the con to make a GIGANTIC NYAN CAT RAINBOW POPTART TRAIN, we're going to see a real apocalypse next year, and no amount of security is going to be able to scream loud enough or have enough force to stop the GIGANTIC NYAN CAT RAINBOW POPTART TRAIN.

It's getting bad when people are annoyed at people having fun because there's no room. It reminds me of walking in the mall. People dislike people having fun in a unique way. When you have to worry about leers in your own habitat, then you might as well go cosplay alone in the center of the mall on some random day, jump on a table, and start singing your favorite anime theme song.

[Knarpulous]

That's why we have an attendance cap at around 2000 attendees. Unfortunately there is no larger place to have the con in the area at this time.

[Twine]

It was only really a big issue when it when through the panel room hallways, and got stopped at the door and had to turn around. Double file + people loitering along the walls = not cool.

[Everest]

I wasn't very involved in the time of Free Hugs, so I have no ugly memories of that. But the Waddle Train looked fun; I would have joined had I not been eating.

But it went into the Vendor's Room/Artist's Alley? Yeeeaaaahhh . . . that isn't right. Were this to happen again, I would hope the staff would forbid it from entering an area that is going to be congested and partly immobile. But if it's just in the halls or outside, I see nothing to take umbrage at. In the end, the line is made up of people; if they're in your way, just politely move through them.