Poor planning at Franken's Cambrige MA event...

[hobbes159]

Not Al's fault in the slightest, but very disappointing nonetheless as I had been looking forward to hearing him talk and getting my book signed. Showed up 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to start, walked right in. This was being held in a rather old church in Harvard Square. All of the pews were filled on the main floor as well as all the balcony seats, so my friend and I stood in the back of the hall with many others. At some point after we arrived, they closed off the front door saying that the place was full. Later, just a few minutes before the event was supposed to start, they told everyone that was still standing that we had to leave, as it was a violation of fire codes to have people standing in the aisle in the back. Now, I don't have a problem with fire codes being enforced (I was a volunteer firefighter for many years!), I do have a problem with the lack of foresight that it revealed. As I remarked to one of the people running the event as we were being sent out the door, if they knew space would be an issue, they should have counted people AS THEY CAME IN until they reached capacity -- I would be much less offended to have been stopped outside and told it was full, rather than making it inside, waiting for 45 minutes, and then being thrown out. The hundred or so people still outside had no idea what was going on as well, as the organizers hadn't bothered to tell them what the problem was (and the guy at the front door had threatened to call the police and report the crowd as a public nuicance, if you can believe that).

And they guy that went around the back of the hall telling us to leave was down right rude, too.

Oh, well, sorry we missed you Al, hope you can come back to the area soon.....

[BQueen]

1. You're right, that's too bad

I'm glad to hear that Al drew a huge crowd - sounds like the choice of venue would have benefitted from better planning as well.

Ticks me off too when event planners blame the crowd for problems they could have forseen and prevented. They should have been apologizing all over themselves rather than threatening the reasonably annoyed crowd with arrest.

[inthecorneroverhere]

2. That's right

This is EXACTLY the sort of thing that drives newbie Dem's *away* from 'activist' events.

Generally, people won't go out of their way (driving, parking, time) a second time....if they weren't made to feel welcome the *first* time.

Yes, first impressions DO count.

[eileen_d]

3. First impressions do count

but adults get over it. I'm not slamming the original poster, s/he has a perfect right to be annoyed, but sometimes shit happens with events like that, so it shouldn't be a permanent turnoff IMO.

[dobak]

4. The St. Paul, MN on Oct 15th is SOLD OUT

You had to get a ticket (I think it was $5, or free with book purchase from the event sponsor).

Anyway, it is sold out already.