sdcc09 - friday
Have to start with the bad in this one..
I got a 10am shift for volunteering, because I wanted to get it out of the way. I was originally supposed to do pre-registration stuff, but they needed volunteers for something in Ballroom 20, and it was a slightly earlier shift. Big Fucking Mistake.
Ballroom 20 has like 20 doors, but for some reason, only two were being used. One, the main entrance, and the other being the exit, bathroom re-entry door, and handicapped entrance. At least for the first half hour. We were set at the second door to hand out and collect the bathroom passes for people to leave and come back. But then, one of the redshirts (I freaking hate redshirts) tells us: "We're not going to let anyone else through this door, it's only for the handicapped. Did she tell us which do we were supposed to use, did she give us any direction other than that? Of course not, she was only a redshirt. so here I and the other volunteer are, completely at a loss as to what we're supposed to tell the people as to which door to use.
We start sending people out the first door, but they're sent back to us, essentially trapping folks inside the ballroom. I go and talk to the usher at the first door, to try and figure something out, and she's got no idea, just that she's not allowed to let people out that door. There are literally no con staff other than her inside the room.
My fellow volunteer had about as much spine as a mcdonald's french fry... I tell him to keep doing what he's doing and handing out passes and letting people out the second door, while I switch to the first door to collect tickets.
Another hour goes by... the redshirt outside the first door is completely useless and I pretty much wound up doing his job for us. New volunteers are sent up, but without anyone to report to besides me. so I send them inside to help hand out more passes.
Meanwhile, the line to ballroom 20 gets entirely backed up, to the point where the constaff are forced to cap the line... plus there are a ton of people who are camping the room for later panels... and naturally the attendees start complaining to me, because there aren't any competent con staff around. I hand them off to the redshirt, it was his fucking job after all, and continue to let in people with passes.
Another hour, and the volunteer that we started shift with, comes up to me, asking who's supposed to sign off on our assignment cards so we can be released. I told him that it would have to be someone with a light green shirt, or better. Definitely not an orange or a red. He takes off, trying to find one, and a bit later comes back to tell me he hasn't found anyone, but that he's leaving.
I go inside to grab one of the volunteers at the second door to man the first door... two of the three are handing out passes and working, while one is just standing there. I grabbed her. I realized as I was telling her about collecting tickets that she didn't speak english as a first language, and I felt a little bad about giving her that position...but there was no way I was going to stay passed the end of my shift.
Whomever our supervisor was of course is no where to be found, so I have to go back to the volunteer scheduling desk without a sign off on my assignment card.
Fucking exhausting.
The Con needs volunteers, but they really need to get their shit together and figure out their organization better and work to keep volunteers informed on what they're doing.
so while I went off to volunteer duty, Anthony got separated from anyone else, which was sad, cause he only came to the con to hang out with people. Tyler managed to get snagged by some jailbait, who were a bit annoying especially with the saying hello with a punch to the arm. I don't mind getting into the character you're cosplaying, but have some freaking consideration for other people and a working knowledge of social interactions with strangers. Just because I'm cosplaying as a character from the same show as you does not mean we're good friends and you can just punch me. Make-up, even when done with professional grade stuff, will rub off, so don't be a smart ass with "How come the arrow doesn't go all the way down?". Use your head or shut your mouth. I'm sure being exhausted from the volunteer shift has made my opinions of the JB a bit harsh, but there are still social standards to be upheld.
Anthony managed to get an extra pass from Zimmay's friend, and it's a 4 day pass. Hurray, I only had to do one completely hellish volunteer shift. I would have DIED had I had to volunteer on Saturday.
Dinner with the crew at the old spaghetti factory, despite my headache, was a ton of fun. Thanks for helping put a good ending on a horrid day.
I got a 10am shift for volunteering, because I wanted to get it out of the way. I was originally supposed to do pre-registration stuff, but they needed volunteers for something in Ballroom 20, and it was a slightly earlier shift. Big Fucking Mistake.
Ballroom 20 has like 20 doors, but for some reason, only two were being used. One, the main entrance, and the other being the exit, bathroom re-entry door, and handicapped entrance. At least for the first half hour. We were set at the second door to hand out and collect the bathroom passes for people to leave and come back. But then, one of the redshirts (I freaking hate redshirts) tells us: "We're not going to let anyone else through this door, it's only for the handicapped. Did she tell us which do we were supposed to use, did she give us any direction other than that? Of course not, she was only a redshirt. so here I and the other volunteer are, completely at a loss as to what we're supposed to tell the people as to which door to use.
We start sending people out the first door, but they're sent back to us, essentially trapping folks inside the ballroom. I go and talk to the usher at the first door, to try and figure something out, and she's got no idea, just that she's not allowed to let people out that door. There are literally no con staff other than her inside the room.
My fellow volunteer had about as much spine as a mcdonald's french fry... I tell him to keep doing what he's doing and handing out passes and letting people out the second door, while I switch to the first door to collect tickets.
Another hour goes by... the redshirt outside the first door is completely useless and I pretty much wound up doing his job for us. New volunteers are sent up, but without anyone to report to besides me. so I send them inside to help hand out more passes.
Meanwhile, the line to ballroom 20 gets entirely backed up, to the point where the constaff are forced to cap the line... plus there are a ton of people who are camping the room for later panels... and naturally the attendees start complaining to me, because there aren't any competent con staff around. I hand them off to the redshirt, it was his fucking job after all, and continue to let in people with passes.
Another hour, and the volunteer that we started shift with, comes up to me, asking who's supposed to sign off on our assignment cards so we can be released. I told him that it would have to be someone with a light green shirt, or better. Definitely not an orange or a red. He takes off, trying to find one, and a bit later comes back to tell me he hasn't found anyone, but that he's leaving.
I go inside to grab one of the volunteers at the second door to man the first door... two of the three are handing out passes and working, while one is just standing there. I grabbed her. I realized as I was telling her about collecting tickets that she didn't speak english as a first language, and I felt a little bad about giving her that position...but there was no way I was going to stay passed the end of my shift.
Whomever our supervisor was of course is no where to be found, so I have to go back to the volunteer scheduling desk without a sign off on my assignment card.
Fucking exhausting.
The Con needs volunteers, but they really need to get their shit together and figure out their organization better and work to keep volunteers informed on what they're doing.
so while I went off to volunteer duty, Anthony got separated from anyone else, which was sad, cause he only came to the con to hang out with people. Tyler managed to get snagged by some jailbait, who were a bit annoying especially with the saying hello with a punch to the arm. I don't mind getting into the character you're cosplaying, but have some freaking consideration for other people and a working knowledge of social interactions with strangers. Just because I'm cosplaying as a character from the same show as you does not mean we're good friends and you can just punch me. Make-up, even when done with professional grade stuff, will rub off, so don't be a smart ass with "How come the arrow doesn't go all the way down?". Use your head or shut your mouth. I'm sure being exhausted from the volunteer shift has made my opinions of the JB a bit harsh, but there are still social standards to be upheld.
Anthony managed to get an extra pass from Zimmay's friend, and it's a 4 day pass. Hurray, I only had to do one completely hellish volunteer shift. I would have DIED had I had to volunteer on Saturday.
Dinner with the crew at the old spaghetti factory, despite my headache, was a ton of fun. Thanks for helping put a good ending on a horrid day.