fujishig

Having been to Anime Expo before, that looks about right. Hours and hours just to get in the venue pre-Covid. My kids desperately wanted to go and I had to tell them no.

Imagine standing outside for hours in the heat and then you can't even get into the venue.

DJariya

I don't blame you for not wanting your kids to be around that many people. It would just be a pretty uncomfortable experience. You're spending a lot of money for tickets, parking, gas and food and such and standing in line for hours and hours.

I went to LA Comic Con last December in the same place and it was nowhere near that crazy.

Josh-da-man

I hated crowds like that before COVID.

When I see something like that, I wonder how the hell anyone there can actually do anything when you're stuck in the middle of a sea of people. How do you shop? How do you see anything?

Since it's an anime expo, I would also assume that there's a larger than average number people there who are on the spectrum, and I can't imagine it doesn't drive them bonkers to be around that many people.

lwhy?

That many people gives me anxiety and I used to attend college football games with over 100,000 people at Neyland Stadium. Also, what if something happened to cause people to stampede? So many people could get hurt.

MLBFan24

I thought you were describing Disneyland initially...

Seriously though, that's why I avoid amusement parks. I can't fathom standing in line for hours as a vacation experience.

DJariya

That anime expo does look like a train wreck. I hope the people who did spend the money to had a good time and don't get sick in the days and weeks ahead.

The next big con that I'm attending as I mentioned in the last page is D23. I got an email that my badge shipped today.

jjcool

Looks like any con in the pre covid times.

DJariya

San Diego Comic Con is going to be using Clear Health pass

Instagram

Of course in the comments section, there's a bunch of childish assholes complaining who probably don't even have a ticket.

jjcool

I would assume they are complaining about announcing this requirement well after tickets and hotels have already been booked and so close to the actual event. Was there any announcement prior to this about any requirements as far as vaccination status?

fujishig

To my knowledge there was always a vaccination requirement, this is just the method they're using.

TheBang

Ah, meaning that it mainly impacts those with counterfeit vaccination cards, right?

DJariya

San Diego Comic Con is next week and they will indeed have an indoor mask mandate. That in addition to vaccination status or negative COVID test. Pretty much the same protocols when I went to LA Comic Con last December. I know the vast majority of this forum doesn't live in California, so this info is for anyone planning to go. I think VHS is probably the only one.

I don't mask unless I absolutely have to. But for a really big con like this, it's definitely a good idea to do this since COVID is so much in flux.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/com...aa5dee56334940

VHS?

Another reason people complaining about the CLEAR app is because it's faulty. There were major issues with lots of con goers at the SE back in November. I think also they used it and had issues for those at WonderCon.
You DO NOT HAVE TO USE IT though. It's just supposed to be quicker but its really not. Just show your card or negative test email.

So no paper masks everyone has been wearing.
They also do not supply any masks.

I don't feel like this whole mask and testing/vax card is gonna matter. SDCC is also outside with thousands of people not wearing masks. Going in and out.
What will suck is for anyone getting a test, they'll find out day off whether or not they can go

jjcool

Are you referring to the blue/white disposable masks that seem to be the most common mask out there? If so, what specifically excludes those masks? Those seem to be by far the most readily available and commonly seen masks around here anyways.

I am also curious why neck gaiters are excluded as well. I get bandannas being excluded, but aren't neck gaiters essentially as sealed on the bottom as most masks are?

DJariya

I've never used a neck gaiter, but to me it basically looks like putting part of a T-shirt on your face. That probably doesn't offer much protection from some guy hacking it up.

jjcool

How is that different than the vast majority of cloth masks that people are wearing? Single, or double, layer of fabric covering the mouth and nose. Closed at the chin.

TheBang

I can't find the study that I read (I may not have bookmarked it), but there have been several that show the propulsion of aerosol spray when you cough, sneeze, exhale, and the effects of wearing various face coverings. When you do those exhalations, there's a cone of dispersion in front of your face. Even for masks that don't have perfect seals, like cloth and surgical masks, they can still blunt and redirect a lot of the forceful aerosol propulsion, which dramatically reduces the amount of virus particles that hang around in the air to infect people near or in front of you. In those tests, they showed that gaiters were practically useless. I think because they are usually so thin, they don't really do anything to reduce your aerosol exhalations. Cloth masks performed better, especially multiple layered ones, but were still less effective than surgical masks, which were less effective still than well-fitting, high-quality masks (N95, KN95, KF94).

Edit: I may have been thinking of this story, which I remember got a lot of publicity, and said that neck gaiters might be "worse than no mask at all." What didn't get as much coverage was subsequent pushback on that conclusion from other researchers. I'd look for some more recent aerosol research, post-2020, but it does sound like gaiters might be OK, especially if they're doubled over. I think that initial WaPo article has colored everyone's perceptions though, and probably led to that SDCC guideline.

IMO, there's no reason why surgical masks shouldn't be a minimum standard though, superseding cloth masks and gaiters, since they can be obtained so readily and cheaply (under $0.10 each). And when attending a high-density event like SDCC, it should be a no-brainer to wear a new high-quality mask each day, since they can be readily obtained for $1 each.

fujishig

I am kind of surprised these conventions don't just buy a bunch of cheap masks (which fit their requirements) and sell them at the admission tables for some amount of upcharge.

DJariya

I'm really excited for San Diego Comic Con and all the news that will be dropping this upcoming weekend. Hopefully IGN will do the round the hour live coverage that they did in the past.

The YouTube home editions with the pre-taped Zoom calls sucked the last 2 years. I didn't care for like 90% of the panels that were posted.

VHS?

I believe the paper masks are an issue because they really don't 'hug your face' as well and there are openings. Also, they want masks to be secured under the chin. The disposable masks don't really do that.
It would be nice to allow neck gators but they are pretty thin, even against the disposable paper masks.
It would have been nice, as mentioned, if CCI would had just supplied the masks to their liking so there's no confusion. And lets be honest, I think the safest people are the ones getting tested, over those who just show up with a card.
Several of my family members did not know they were positive until they tested and they tested because they were around someone else who were sicker than a dog.

I cant wait to see all the security and wanna-be secret service guys, yelling at people all day about masks....gonna be fun!

VHS?

Now onto the CON.....

I submitted 48 'points' in the lottery and got 1 and it was something I didn't really care for and not sure why I wasted the point, but at least I got something.
Neither of my daughters got picked so that was a bummer. Was hoping for an Ozzy signature. I got UCC on Sunday. I'd really like to get a ticketed signing but I know that's next to impossible.
Problem here is, retailer and professionals are already on the floor and scoop these up. As far as exhibitors, we all know damn well they have regular badges and are also already on the floor and scoop them up. Attendees get little chance and that's really who they are intended for.
~end rant

mndtrp

Can you elaborate on whatever that's all about? You get points somehow, put them in a lottery, and that's how you get autograph sessions?

Paff

I got a badge for tomorrow and Sunday. I'll be eating both. No way am I going to that convention center, no way.

Last week was Rollercon, the annual roller derby convention I usually go to, but not this year. Everyone from my league, and I mean everyone, came back Covid-positive.

DJariya

That’s a lot of money your eating. Any way you can sell them off? I mean they are enforcing a mask mandate and you have to show proof of vaccinations or negative Covid test. But I understand if you don’t trust that system because comic con is a massive event

Edit: I see you can’t sell them off because it has your name on it and you need to show ID. I do see people trying to sell them on EBay.

Paff

The badges were purchased all the way back in 2019, and a Sunday badge costs like half of the other days, so it's not a terrible loss.