Bag searches and metal detectors questions
SweetCosmicPope
Just Some DudeLake Stevens, WARegistered User regular
Just Some DudeLake Stevens, WARegistered User regular
in PAX West
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against this at all, especially with all the craziness that's been going on lately, but I'm legitimately curious how doing bag checks and metal detectors is going to work logistically. In the past, we've been able to come and go throughout the day in order to go to the satellite buildings, have a smoke, or eat lunch without too much pain.
Now with this system it seems inevitable that every time you leave the building you're going to get stuck waiting in line to get back in, eating into your time on the floor.
This thought leaves me somewhat disinclined to visit anywhere but the convention center so I don't waste most of my day standing in line to get back in.
I believe these have been implemented at other PAX locations recently. How has this been handled at those?
Now with this system it seems inevitable that every time you leave the building you're going to get stuck waiting in line to get back in, eating into your time on the floor.
This thought leaves me somewhat disinclined to visit anywhere but the convention center so I don't waste most of my day standing in line to get back in.
I believe these have been implemented at other PAX locations recently. How has this been handled at those?
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The remote sites were protected in less obvious ways (specifically the Hyatt Regency), which as a new hotel, I suspect has built in security measures that are intended to be hidden (actually that was the exact sentiment provided by ReedPop at the ECCC recap panel at the end of the event).
If they do the same thing for PAX, the main queue to get in will be on the street (literally the street, not the sidewalk) between WSCC and the Sheraton. Main entrance will be on the back side of the WSCC with secondary entrances for people with mobility issues. Exiting will be primarily through the Front of WSCC. At some point them may open the front entrances up for entry as well, but that was done only as the flow allowed it. The back entrance has something like 8 double doors and they had between 12 and 18 detectors at that entrance and then another 6 - 8 at the mobility entrance. All in all I would say a minor impact at most.
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It's anything but fast at East. If you show up to East at 9:30 with a bag, you'll be lucky to get inside in an hour. This year, Friday and Saturday were hellscapes.
I'm all for more security. But, y'all who haven't been to East better prepare accordingly.
I don't think they can do this. AFAIK ReedPop (aka PAX) does not "own" the entire WSCC for the weekend. The public is allowed to enter and use the building all the way up to and including the floor the expo hall is on just not past the badge check areas. There are lots of shops that would (potentially) lose business if you kept the public out. That said it's just a guess on my part and it would be great if it was feasible to bag check at the WSCC entryway since there are a lot of alternate ways to gain entrance to the expo floor once inside. Not to mention people like to exit the expo hall over by subway and enter by the info booth and vice versa to bypass walking the expo floor to get to the other side/pax store/etc. I'm sure we will hear more as the time gets closer.
I suspect the public can still enter the same areas as before, it’s just they will have to go through the security check as well.
Edit: scratch that, their news post just confirmed you will need a badge to enter any part of the convention center this year.
If anything, it's just a minor holdup for the amount of time you were going to take in the next line anyway.
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Curious on this part:
I assume BYOC is still in the Annex this year, and that early set up will still be available through that entrance prior to 930 on Friday? I guess eventually that’ll go out in the BYOC details. But in general fucking around with the Annex entrance concerns me.
I'm happy with that change. The old will call spot was kind of a pain.
I have never had my computer inspected at the other PAXes, it's more of a general search and the security people have always been extremely accommodating.
From the PAX subreddit:
"So, what is BYOC suppose to do?"
OFFICIAL PAX: "You'll be contacted separately for BYOC load in instructions."
Hopefully this extends the hours on Thursday. I always have to pick up early Friday
More curious how this is gonna work at the satellite theaters, seeing as I doubt the hotels around the area are psyched about non-PAXfolk wandering into the convention halls and potentially having to get checked.
WSCC is the only place that will have the security screenings.
"Brilliant! Oh wait, if we were meant to fly, we would have been born with little bags of nuts."
You cannot enter PAX from Freeway Park, but the park itself will be considered PAX space, so you can go in and out as you please from the atrium after you've gone through security.
Been wondering about this, thanks!
Yeah, I went to East for the first time this year and was frustrated by feeling essentially being "trapped" in the convention center, tempered somewhat by the fact at East there's not much else around there and all the show content is in the convention center anyway. Nonetheless, I would arrive 30-60 minutes after show open and still have to wait in line at security for 30-45 minutes.
Hopefully the distribution of venues for West will help even out the load (for instance, usually don't try to get into the WSCC until after lunch on Friday anyway).
Used to line up at 8am but will now do 7:30am for Fri and Sat.
PAX. PAX. PAX. Boom.
My friends and I will likely be chillin' at Top Pot or somewhere until about 10:30 am.
Y'all have fun with that cluster.
It will not. Security will be located at the rear entrances in the tunnel before entry into WSCC according to the information posted on the main website. The front "entrances" will be exits only.
-- Vroomfondel
If it's a similar process to the sports games around here though, it'll go pretty quick
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We headed for the line at 9:25, zero line outside and walked right in to the bag check, only 3 people in front of me for that. It went fast enough that we even had to wait a couple minutes before they opened and the crowd started to move, but we were at the Limited Run Games booth by 9:40. I've been to PAX seven years and this was the fastest I've ever gotten instead. It was awesome.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State