Anyone got one to share (from either a staff member OR a attendee POV it doesn't matter)
The only one I can think of is a security guard at AX losing his shit at a girl for standing outside the dealer's hall (when it wasn't even that crowded) and then threatening to kick her out of the con when she started walking to get away from him and he took it as her ignoring him
I went to a small con by myself. I spent time wandering around and people watching because my friends weren't there yet. A man from security accosted me 3 times and asked me why I was passing by so often. It was like he'd never seen an adult woman alone before. I had to pass by his table to go to the bathroom and he would say something to me or try to make eye contact every time he saw me, even when I was with my friends who showed up later.
Not really a horror story, but he made me uncomfortable.
Someone a year++ ago confirmed that he was hotel staff and that at a convention (dragoncon?) They had to bring in hazmat suits because a room was entirely caked in fecal matter (tv, bed, ceiling fan, etc)
People called bullshit until he posted his hotel badge and credentials lmao
>>8824909
Bump because this kind of thing is highy interesting to me.
Only thing I've ever had happen was this one time when I was in a line and a staffer (some volunteer fuck, not one of the real staff) started yelling at us to "GET AGAINST THE WALL", like we were convicts or some shit. It didn't matter that we were standing real close to the wall, and weren't impeding anyone or anything. Oh, no. We HAD to be all up on that wall like lizards before they were satisfied.
If you tell a volunteer to go fuck themselves, does that usually result in a ban? 'Cause that's what I plan on doing if it ever happens again.
>>8825033
Only if you hang around to get banned. Just walk outside. Volunteer won't abandon his post.
Last year's Nekocon, when Professor Shyguy stepped down off of the stage to interact with the crowd, the con staff running the audio for the concert shut the whole concert down, including the acts after Professor Shyguy, stating Shyguy was "stage diving". Yelled at attendees to get out of the room, including a pregnant woman.
>Planned group skit
>Madoka skit, with a Madoka, Homura And Homulilly
>spend the night awake finishing huge window for the skit
>go to con
Now, it's common in my country to go through a bag search before entering the con, I'm not sure if this also happens in other countries because here they don't happen in hotels.
>security at door grab it our of my hand without warning (it's super lightweight and unfortunately fragile)
>hear a crack
>half window in my hand, piece of it in security hand, rest of it on the floor
>security woman just drops what's in her hand and orders me to let her see my bag
>I lose my shit and end up having a huge argument with her and her superior.
>I get nothing out of it and have to do the skit with my friend with the broken window
The only good thing was that other cosplayers helped fix what could be fixed of it with tape.
Skit ended up terrible, I feel terrible watching it and I regret every second. But I learned not to let security touch anything without my permission, I don't even care if I seem rude.
>>8825283
Holy hell. That's straight-up retarded.
>>8824909
>>8825303
>Now, it's common in my country to go through a bag search before entering the con, I'm not sure if this also happens in other countries because here they don't happen in hotels.
They happen in a good portion of cons out in the US
>>8824922
I believe it. I worked for Marriott for years and it was surprisingly common to find shit smeared all over rooms. To this day, wondering how it ended up on the walls and ceilings haunt me.
Bumpu.
Last year at Animethon staff manning the ticket booth were drunk as fuck at least one of the three days. Also rude and unhelpful as shit.
>>8825033
Was this Youma? There's been two volunteers like that who were total dicks.
I've told this before but why the fuck not.
>at a steampunk con (it was like 6 years ago and i am still atoning for this)
>vending with group of friends
>taking turns watching table
>about 830-9ish at night on Saturday and rest of group went off to see band, leaving two of us at table
>suddenly a group of hotel staff (not con staff) comes in and starts yelling that we all need to shut down because theyre going to lock up for the night
>they're actually physically herding people out and switching lights and a/c off
>we try to rush through and pack up and go to catch up with group
>one friend realizes her purse is still in room
>track down con staff
>con staff has no idea what we're talking about and finds hotel manager
>hotel manager has no idea what we're talking about, and rounds up all his employees
>eventually some admit they just didnt want to stay til midnight and properly clean and lock up
>ok so can we get back in now
>employee doesnt have key
>someone came up, said they were a vendor, and he just handed it to them
>after con staff went nuts tracking down all the vendors it did turn out to actually be someone who had a booth there at least
>but yeah tldr random concierge decided they controlled con hours and then let randoms in to a locked room of merch
>con run by cosplay club at school coming up
>friend sends me screenshots of club member running it making comments about organizing an orgy
>for reference, its well known that he raped a girl, and constantly hits on anyone and everyone
>dude also has a weird fetish for Joseph Stalin and MLP
>con has attendance of a lot of minors
>oshit.jpg
>tell people
>now cosplaying Chris Hansen
>>8826448
By any chance would this be a con in Ohio that is coming up next month?
>>8826459
nah, youre good anon
Bump, I am really interested in these kind of stories
I staff at a rather huge con for a few years now, I am usually too damn tired to interact with attendees but I did have unfortunate encounter with horrible staff. They are usually those who can't get past their ego or just want to show off.
Other than horrible staff, power tripping volunteers are also terrible
I am just listing a small sample of shit that I had to deal with over the years
>stand in the middle while taking an escalator for no goddamn reasons
>look down on other staff from different division
>think the con can't run without them
>giving orders to higher ranking staff
>doing tasks that are not meant for them or are not trained to do and fucks up
>tells their friend that x department is useless or that x staff is useless/has a useless position
>>8824922
Oh man, I remember that! Anyone got caps of it?
>>8825986
This makes me rage so hard.
>>8827071
Bump because I really want to read this. Somebody, if you have the caps, please post.
>>8824909
kill spergs
>>8825033
Probably not, but sounds like MTAC lmao
>>8825033
At a con 2 years ago a staffer was yelling at a line waiting for a panel to "Get out of the way! Or are you all deaf assholes?" My friends and I were like did he really just say that? Then 5 mins later he came back and did the same shit, not actually trying to direct anyone but rather calling names and taking off. Before he left I started yelling (Can you actually do you job and talk to people? You're just swearing at everyone. What is your problem? Almost no one can hear you and you haven't helped at all. YEAH I'M TALKING TO YOU DUDE LOOK AT ME) at him and took off and didn't come back.
The line for the panel was too damn long though so we left and reported him to the staff help desk. I didn't get the name on his shirt but when I described him a girl at the desk said "yeah I know exactly who you're talking about".
Made caps of the hazmat hotel story.
>>8827293
How the fuck did I know this was going to be Ohayocon? JFC what is wrong with Ohio
not necessarily a horror story but
>ax 2015
>buy a bunch of merch, get sick of carrying it around
>kneel on the ground near a wall to put it away
>volunteer comes in telling me not to sit
>they refuse to listen to me saying i was just putting merch away
>>8827124
LOL.
Another MTAC story. 2 years ago at MTAC in Line. First trip around the con. Find the door to the dealer room and there is no line so we decide to duck in to check it out. Some fat bastard volunteer yells at us that its an exit only. "Sorry", "You have to go around, blah blah blah ". Really how hard is it to say "Sorry guys exit only or get a piece of paper and scribble "EXIT ONLY" and tape it up.
That was the part that pissed me off most. They were a lot better about that last year. Hopefully they will do good this year.
>Have weak knees from sports injuries.
>Staying at hotel that was a 20 minute walk from con-center
>Must have done too much walking, because my leg just gave out.
>Couldn't stand on it or anything, some friends helped me to the con medical center
>Volunteer staff were all uninformed and barely knew first aid, gave me an ice pack and that's it.
>I ask if they can provide me with crutches or anything?
>Oh no sorry we only have one pair and we're giving it to her
>Points to the girl in a chair next to me.
>She seems completely fine, just complaining about how her "ankle mildly hurts her."
>I literally cannot walk and am hungry af
>Coming to this room was pointless
>Random bro I met the night before dressed like Captain Falcon just puts me on his back and we all go and get burritos.
>Takes me forever to get back to my hotel all by myself, and back to con center the next morning.
>Determined to enjoy con. Pop back in med center the next day, the crutches are there. Ask for them again.
>"Oh no, sorry. They're for emergencies..."
>Pretty much crying from either pain or at their sheer idiocy at this point
Fuck those people so much. I was crying in pain and that still wasn't a good enough reason to either give me the fucking crutches or call an EMT. Yet they gave them to some bitch whose ankle was a bit swollen from shitty heels for her cosplay. I just sucked it up and dragged my ass around the con center through sheer determination.
>>8828614
> legs gives out first day
> walks too much on the second day
while their attitude was shitty, you were also at fault.
>>8828625
I piad a shitton of money to go to that con, which was out of state for me. You bet your ass I am going to drag myself around and actually enjoy, searing pain in my knee or not. What else would I have done? Sit alone in a hotel room for days? No, I'm going to enjoy the con. Which actually would have been a non-hassle despite my leg giving out if they had just given me crutches.
>>8828637
*paid, sorry
>>8828637
next time this happens (and you can't bring a pair along), you could look into crutch rentals. my dad bust his knee at a music festival a few years ago (likes drinking and dancing a bit too much) and he rented crutches for a day. for the last day he gave up on crutches because of blisters and had his wife cart him around in one of those kiddy carts you can rent in zoos and stuff
This was a while back when I went to my first con. The dealers room had two floors but you only needed to walk up like 7 stairs to get to the second floor. Me and my friends were standing a few feet from the steps debating where to go. While we were debating we can see a obese girl cosplaying as Roxas was sitting on a chair next to the steps, she looked pissed. There were 3 people on the other side of the steps hanging on the guard rail on the wall looking around they were standing there for a while. The stairs and that area were not crowded at all. We thought they were just hanging out. So we began to walk on the stairs we didn't think anything of it because the cosplayer sitting down didn't say anything when we walked to the stairs. Then she says "Uhh hello there's a line!" I said "oh I'm sorry I didn't know" and laughed it off. She just gives me a dirty look and huffs. As we walk to the back of the line my friend looked back at her and saw that she was pointing at me and rolling her eyes insulting me to the 1st person in line behind my back. She would wait like 3 minutes before she would let 1 person on the steps when there was no crowds. She was a bitch like why volunteer if you seem like you don't want to be here.
>>8828637
I definitely don't blame you for wanting to enjoy the con, but next time why don't you see about renting a wheelchair or invest in your own crutches since it sounds like this might happen to you often because of your old injuries? To be honest it would be nice if more places could/would accommodate you but you can't rely on that and then get pissy when it doesn't happen.
>>8828614
Holy shit something similar happened to me before. Why are con staff so autistic when it comes to giving out crutches? Half of the time the "medical staff" are volunteers that don't have any sort of actual first aid training, and they always give the crutches to injuries that don't necessitate it. I fell down some stairs and twisted my ankle really bad, and they gave their only set of crutches to some fat chick whose kankles were swollen from just existing.
>>8828625
If you spent a couple hundred dollars to go somewhere, you would do your best to make sure you got your money's worth out of the trip. Which includes biting the bullet when it comes to pain and dragging your ass to panels and meetups. Not everyone is a little bitch about getting hurt.
While I can't think of any stories off the top of my head, ConnectiCon staff are dicks. If anyone has their stories to add onto this, please do.
>>8828614
I didn't even know cons had a medical room, though this seems like an obvious thing to have. It sounds like they didn't hire anyone with actual medical knowledge or training and just shoved random staffers in there. Definitely sounds like poor management.
>>8828595
Did MTAc once. Never again.
>>8828658
only one i have is this past summer when they forced everyone away from the lower areas and outside of the con center and refused to tell anyone why? we were supposed to have a photoshoot scheduled through the con itself in one of the outside areas (that little circle of grass right out front) and staff refused to let us in and also refused to tell us why. i seriously thought my girlfriend was gonna get in a fist fight with the guy, she was raging
we went off to the side a little ways and were trying to figure out what to do about relocating the shoot but a couple minutes later they gave us the all clear
still no clue what all that was about...
>>8828651
Should have kept walking. She wouldn't have gotten out of that chair to do anything.
Not really a horror story but it was a shit start to a con
>16 year old me at mid-sized uk convention
>used to be a super small con but they beefed up the advertising so they sold a bunch of tickets, needless to say it was horribly organised (as are most uk cons) and they pulled out the "we weren't expecting so many people" excuse (as do most uk cons)
>they've hired out external security who usually do events and festivals
>cosplaying Ryuuko (KLK) a few weeks after the anime ended, wearing the untransformed senketsu outfit (crop top + skirt)
>first time wearing homemade cosplay and first time wearing a crop top anywhere but the beach, nervous af
>wait in line for a fucking millennium, walk up to a bald security guy with tats and gold teeth
>hand over my ticket, hold my glove back for the security guy to stamp my hand
>out of nowhere, stamps my fucking stomach
>he and the other female security guard stand and laugh
>walk away for a few moments feeling humiliated, knowing every photo of me is going to have a massive fuck-off stamp in the middle of my stomach
>decide their lack of boundaries isn't my fault
>go back, ask to be stamped on my hand where the glove will cover it for photos, make it clear I'm not happy about it
>he stamps my arm
>"no, on my hand please, where everyone else has them."
>finally stamps my hand
>go to the bathroom to wash off the ugly stamps on my stomach and arm, takes me about half an hour to get the gross black smears off
>complain to the con, tl;dr sorry but not their problem, take it up with the security company
To be fair it was external security so whatever, it wasn't their fault, but they're running a business. It wasn't a charity event, when a paying customer complains you should take it seriously
Also I have plenty of horror stories re my local cons but I don't want to get sued. Pretty sure most uk cons are run by paedophiles and fetishists though.
>>8825303
This is where experience comes into play. Most regular, seasoned staff and security KNOW that many cosplay items and props are fragile. At least in the US most staff will not just grab at things just to grab. Cosplay pic included!
>>8828723
That's bullshit. I wonder what made them single you out?
>>8828814
Doubt it was singling out. Security guard probably thought it'd be funny. When it wasn't funny to the person on the receiving end they decided to continue being an ass
>>8828614
Props to you. A friend of mine rolled her ankle at a con and (after getting it treated) ended up leaving even though her ankle was pretty much fine.
Sorry for your shitty first aid experience. As a volunteer first aider it physically pains me.
>>8828614
Unrelated, but what injury did you suffer if you don't mind me asking?
I didn't play in high school, but all the sports-bros had a running joke of "breaking their ACL" on the last day of the senior season.
Tornadocon 2010.
At about 2am, the fire alarm went off in the convention center, so we were evacuated while it was slightly raining outside. The blast doors were pulled down and we couldn't return to the con floor, so everyone went back to their rooms. About an hour later tornado sirens start going off, but being midwesterners, most people I'm rooming with just shrug it off.
Another hour, and there were kids running up and down the halls pounding on doors- like actually screaming at people to get out of their rooms. One girl had a severe panic attack and had to be tended to by security who at this point were already trying to deal with calmly evacuating everyone to the basement.
One of my buddies, a rather large black man with dreads down to his ass, was confronted in the stairwell by this girl who sternly told him "Sir, there's a tornado on the way, you need to get to the basement". He looked her dead in the eye and told her "I'm security, /you/ need to go to the basement." and she ran the fuck away.
Most of con security were pissed about all the people trying to be heroes and interfering with their jobs without asking, and livid at the people who were causing more panic by pounding on doors and shrieking about a tornado. This girl in particular blew up the forums afterwards acting like she saved the fucking day and even gave herself a nickname based on the event.
There was a malfunction with the fire alarms so they were going off until about 8am Sunday morning. The hotel radio also rickrolled the early morning staff who were there gathering what was left behind during the evacuation.
My friend was in the middle of her panties panel during the evac, so when I went to help with lost and found once the con floor officially opened, one of the "Found" forms was written by a very confused person who found her bag of panties sitting behind the table in the room her panel was being held in.
>>8828870
>panties panel
>bag of panties
I'm intrigued.
>>8828834
Kind of unrelated but what do you actually do as a volunteer first aider?
>I was planning on volunteering at a local con because all my friends think anime isn't cool anymore and I don't have anyone to go with. I thought until now I was just going to direct lines and annoy people but doing first aid would be way better. Do the cons you volunteer at require any certs?
>>8828848
Ironically, it was an ACL sprain. Apparently I did something to it jumping hurdles at track. I went to the doctor post con and he told me to be careful not to strain myself with a lot of walking, and that regular swelling would be normal from now on. I have since become the mom friend at cons and keep first aid, hot and cold patches, and snacks in my bag just in case.
I used to volunteer and staff at some local cons, and one of biggest issues we'd come across was people who would turn up, take their volunteer badge, and never be seen again. Our solution was to confiscate people's badges if they didn't turn up to two of their stations (two because emergencies happen). It kind of worked, but there'd also be people like >>8828651, who resented being expected to do the work they volunteered for. About half the time, giving someone the 'hand in your badge or gtfo' ultimatum meant that they were going to be fired anyway, because they'd never even pretend to try to do their jobs. I'm pretty sure volunteers like that are also why most cons I've been to feel understaffed, they end up putting people who are actually trying to do a decent job under far more pressure. It's kind of difficult to decide whether or not to fire someone who isn't doing their job, or is a power tripping asshole because if you do it means that everyone else has to pick up the slack. Stressed out con staff usually mean complaints from attendees
>>8828873
Seconded.
>>8828975
If a con has a distincy separation between volunteers and staff, as a staff, I would rarely trust a volunteer unless they really proven themselves.
But most of the time, I rarely trust volunteers or the chances that they show up on time. My con has a refund system for volunteers that i dont really like how it is handled. When a volunteer get their refund, I don't expect them to show up for their remaining shifts. I especially despise this when it comes to tear down because volunteer uses this as an opportunity to finish their hours to get their refund and dissapear
>>8829007
I definitely agree. The first con that I worked for was pretty small so no one involved got paid and staff and volunteer was an interchangeable term.
>>8828819
>When it wasn't funny to the person on the receiving end they decided to continue being an ass
aka "How dare you make me look bad by not submittinf to my violation of your boundaries!"
>>8828870
>This girl in particular blew up the forums afterwards acting like she saved the fucking day and even gave herself a nickname based on the event.
all of my rage
>>8828651
Only seven steps? Kek. Should have just kept going, the fuck was her fat ass gonna do?
>>8829427
Seriously anon. Three steps up and she would have had to stop to catch her breath. You could have kept going.
Ok this is not actually "horror" per se, but it made me feel like shit (still does sometimes)
> local con, largest one of the city (or at least the one with the greatest reputation in the area)
> enter me in my cosplay, I do my business, greet friends and head to the checkroom to leave the things I wouldn't need the rest of the day
> ask the guy in charge if it's ok if I return later to leave the props in the same bin, he says it's ok as long as I carry the number tag
> leave happily and go take my photos as scheduled
> return to checkroom, there's another guy in charge sitting unceremoniously in the table playing an ukelele to a girl dressed as one of those Life is Strange girls
> ask him to leave my props there...once...twice...
> the third one finally answers, annoyed that I cockblocked him, and asks me what's the matter, I tell him a fourth time "I'd like to leave my props here" and he tells me "ah just hang a second"
> guy can't find the number tags, I really don't want to wait an eternity more because it's 25º C outside, probably 30º C inside
> tell him what the other guy said about leaving my props in the same bin I left my other stuff in, hand him the number tag so he can find it
> inmediately he gets in "corporate mode" and tells me he's not responsible for what the other dude said, that if I want to leave my stuff I'll have to pay again (whatever) "and anyways, why didn't you leave all your stuff once, don't you see you cause trouble to us?"
> I calmly explain him I'm not causing him any trouble since I just handed him the number tag, he only has to search and put the stuff in the same bin and he can charge me for it again if he wants, even if that's not written anywhere since there aren't any rules in the room
> guy leaves "corporate mode" and goes berserk
(1/2)
>>8829511
(2/2)
> checkroom guy starts yelling at me, saying how I'm being "sarcastic" at him, how much I'm trying to "step on him", how I'm being a "little tiny brat" (I'm 23) disrespecting the fact that he's "working" (yeah playing the ukelele totally counts as hard work, bruh, sure) as a difference to me, who "probably does nothing of her life", and goes on and on again on the "sarcastic" bit for some reason I never truly understood
> I get overwhelmed internally by the humilliation and can't really answer nothing significant except letting him know in a deadpan mode that I'm probably older than him despite my meguca costume, but then I remain shut to avoid throwing ad hominem attacks (it may sound stupid here but in an angry and in a cultural context, it does) and silently go to the bin by myself and pick up my stuff to go home
> greet everyone in the room (yes there were more people in the room, including people I know and even non-close friends, shame intensifies) and leave
And all because he didn't want to do his work and checkroom guy #1 went missing.
>>8828885
It depends on what event we're at. We could be stationed in a first aid room, our van, a tent, or even just in the hall.
First aiders are trained to deal with anything from handing out bandaids to performing CPR and using a defibrillator. First responders are a slightly higher level and can give out more high risk medication and are also equipped to deal with some specialisations like people with asthma.
Not really a horror story but I was an invited guest at a con for providing multiple costumes and makeup for an advert the con aired in local movie theatres. ( I'm a nobody just have good friends who give me great opportunities). After being given my special guest badge I had to carry some of the costumes to our panel room. I stopped to adjust my things so it didn't all fall out of my hands and one of those " I only did this to get a free badge" staff members yelled at me for being in the back stage area and accused me of stealing guest props. After explaining I was a friend of the person who runs the whole con I had my things tossed to the side and security guards called to "apprehend me". Had to explain who I was and why I was there several times before my friend showed up to verify my badge.
I get it that badge replication is a thing but seriously? That "staff" person was way over taking their duities. The security was doing their job right so I'm not mad at them. Thankfully my friend apologized get the overly bossy staff member and paid for my room service and gave me an escort for caring my things. Escort was another low ranked staff member who was upgraded to escort.
I'm sure if I was like vampy or someone well known that wouldn't have happened. But I'm not one for cos-fame.
>>8829674
But did your friend chew out that idiot?
>>8829724
Yeah that was without saying really. I'm pretty sure that person has also been black listed from volunteer work at all local cons.
>>8829733
>I'm pretty sure that person has also been black listed from volunteer work at all local cons.
Thank god
>>8829531
You should have just left it with your friends or not even bring the stuff you didn't need.
NYCC is notorious for their horrible security staff. One of my friends had his Marshall Lee bass taken away because it was made out of wood (the thinnest wood possible). While other people were able to take in their real bass for their costumes, which could be considered more dangerous. Not to mention that they were so focused on this small wooden bass that they didn't stop me and my giant aluminum arm strapped to my shoulder.
>>8830200
This sounds more like a situation where the situation would vary from staff to staff based on their initiative and the weapon/prop rules at NYCC (never been there). The staff might have considered the bass as a potential weapon while others saw it more as a prop.
Won't post con name, because it will float there and get back to me.
Doing video/lighting work at a con rave. Only people allowed on stage are AV + DJ and photog. Autist security VOLUNTEER shining high powered mag light in people's eyes. He walks up on stage and trips over cables to try to make his presence known. Tells him to gtfo... he starts arguing with us. He threatens to shut down the rave, which he doesn't have clearance to do. SAYS CROWD IS TOO ROWDY.
Anyways someone throws a water bottle at him and he goes APE SHIT. His boss came and talked to him and we didn't have a problem with him afterwards.
>>8832292
I've also seen con volunteer security yell at guests (industry/VA) for having open containers in the green room,,, where alcohol is served to them.
I've seen con security straight up step on people's hands when they come up and crowd at the stage. Heard her laughing about it later.
So many stories over the years. I can't post them all.
I signed an NDA during settlement, but in an unnamed con I was injured by security. Won't go into details, but I was walking into finance room (invited) to receive a reimbursement. Only finance guy is allowed in.
I'm deaf. Don't hear security guy yelling at me to stop. Finance guy was too late in reacting.
Security guy grabs me by back of neck, throws me onto ground.
Displaced disc, concussion, split scalp.
The convention execs were actually extremely helpful, and I was visited by lawyers that night in the hospital.
No medical bills, enough money to pay off debt, student loans from undergrad, and enroll in law school.
Bonus: I'm interning at the law firm which represents that con.
>Fly out to NDK because a bunch of friends are going
>Get press badge
>Wandering around with GF
>Both of us have our cameras out and hanging by their straps, but turned off
>Go into dealer's hall, look around
>Staffer comes up, says we can't have cameras out in the dealer's hall (wtf?)
>We put them in our bags, she goes away, we keep looking at booths
>5 minutes later, security department head shows up, demands our badges, insists we come to security office
>She acts as if the idea of a con allowing cameras inside the dealer's hall is completely unheard of, and says that booths are worried that people will photograph and bootleg their merchandise.
>Con chair shows up, takes one look at our badges, and immediately starts screaming at the top of her lungs at the security director about how much of a retard she is
>Spends 10 minutes profusely apologizing to us, replaces our press badges with Guest badges, and promises us badges for next year if we're willing to show up. (Which we never did, because it was a boring shitty con.)
>>8832312
Please share more. This sounds like a fucking trainwreck.
>>8832339
Here's another one, this time as a staffer instead of being persecuted by them.
>AX Staff
>Work directly with guests, so I'm dressed for business instead of usual staff attire.
>Leaving our "office," decide to take the elevated walkway behind the con center instead of fighting through the crowd inside
>Walk out the doors near the dealer's hall exit, and see this greasy-looking skinny kid with long hair and typical nerd clothes, not in cosplay
>He is holding a real katana, which he's clearly just bought, because the cardboard box it came in is sitting next to him
>He's grinding it against the concrete, apparently trying to dull the edge.
>I walk up and say "what the fuck dude, seriously, go put that thing in your room before somebody who's actually a security staffer throws you out of the con"
>He looks down at my badge, and then back up at me, and says "sir, I'm trying to dull it so I can carry it around the con"
>I say "dull or not, it's a real sword, and you're not even wearing a costume, you've gotta get rid of it. It's not my job to enforce this stuff, I'm giving you advice to put it away before you get your badge taken."
>He seems pissed but walks off toward the hotels with it.
In 15+ years at cons, that was still one of the strangest and stupidest encounters I've ever had.
Incidentally, because of that position, I had an All-Access pass, which is normally only granted to department heads. I'd spent many years being pushed around at AX by puffed-up self-important staffers. I have to admit that it was incredibly gratifying to walk down the hallways and watch those exact same staffers snap to attention as they saw this guy in a suit with a director-level badge come walking toward them.
>>8832292
San Japan?
>>8832345
Okay, I'm going to assume more stories, unless you request a longer version of any of my above.
I'll keep these short.
8 years ago (yeah) a security guy made me open every since travel case I has. He picked up some floods, dropped them. Claimed he was told by the police to bomb check. No police on site. Con paid up.
Con security dropped bottle of vape juice on my laptop once. I quickly wiped it up with hand. Nicotine absorption poisoning (not serious tho, only threw up).
Multiple police threatening to arrest me thinking I'm in charge of rave, and accountable for all the drug use. I'm contractor.
Spent weeks mapping 3D projected visuals onto a stage face I designed. Security stands between projector and stage disrupting visuals.
>>8832351
This story reminds me of one I heard from my home convention. Back in the days of live steel being fine, someone's prop chipped so they went to con-ops or something where someone on staff had some kind of grinder or something that could file it down and it went wrong and resulted in someone getting metal shavings in their eye.
>>8828870
>at con with friends
>friend's kid wants to stay in my room because obv aunties are always cooler than moms
>bout 3 am saturday night someone pulls the fire alarm
>their alarm is a high pitched squealing noise with strobe lights so we wake up immediately
>kid has a panic attack and crawls into the tight spot between bed and wall
>as im trying to drag her out we hear someone screaming and banging on door
>assume its kiddo's mom (she was in next room over) and roommate goes to open it
>random steampunk dude bursts in and starts trying to physically drag us out
>literally picks me up and carts me out of room
>both me, roommate, and now kiddo's mom are all screaming at him that there is a small child in room
>he doesn't seem to process this and proceeds to try herding us down hallway
>as soon as he stops manhandling us friend takes first opportunity to falcon punch him directly in the kidney
>hand over room key and she goes to fetch her child
>hotel staff meanders over to tell us that they know its a false alarm and they just need everyone to exit calmly just so firemen can turn alarm off
fuck con "heroes"
>>8828658
Oh boy, Connecticon is a shit show desu.
> CTcon 2013
So for some unholy reason the con staff had the line for the masquerade outside in the July heat. The line was so long that there was people in the parking garage blocking cars from getting in. All 300 of us had to keep our backs against the wall or else this tall hairy man would come scream at you. If you decided your legs were in too much pain from carrying your fat self around and decided to sit down, the hairy beast would imediatly spot you, come over, and threaten to take you out of line by force. If you even dare have a drink on you and forget to put the bottle back in your sack, the mammoth came back to belittle you. When several complained about what an asshole he was being, he laughed and said "Have a problem? Please tell Connecticon HQ. This is my last year and I'm going out with a bang."
>2014
Waiting for a panel to open up when I hear staff talking amongst themselves about the horrors they've endured through out the day. I turned to them and said, "Wow that's horrifying. I imagine it must be cool to work here, though. How old do you need to be to get a job as staff?" One of them turns to me and just says "Read the FAQ" and then talks openly to his co-worker about how stupid con-goers are and about the time his friend blew Cloud in the dealer's room.
>2015
Attended CTcon with my 14 year old brother and being a legal adult, I was responsible for him. A really big JoJo panel had just let out and he got lost in the crowd. I went exploring around the floor to try and find where the crowd swept him off too. Little did I know that at 5pm the lower side is reserved to 18+ panels and only those with a red arm band would be allowed in. Staff started a screaming match with me until I showed them my ID and they told me, "you have 3 minutes". I finally found my bro talking to some Dio at the end of the hall.
Love CTcon but holy shit staff are assholes.
>>8832391
I should add kid is about 9 or 10 here, she can handle cons but she grew up in an earthquake zone and has like ptsd or something of that sort related to alarms.
>>8832391
I know a guy like that. We aren't friends anymore.
>>8827293
Holy fucking shit. I thought the UK was bad.
>>8829531
I admire you, anon. I swear I would have smeared that fucker's nose all over his face and dragged him over to look at the bins with his broken ukelele in tow. Anger management problems don't count when some whiny little shit is begging for it.
This is from a con that died a couple years ago, but the security always got really nutty when it came to people walking on the road (despite it being a 10km speed limit due to car park nearby). They were generally pretty rude to con-goers to begin with, but walk on the road and they'd get all up in your face about.
There were a lot of speed bumps and other things on the road to slow people down, which also made it difficult for wheelchair users to cross. So I was outside getting some air and saw a group of teens trying to cross the road with their friend in a wheelchair. They got stuck on something and were having trouble getting it to move. Security person came over and rather than help, starting screaming at them to get off the road. When they said they couldn't move it, the security walked over and shoved the wheelchair. Since it was stuck, of course it tipped over and dumped the poor girl out onto the ground.
Saw the group complaining about it on the con's forum afterwards. Dunno what happened to the security guard, but luckily the girl that was tipped out was okay.
>>8832371
>Multiple police threatening to arrest me thinking I'm in charge of rave, and accountable for all the drug use. I'm contractor.
I'd be interested in a longer version of this, if you don't mind.
>>8830121
I wish I could've done that but my friends were already carrying their own large props...and honestly, what are checkrooms for? Their purpose is precisely that, keeping your shit in a box so you can wander freely around the con without the risk of breaking or losing anything
(speaking of my friends, one of them went later to drop her Steven Universe shield and then found out the checkroom guys were goofing around with it)
>>8832816
Nah I wish I actually controlled my anger like you say I did haha
5 minutes after getting out of there I was crying like a bitch nonstop, thinking of all the things I could've said. Sometimes still regret not bragging at him about my top level office job right after he started rubbing his stupid 1-weekend-only con staff job at my face, just to laugh later at his reaction, even if that meant indulging in the stupid "gotta one-up the other" culture of my country.
Con security always seems to be full of insane assholes. One security guy known for his violent outbursts and uncontrollable temper hit his girlfriend while loudly yelling insults at her in front of all the con guests AND while being on a shift, wearing full security gear and all. It was for a very stupid and meaningless reason too.
>>8832371
>Security stands between projector and stage disrupting visuals.
At that point you go full pic
>>8832849
>pushing a girl out of a wheelchair
Holy fucking shit, I hope that dude never gets another security job again
>>8828673
It used to be a great con.
After the 2014 debacle, I skipped 2015, but heard it was a lot better.
>attending con in Texas
>dealer room
>greasy kid shoves Misa fig into his trenchcoat
>people start to call him out
>"Uuuuuuhhhh, yew guyz ar DIX!!"
>security man hears the commotion
>we inform him of the theft
>he pulls a FUCKING GUN on the kid
>sweetbabyjesus.jpeg
>several other securitys grab him and westle the gun away
Never going back to Texas AGAIN.
>>8834318
>go to texas
>someone has a gun
>omgomgomg
relax.
>>8834331
I don't think con security is supposed to draw a deadly weapon over some neckbeard stealing a toy.
>>8834336
>i didnt think texan were so quick on the draw
relax
>>8833437
In my experience staffing, the safety/security department of any given con is almost always full of people who are either on their first time staffing and have no idea what they're doing or wanna-be cops who think that watching a crowd control education video makes them hot shit and better than the attendees or other staff
A couple years ago at a con I staff we were doing staff gear loadout and literally the entire, 20+ person safety department was fucking AWOL with nobody, not any of the other department heads or even the fucking con chair, having any idea where the fuck they were. Ten minutes after we finish packing the box trucks full of our shit they all come strolling into the dock. Apparently the safety heads had decided without telling anyone else that they were going to have their post-con "discussion" meeting right the fuck after closing ceremony when everyone was supposed to be all-hands-on-deck for loadout (it wasn't a big convention, and the venue was booked for the next couple days by a different event, so we needed to get our shit out) with the unstated-but-obvious intent of getting out of doing any heavy lifting. When one of the operations guys called them on it one of the security people went off about how they have "special training" more than other staffers and that literally everyone else is more replaceable than safety so people should shut up about what they do.
>>8834348
God, this. Con security's job is to call 911/venue security when something serious happens. So fucking hard. At my con they all like to group dress in Umbrella uniforms and carry Airsoft around.
hoo boy i've got a few Toronto ones, but anyone from the area likely knows the big stories.
March Toronto Anime Convention, before it was changed to MTCC
> probably about 2010?
> they only book one hallway in the basement of the convention centre
> surprised when 400+ people show up because theres another organization renting the upstairs
> decide the best way to keep us from upsetting other guests is to pull down metal cage screen things over all passageways and lock us all in the basement with only one exit... for 400+ people
> you now have a pile of sweaty basement dwellers and underage girls exiting the rave at the same time, on one escalator, and only two staff members present, screaming at anyone who moves wrong
FanExpo 2010 (run by the same company, no they didn't learn)
> advertise way more then every other year, sell out of online tickets, then still sell weekend passes at the door
> saturday rolls around and they're over the building capacity because they sold 1000 too many tickets
> they start locking doors with no warning around noon
> people exit the building to get lunch, and are being barred from getting back in. There are families split up, VIPs with meet and greets who prepaid freaking out, and eventually, a couple windows get broken and there are multiple fist fights with convention centre staff
> I managed to sneak back in through a stairwell door, but holy shit there were crowds of angry weebs everywhere, stuck outside in the heat in full cosplay.
> show up early to the rave to get a decent spot in line that night. Except. Theres no staff at the doors, just a few cosplayers waiting at the assigned hall
> line up ends up zigzagging up and down the hallway, Hall F is still dark, locked, and no staff. It was supposed to start half an hour ago
> me and a friend go ask a guy running the ticket booth if the rave's been cancelled.
> "what rave"
> "the one on the schedule. Hall F. 9pm."
>>8834431
(cont)
> They forgot to assign staff to that event. The DJ is in the parking garage with no staff to come get let him in.
> They get it sorted by about 10:30pm, run the rave for an hour before they have to shut it down because the room is too small and people were smoking so much weed they nearly hot boxed the whole place.
DTAC 2011 (again, same company!)
> its a one day con, everyone shows up early, womens bathroom is full of girls doing up corsets, putting on tops, you name it
> There's not even a large crowd of us in there, but there are girls in huge hoop skirts lacing up their corsets, and their tops are down. They are very much underage
> large male convention centre staffer bursts in, yelling and pushing us OUT of the bathroom, threatening to kick us out of the building because we're a fire hazard
> 16 year old topless girls screaming, but he doesn't give a fuck, still trying to usher us all out
> Older girls in the room fight back, shoo him out
> two hours later, same guy decks a teenage boy in the face after the kid told him to leave his female friend alone.
> loads of cosplayers and congoers are pissed, start writing on the event facebook page's wall about the incidents, demanding something be done, or at least an apology.
> The con deletes all the stories, blocks anyone who leaves the comments, and then leaves a 'we will be looking into hiring new staff in the future' post instead.
>>8834433
aaand one more
Anime North 2012
>black friend is cosplaying Aqualad, going into the dealers room on a sunday afternoon with a bunch of white friends.
> its crowded, theres a big line, and the guy checking badges is waving loads of people through. until he gets to Aqualad.
> Stops him, doesnt even look at the next kids badge, just waves him through, then thoroughly inspects Aqualad's badge
> "You didn't even look at those peoples badge, why you not lettin me in?"
> "Making sure your badge isnt fake"
> A few people around catch on to whats happening, but Aqualad wants the guy to give him an explanation
> N bomb gets dropped instead, and the guy shoves Aqualad backwards into a crowd of people
> He got fired immediately, and Aqualad got his badge reimbursed, thank fuck.
I hit more US conventions now, but most of the Toronto cons have calmed down from the chaos they were... I mean.. if you pretend FrostCon doens't exist at all.
Ohayocon staff always seems to be disorganized and the guys managing registration lines 2 years ago were brushing off 'i got groped in the crowded line's with 'oh they were just being friendly!'
And, as a photographer, alls I can say about Katsucon's Gaylord employees is... they need to calm down. I'm not putting every cosplayer in the plants. She's in heels, I'm not making her step in the dirt. She's not even CLOSE to the dirt. Please go have a smoke and leave me alone!!
>work at convention as volunteer
>last year convention center installed flower beds outside
>cosplayers and photographers immediately start standing in them for photos because "nature background!"
>convention staff get on con staff about it
>con staff sends out volunteers to put up signs that says stay out of the flower beds
>not even an hour later
>photographer with big camera is herding two cosplayers into the flower beds for photos
>high ranking staffer goes outside to deal with it
>photographer tries to shoo off the staffer
>cosplayers go to get out
>photographer yells at them to hold their pose
>staffer gets pissed and starts yelling at photographer
>finally manages to get them out of the flower beds
>mfw that incident is probably a horror story somewhere from the photographer's prospective complaining about how bad con's staff is because they have a habit of having to yell at people because everyone ignores them
Not even joking, in the years I've been a volunteer at the con only about 25% of the time does asking politely actually work so idiots that get yelled at for their own stupidity end up going online after and complaining about it. As a volunteer I've politely asked people to do/not do something and have them look right at me and go back to what they were doing, mostly because our con is known for being a teenage magnet since it's in the middle of summer and pretty local.
>>8834637
* convention center staff
>Last year at Metrocon
>2nd floor balcony has a piano
>Being a decent piano player, I'm tempted, but know that it's probably against the rules to play it
>Keep eyeing it though, the urge is too strong
>Saturday morning, see another congoer on it, crowd of about a dozen are gathered around, watching him play
>I join them, he's pretty good
>Maybe it's okay to play it after all
>Later that day, see a Misato and Shinji cosplayer by the piano
>Oh fuck this I have to
>Sit down at the piano and start playing Komm Susser Tod
>They love it
>30 seconds later, angry black woman comes charging down the balcony telling me to get the fuck off
>Suddenly, hotel security everywhere
>Guy behind me tells me not to touch it, but tries to be nice about it, compliments me on how well I play
>Realize it was kind of stupid to touch the piano without checking first, feel bad
>Sunday, getting ready to leave
>See same guy from before on the piano
>"Dude, I got yelled at for playing that, you should probably get off before security shows up"
>He shrugs. "I'll take my chances."
I kept going, but I bet security never showed up.
>>8826832
>think the con can't run without them
I staff a small con and we have someone, I'll call B, who's been with us since year one with that kind of attitude. They blurted it out after a meeting in front of other staff. B is also on our board of directors and has been for a while. I made a post in the feels thread about this person so if some of this is familiar, that's why. B was treasurer for 2014-15 and passed along the taxes to the next treasurer while never telling them what needed to be done. If taxes werent dkne this year our tax exemption status would've been revoked. B was asked to drop the positions they have, of which is 2 chair positions plus to stop helping other departments. Amidst this tax fiasco, found so much paperwork missing and found out B had just left it all lay on the kitchen table. B tried apologizing to me and they think I'm mad at them. Bitch, I'm mad at your choices, of which are terrible.
>>8834303
God, what happened in 2014? The last one I went to was in 2012.
>>8832338
This is simultaneously horrible and awesome, in the fact that they were so helpful and you got enough settlement money to pay for school.
>>8830200
>>8831805
I ought to update this picture. This is from 2014, 2015 was just as much of a trainwreck.
>>8824909
>let me tell you about homestuck.jpg
It's more a funny story.
>at drunk waterpark con
>con center has black and white cameras so they are really stick about firearm props.
>me cosplaying nudest beach Mikisug from klk with a pistol coverung my croch.
>i bypass weapons check like always because they are there to say no and i know the gun is completely nonfunctioning. It's also one of my few body coverings so i had no intention on drawing it.
>go several hours with no incident.
>on my way to go change when my friend bothers me to find a map
> at table trying to find a map
>dude from behind me "you have to get that checked."
> from his tone i thought he was just making a joke about my lack of clothes. So i just respond with "yeah man".
>YOU HAVE TO GET THAT CHECKED NOW
>0 to 100
>realise the guy is security now.
>"ok but i was on my way back to my room. I'll go now and save you the trouble."
>NO! YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT WEAPON CHECKED NOW.
>he marches me to weapons check.
>"i was told you needed to inspect my prop."
>i unhook straps and draw the pistol that was covering my dick and put it on the table.
>guy gives me the "do i have to touch it look"
>he reluctantly inspects it and sees there are no moving parts.
>"it's still too realistic so you need to take this back to your room or car right away"
>"thanks. I'll do that right away."
>i was a bit pissy so i dragged my feet on the con floor on the way back.
I know they cant predict my intentions. I know they were doing their jobs for public saftey. But this is why i typically skip weapons checks.
>>8834673
Holy shit, just went to see their policies on weapons and omg is that strict especially for a huge con.
>>8834653
I never understood this, why the fuck do places buy an instrument and then be mad when people play on it? One of the buildings at my university has a reallly nice piano in it and of course it has a crowbar type thing on it that keeps the hood locked down, like god forbid anyone actually wants to play the piano. If these companies want a giant 45000 dollar thing to take up space they should buy some ugly ass modern art sculpture.
>>8832339
what year is this may I ask?
>>8834956
I can understand them not wanting people banging around on it, or little kids climbing all over it, but there was no indication that we weren't allowed to play it. The hood was open and there was no sign saying "Do No Touch." Back in 2014, I stayed at the Westin. They had a piano in the lobby, and plenty of people were playing it. I even sat down and played some songs. No one gave a fuck. I know the Westin isn't as ritzy as the Embassy, but still.
>>8835029
Quite a while ago. 2010 maybe?
Some of the exact details may be off since it's been so long.
>>8828870
Was this the Collosalcon Tornado-con?
>wearing basic sign around my neck that helps potray who my character is instead of some other easily mistaken character
>AX staff get pissy and take it away
I understand 'free hug' signs and such, but it was nowhere near like that.
>>8835143
Yes
>>8834660
2014 was MTAC in Line. The hotel was way too small for all of the people there. There were lines wrapped around outside the hotel. I believe it took almost 2 hours to get into the rave (I didn't go but my brother did) and then the rave was shut down early. Staff was also constantly yelling at people to get up against the walls and into lines that didn't exist. Also the shuttles to the other hotel was a disaster.
Last year they split the dealer room/AA and autograph signings off into a different hotel. The crowd was still terrible and some lines did end up running outside but it was much better than 2014. And the shuttles ran almost like clockwork from what I could tell. Hopefully this year will be better organized but they need to get back to a large convention center like they had in 2013.
>>8832391
Was this last Year? Because I think I know what con you're talking about
>>8834362
They do that at Acen. Guys were Bros about pictures
>>8835152
They were just mad because they never learned to read and you triggered them.
>>8828723
Should have called them a pedo, see what happens.
>>8835336
Drop me an email if you want. I don't know many people that go to MTAC and would love to know someone who goes. Unless this is creepy and then I'm sorry.
>>8835437
It's not creepy but I prefer to stay anonymous online (especially from 4chan). I don't even have a facebook. But if you're going to MTAC this year I'll be there. I think me and my brother will be Mario and Luigi
>>8828723
Should have taken his name and called up the company that took the security contract. In my state at least a guard would get fired for that.
>>8835152
I made a tentacle monster costume to wear around cons late at night and have a sign that says "I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going". Everybody gets a kick out of it and I've had a bunch of staff members say how much they liked it. The only problem I ever had was they didn't want me to wear it into a rave which I understood completely.
>>8832395
Omg it know. I think is gotten better but i remember a couple years ago they had the preregistration line going outside in the July heat for at least 1.5 hours.
>>8834637
While I do think that there are some volunteers/staffers that go on some kind of power trip when they get authority, you're absolutely right about asking people (especially teenage weeaboos) politely not to do stuff.
Trying to get a group of Homestuckers or whatnot to stop playing spin the bottle or whatever in the middle of the hallways is nothing but frustrating.
>>8835733
>Homestucks
>getting them to stop doing anything
Oh let me tell you about the clusterfuck that happened one year.
>convention has a grand staircase, it's pretty much the main way that all traffic goes to get to the upstairs ballroom for the raves
>up the stairs to the right is the ballrooms
>up the stairs to the left is staff/security room
>Homestucks decide to do a night time group thing + photoshoot
>pick the exact spot of the hall that's at the top of the stairs
>they advertise it everywhere online and then it gets posted to the photoshoot list for the con
>the photoshoot list is unofficial, just someone is nice enough to gather up all the times and locations and print them out to hang up around the convention
>staff spot the crowd of 20+ Homestuckers literally outside their door being rowdy
>rave is starting soon, it's the biggest event of the whole weekend
>literally hundreds of people will be flooding up those stairs
>staff tells the Homestucks they have to leave
>Homestuck leader refuses, says they 'booked' that area for their meet-up
>staff and Homestuck leader start getting snippy with each other
>Homestuck leader is pretty much using the photoshoot list as gospel saying "You all KNEW we would be here! It got approved!"
>staffer is trying to tell the Homestuck that it isn't official, no one approved their photoshoot and they're between con-ops and the ballrooms blocking the ONLY line of traffic
>finally threatens to take their badges if they don't move the fuck out
>Homestucks do so
>after con huge whiny shitstorm online
>Homestucks whining about how awful staff was, how they didn't honor the photoshoot schedule, blah blah
>most of the replies from people telling them it was their own faults for wanting to have a meet-up THERE of all places
>>8835370
This was 2012, I think.
>>8834956
Some places buy them specifically for certain events. Or, more likely in this situation, someone fucked it up at a previous con and they're just assburnt about letting anyone near it now, but still want to keep it for either looks or in case they have some kind of visiting group that will use it.
>>8834331
you don't pull a fucking weapon at a convention full of people cuz some cheetogrub is giving himself the 5 finger discount, you fucking hick
>>8834696
I was thinking about attending waterpark con, if I'm thinking of the same one your talking about. Did you enjoy it?
>>8836201
I've got a similar experience with Homestucks.
>Homestucks making massive and loud conga line or something throughout the halls and lobby
>Saturday and the convention is jam-packed
>hear the Homestucks out side of con ops where I work and ask a couple other staffers to get them to move as I'm getting concerned for everyone's safety + fire codes
>a couple of staffers go down there to try to break them up
>they ask a couple of times politely but they just will not listen
>Staffers threaten to call in security
>finally after 20 or so minutes, the Homestucks disperse and settle down
>days later a group of angry Homestucks sharing stories online about our convention's mean staffers
>claimed that our staffers were a harassing a bunch of minors
>even claimed that some of our staffers threatened to kill the Homestucks because they were Homestucks
>what
We're now murderous adult meanies amongst certain factions of the local Homestuck community.
>>8836934
Homestucks: biggest drama queens in the cosplay scene
This one is still in the process of 'maybe going to court'
Denver ComiCon 2015
>walking around with my husband and 2 kids
>Son sees some cosplayers dressed as the monarchs minions from Venture Bros, he wants a pic with them
>He walks over and asks 'mr. Butterfly can I have picture with you'
>Guys are super excited to take pics with the kids (my kids are 5 and super into comicon)
>While posing for picture random con staff comes up and shoves one of the guys and my son, they both fall into a booth display
>con staff screaming about 'you can't stand here!!!'
>son is ok but feels bad
>see red and punch the con staff right in the face
>he falls I jump on top of him and grab his shirt screaming
Security came and detained me and they found out the whole story, apparently my son walked in front of a booth where the creator of invader Zim was signing shit and the staff member just went nuts.
Took 2 months and a lawyer to hear anything at all but they supposedly 'took appropriate actions' with the staff member, still going through a back and forth with them as I threataned to press charges as I had 5+ witnesses.
Charges were filed and they are still going through the process.
I never get physical with people but who the fuck shoves a 5 year old and a man in a butterfly costume?
>>8828614
Falcon bro sounds like a cool guy
>>8837037
>staff shoves your 5 year old son
Man, I would've punched the dude too.
>>8834637
Yup, asking politely usually works if attendees are smart reasonable people which is not common. That was recently, mind you I am not con security
>with friend
>going to a con staff only room situated in a hallway
>hallway is crowded and thus, it's narrow
>see attendee swinging a wooden sword while walking
>go to him to politely ask him to stop
>"I got it checked I can do what I want with it" shows that it got checked
>wooden sword feels strong and resistant. It's an industrially made wooden practice katana
>"actually I have to ask you to stop swinging it's dangerous and you might actually hit someone"
>nods head while looking elsewhere, clearly not listening to me. Totally aware of that
>he walks away
>turn back to see him
>gee I am not suprised to see him start swinging again
>friend told me to let it go because con is technically no longer liable in case of an accident because a staff warned him. Also con security are everywhere, sooner or later if he continues he is bound to get caught
>never saw him for the rest of the day
>2012, first lolita con
>wore a sweet coord i had been working on perfecting for months
>con was held in a hotel so people not related to the con were there
>walking to the actual con area, old lady approaches me
>"what are all these people wearing frilly dresses doing?"
>i explained the fashion and accidentally mentioned the word "lolita"
>this is the moment i realized i fucked up
>"you mean the book lolita?"
>old lady starts ranting and raving about how thats disgusting
>"no no mam it's not related to the book at all"
>she doesn't listen, keeps yelling about it
>a bunch of lolitas gather around just watching me trying to calm this old woman down
>eventually she tells me "youre going to hell" and walks off
>just stand there in disbelief, clearly everyone thinks i attacked her or something
>people avoid me for the rest of the day besides people who knew me
never explaining lolita fashion to an old woman again
>>8827293
There are orgys in Ohayocon? Sign me the fuck up.
>>8836915
Colossal is a good con but it's not your average von experience. Dont limit your self to the normal con things game room and all that. Enbrace those exrta ammenties. Go to the water park, go to the petting zoo, use that open container policy.
>>8837591
Oh that bugs me so bad. I've got some worse though.
>see staff staring out massive window in convention center
>what the hell is going on?
>look out window
>across the street is parking garage
>Spiderman cosplayer perched ON THE EDGE of the parking garage roof
>photographer taking photos of him inches from falling
and another year
>have stone slab above the entrance to convention center to shield from rain
>two big slabs of stone on either side of it
>see cops outside, wonder what's going on
>Deadpool cosplayer on top of the stone slab
>had climbed up the side slabs to get up there
>cop gets Deadpool down and asks for ID, gets a warning
>there's pictures of it somewhere online to this day
and last year I don't even need a story for this. Pic fucking related.
>>8837816
omg I'm scared of falling just sitting here looking at thic picture
>>8834956
>One of the buildings at my university has a reallly nice piano in it and of course it has a crowbar type thing on it that keeps the hood locked down, like god forbid anyone actually wants to play the piano. If these companies want a giant 45000 dollar thing to take up space they should buy some ugly ass modern art sculpture.
Because people are savages, and destined to ruin everything and break apart whatever is standing around. I can understand your Uni, might be shitty but honestly, the piano would probably be dirty, broken and unusable within 3 months. Hell, they probably had enough terrible encounters to have very good reason to keep it locked away until the fuckers who wanna play it can convince them they won't ruin it.
I feel sorry for Anon but if I had a hotel, I'd make sure to have security 24/7 and check everyone who wants to play the piano cause the piano is expensive, and so are repairs. As said it's sad, but don't ever trust people.
>>8837816
jesus, I feel like some cosplayers should get a darwin award for all the shit they go through just to get the perfect pic
I was there. It was horrible.
>>8838673
I saw the video where they locked everyone in the room and extorted them for money. Looked bad enough just from that one video.
>>8838687
Yeah I remember that video, after they took the money they played we are the champion. It was a really fun video to watch
>>8828658
Remembered something from CTcon a few years back that annoyed me.
>Cosplay Mamimi and Naota from FlCl
>Feel weird not having props so I grab a baseball bat from home before we head out
>Get to con, looking for prop check, find it and go
>Immediately yelled at to put it in my hotel room
>Go to do so, get yelled at on my way to hotel room, explain that I'm putting it away
>Return to con, on escalator behind a Shaun of the Dead cosplayer
>He has a wooden flat bat
>With a prop check tag on it
>mfw
>>8839496
Yup prop checks are freaking lame. A baseball bat or wood boken sword are no go but a cricket bat or carved and painted pointy anime sword made of wood is fine. I saw people at prop checks with hand lanterns and flag poles (Hetalia).
>>8839508
Not exactly, they can be a buzzkill but their main job is to prevent weapons or prop that might be considered dangerous or illegal.
I once heard a story where some girl had her real chainsaw confiscated (she thought it was ok to bring it since it was broken and she removed the blades), or a girl forced to check her 8 feet tall banner pole
But for the vast majority of the time, con gets idiots like in this story >>8837591.
I once heard a story where a staff got hit or knocked out by a wooden stick or plank, because a group of attendee were goofing around. Dont remember the exact details tho.
>>8825936
Probably, at the same time though, while generally everyone at youmacon is nice they are also general dumb as hell. i wouldn't be surprised if someone finally snapped
Not a HORROR story but relates to obnoxious peacebonding staff:
>day 0 of con, getting settled in with bf
>we go to get our props peacebonded - he's a scout from TF2
>he presents his wooden scattergun, which lacks a trigger, unlike pic related
>peacebonder flips, says bf could get shot by the cops walking around with it
>tells us to go get some orange paint to paint the barrels
>"there's a Dollar Tree a few miles east I think"
>refuse, we were dropped off and had no car anyway
>he takes us upstairs to the staff office
>explains situation to some head director guy
>director finds the whole thing utterly ridiculous, says the scattergun does not look remotely real and harshly scolds the staff
>bf gets lots of compliments on prop over weekend
He didn't get shot by the police either, thank goodness
A few years ago I was at a con after the rave ended and DJs packed up so very few people left in the convention center it was so late.
Staff members with orange cones directing people away from certain areas.
There are puddles of blood on the ground. Staff members we're keeping congoers out of puddles of blood.
Go downstairs to exit.
Security in front of exit arguing/grappling with 3 black guys, trying to remove them from the convention.
One security guard manages to get two guys outside, and quickly locks them out so its no longer 3 guys vs 2. The guys outside are banging on the door and yelling about calling their friends to fuck up security.
The security guard inside was trying to apprehend the last guy.
We are just sitting here watching this, a bunch of DJs with tons of gear not about to walk outside to confront these kicked out guys.
Guy still inside calms down and him and security guard are talking it seems like instead of grappling.
One of the DJs goes to try to help security while Im on the phone with 911.
Suddenly this guy punches the security guard in the face and lays him out.
Then punches DJ guy, lays him out too.
Security guard is on top of him and restrains the guy and police, fire trucks, etc start showing up.
The security guards were with the convention center and not the con, they do a good job. That was a crazy night.
>>8841244
That was at Otakon.
>cosplayed Jack from Bioshock
>con won't allow heavy metal objects or props
>ok, I'll just buy an aluminum one
>first day of the con, they won't let me take the pipe wrench in
>come back the next day, tape it to the inside of my trousers
>manage to get past the entrance
>few hours into the day, get stopped by security inside the con
>they ask me to leave
>agree, ask them if I can just leave the wrench at the door
>they say I'm not allowed to come back at all
>>8841781
It's your own fault, dude.
>>8841782
I know, it was my fault for not reading the weapon policy until four days before the con
>>8832339
Wow, those staff were idiots. The 'no camera' rule in the dealer's room at NDK is actually meant to keep people from crowding the area too much. People kept asking for pictures of cosplayers and blocking people from doing their shopping.
>>8841783
Um, no. It was your fault for sneaking a fucking pipe wrench into a convention. You not reading weapon policy until right before the con is a different issue entirely.
>>8825924
I mean, to be fair, you'd probably have to be drunk to survive staffing any Alberta con, especially Animethon lmao
>>8830200
NYCC is basically a joke now, a con for normies.
>>8834433
that sounds like a good rave oh man
(those guys are fucked though. what a bunch of apes.)
>Drive to local con for the day
>Arrive just 15 minutes before the group photoshoot my group wanted to attend, which takes place outside of the hotel. We rush into the hotel, throw on our cosplays quickly in the bathroom and rush out.
>Walking to the exit, we pass by the registration table. Tall boy sitting at the end of the reg table doing nothing asks if we've registered yet.
>Tell him no, we will, but we're late for a photoshoot. We leave and walk outside.
>15 minutes later - we're at the photoshoot outside of the hotel.
>Turn around and who do we see stomping across the grass but tall registration guy. He beelines straight to us.
>"So did you register yet?"
>"....No? We're at our photoshoot." We already told you will later."
>"Yeah well you should really do that now."
>"We're in the middle of something. We will when this is over."
>Stare at him until he finally goes back inside.
>Thirty minutes later the shoot is over and we're thinking about grabbing something to eat before going to the actual con. We approach the hotel doors to go to the restaurant area, and who do we see waiting inside but tall registration guy.
>Fuck this dude. We decide to go to the side entrance so that we can get some food without being harassed.
>There are a large number of windows between the two entrances, and halfway there we can see that tall registration guy is on his way to the side entrance too - he clearly saw what direction we were walking in, and is following us there.
>Double back and go in the original entrance, and avoid him for the rest of the con.
This guy pissed us off so much we ended up ghosting the con out of spite. I have no idea what his beef was with us specifically, he didn't seem to be badge-checking anyone else.
>>8841244
Damn, what was the fight about?
>>8836934
the last con i went to people started a conga/party line around the circuit of the hotel i.e. the whole con.
granted it was around 1 AM by then so it wasn't too crowded, but it was pretty huge and went on for a while. didn't hear anyone complaining about it afterwards, granted there was a guy with a boombox of pretty decent tunes and we were all just misc congoers and not Homestucks or any of those groups.
>>8836950
beyond truth.
even the 2010 era ones that now hate HS grew up to be psychotic shitheads.
kind of a story. my state's group was/is fucking terrifying; was the 100th member hilariously enough; it's at like 2000 now. none of the originals still use it but dear god they turned out to be HORRIBLE people.
not even tumblr level. something beyond that. the shit that happened with those people (close-to-murders, rapes, paedos, etc. i shit you not) actually ended up seriously fucking me up somehow mentally which got me kicked out of school and basically homebound. yes there's a pun right there but i'm not gonna make it.
pretty fun
>>8839508
I've seen fully strung crossbows and compounds (with arrows) at con but a broken airsoft (with no carbon tank) pistol can't go through
>>8825033
animenext?
>>8841778
This wasn't at Otakon, it was Sakuracon a few years ago.
>>8837676
Hmmm, dem tasty neckbeards
>volunteering at local con like 5 years ago
>they post me by a door to do badge checks
>just down the hall some con staff "security" guy is "working"
>really just playing the pocky game with a bunch of underage ass looking girls
>they are blocking half the hallway
>he yells at anyone who so much as thinks of stopping in the hallway
>>8842716
I once saw a guy with a compound bow at a convention with a live arrow. Someone asked for a photograph, so he drew the bow, in the middle of the convention pointed at her face posing for the camera. Literally a fully functional bow with a fully functional arrow pointed at this chicks face from about five feet away. The worst part the guy was so skinny, his arms were shuddering and shaking visibly trying to draw it back, so much so that he wasn't able to fully cock the bow and was holding it at the point just before the compound takes the slack.
I literally froze up seeing it, I wanted to step in and stop the fucking idiot but I was genuinely concerned if I startled the guy in any way he might accidentally loose the arrow. After it was over I had to ask my friends if that really just happened because seriously are people THAT stupid, how do you even own a bow, or even know someone who owns a bow and not know NOT to point it at other people. I really wish I had the wit to punch that guy in the jaw the second he was done, the convention wasn't even great so it would have been worth getting kicked out for.
>cosplay parasol from Skullgirls.
>Use model magic to sculpt the tip on Krieg. It's soft and safe.
>prop check at con
>guy checking says I could stab somebody with it.
>higher up shows up and gives me the okay.
Seriously, I even showed him it was safe by pushing on the top and pokingg myself in the palm with it to show it couldn't hurt anybody. The top wasn't even pointy. I'd have probably hurt somebody more by beating them with my umbrella then trying to stab them with a model magic arrow.
>>8842430
it's because they don't want baby fuckin whales in without a badge
>>8845417
Jesus how did he pass security?
Should have reported him or knocked him out
>>8845417
How the shit did he manage to get in? And who thinks a real bow and arrow are a good idea in a con? Those things were used to kill people for thousands of years, and even if you don't know how to use it it's still dangerous.
That was a few years ago, not really a horror story
>on break shortly after con started
>went out to buy some food
>wear staff t-shirt because of badge check and accessing restricted areas
>"O look it's a staff let's bombard him with questions"
>zerg rushed by attendees
>can't answer most of the questions because either I don't handle what they are looking for, it's not under my jurisdiction or I have no clue what they areally looking for
>realized that all the answers should be in the pamphlet or guide that they received when they got their badges
>tell them nicely to read everything because I don't want to mislead anyone
>"OMG STAFF ARE SO RUDE AND USELESS! THEY THINK WE ARE DUMB!"
all these stories seem exaggerated
>>8824909
>made up stories: the thread
>>8850490
I ran masquerade for a con and we had to keep a program at the sign up desk because everyone would ask us things about other stuff and we didn't know. We spent more time dealing with random questions than with people signing up for masquerade.
>>8824909
At A-kon last year I cosplayed as Tharja. Was wearing stilletos, skipped breakfast that day so my blood sugar was scary low, and on top of it was overheated. I black out a couple times and my husband had to catch me. At one point I sat in a totally empty area against the wall and a staff member literally ran over to me and said "you can't sit here you're gonna have to move now." I said "well sir I'm afraid I'm about to faint- is there anywhere I can safely rest for a moment?" and he was like "no I don't but I do know you can't sit here." We ended up just leaving the convention shortly after that.
>>8825810
People who are overinvolved in fandom are often mentally ill. Unfortunately, this tends to devolve into literal shit slinging.
>>8852095
bruv, this sounds like people that only came to the con to get drunk and party at the raves. Probably didn't give a metaphorical shit about fandom.
>>8851695
>At A-kon last year I cosplayed as Tharja. Was wearing stilletos, skipped breakfast that day so my blood sugar was scary low, and on top of it was overheated.
If you can't handle something so simple as keeping your sugar stable then you deserve to be sassed at tbqh. No one cares about your damsel in distress syndrome.
>>8851695
>skipped breakfast
Type 1 here.
Your fault.
Don't fucking skip meals.
>>8851695
it sounds like it's your fault. He's just doing his job
>>8841781
um, this is your fault. Aluminum is a metal
>>8852643
If your basal rates are set right you can usually skip meals and be okay.
t. type 1 who doesn't eat all day and then binge eats a hundred grams of carbs every night
[spoiler]I bet that's a normal person and by "scary low" they mean in the 70s though[/spoiler]
>>8852660
>tfw I always forget this board doesn't have spoilers
>>8852674
Tbh I only went to my con rave once and back then I wasn't staff, I did report to one of my security friend that I smelled weed when I went out for fresh air (the rave room had access to a balcony) and knocked down what felt like beer bottles (can't tell since it was too dark)
An other year, when I was staff, I went near the rave room. I took one step in and I couldn't breath because of the fog from the fog machine, sweat and humidity. Other than that hallway was filled with attendee that were either passed out or on the verge of passing out.
I heard great ideas like putting a bag inspection table mainly for alcohol but I am pretty sure that idea got quickly scratched.
Not exactly a horror story but definitely one where I am getting really tired of how childish attendees are
>one of the op room is at the end of the hallway
>the end of the hallway is closed off because op room is a high traffic area with a lot of equipment being moved around
>signs were placed in the middle of the hallway to say area is not part of the convention
>halfway through the first day I see some attendee sitting within the closed off area
>tell them nicely that they aren't supposed to be here
>they protest at first because they "didn't know" but then they left
>half an hour later had to go back to op room
>signs are either upside down or on the ground...my spidey senses are tingling
>mfw I see the same group of attendee
>they act as if nothing happened
>tell them to leave again
>never saw them again
Tbh I would kinda understand why they would chill there since it's a quiet spot.But come on, there are signs that clearly indicate that you can't be there.
>>8851695
I highly doubt you were that polite about it.
>>8857788
>>8856798
>>8851695
Both are separate incident, never been to A-Kon.
I am usually really nice to attendees when I talk to them.
If I recall correctly I said something like "I am sorry you can't be here, it's a restricted area as the panels indicate *points the panels* if you want to sit somewhere, you can sit anywhere else as long as you are not past these panels"
But what really pissed me off was when they came back, knocked down the panels (they didnt move the stands tho so I knew something was phishy when I saw empty stands) and pretended nothing happened
>>8851695
>skipping breakfast
>neither of you having the foresight to bring snacks or buy them from somewhere
hypogycemic here telling you to git gud
I found out that Birmingham mcm, a large gathering of people has no paramedic/St Johns ambulance coverage
And any staff first aid knowledge is minimal
Shit like this is why I am determined to learn myself
>dealer room
>douchebag steals a bunch of shit and takes off running
>security guard clotheslines him
>everyone cheers
>...
>he's not moving
>oh shit
>>8858539
Rekt
>>8858539
Did he die?
>>8838986 where's that video?
>Florida con
>OC ninja weeb cosplay at weapons check
>pulls out live steel sword
>"just dont pull it out okay"
Fast forward to masquerade
>weeb goes on stage. Sword out.
>displays "sword skills"
>spins sword and catches it by the blade
>ohshit.jpg
>sword dropped
>hand covered in blood
>dripping down arm
>puddle on stage
>runs off
>awkwardmomentwhen next skits dance on blood
>volunteers trying to clean with paper towels
>fast forward to after awards given
>weeb goes backstage
>"did i win anything"
>"did you call the cops on me"
>"i usually get arrested for this"
>mfw masquerade director told him no but weapons check and other higher staff said it was okay
>>8859832
>"i usually get arrested for this"
>mfw
I think I would have been fine with this being a fake story, but man. That fucking photo. I can't believe this happened.
>>8845425
I know your feel. Something similar happened to me.
>cosplays aircraft carrier girl from Kancolle
>bow made of small thin bent branch with string
>used sanded-down sticks as arrows and modelling clay for planes as blunt arrow tips
>goes to weapon prop checking table
>staff checks bow, it's fine
>checks arrows, asks does it fire?
>"umm no. Look how flimsy it is."
> even demonstrates, arrows just drop straight onto the ground because of weight of modelling clay. Can't be fired.
>staff decide to hold the arrows because of the length ( a few cm over limit)/ fear of projectile
Lucky I had a spare arrow in my quiver to pose with the bow. I told them that it was
fixed into the quiver, because I put foam and
clay at the end so it stays in place. This year, I plan on cosplaying as ro-500 for the Kancolle group.
Not exactly con security related, but reading these stories about security not allowing huge props made me think of this.
There is a good reason you shouldn't swing big props on a crowded con hallway.
>>8859735
https://youtu.be/LEDJgfYAw-g
Couldnt find the specific video anymore. Although I found a the same video from a different angle. The one I saw was from the stage pov while this one from the back.
>>8859832
Holy crap that made me cringe.
