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Old 08-24-2009, 10:56 AM
 
Location: Hopewell, VA
34 posts, read 76,269 times
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I would assume they don't allow water bottles in becaue someone could have alcohol in them instead of water, however, they should allow unopened bottles of water.
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Old 08-24-2009, 11:00 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,036,370 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmoxley View Post
I would assume they don't allow water bottles in becaue someone could have alcohol in them instead of water, however, they should allow unopened bottles of water.
You can hide alcohol in anything, so that's not the case. They just want to sell you water in the park. Ballparks don't ban you from bringing in beer because they don't want you to drink inside, but so they can sell you beer to drink inside.......
Just a money maker....
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Old 08-24-2009, 11:15 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,400,512 times
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Yes, but if they are selling alcohol on the grounds, then allowing someone to bring in alcohol would be in conflict with the very vendors who are putting on the event. So, they could allow in water, but if someone was hiding an alcoholic beverage in a water bottle (a quick sniff should tell the difference), they'd be cutting the throats of their own vendors.

As for "just a money maker", how do folks think that these events are paid for, anyway? Surely not entirely by admission price (which would have to be prohibitive it if were to cover everything). Vendors pay for a spot, as one example, in hopes of selling their wares.
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Old 08-24-2009, 11:23 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,036,370 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
Yes, but if they are selling alcohol on the grounds, then allowing someone to bring in alcohol would be in conflict with the very vendors who are putting on the event. So, they could allow in water, but if someone was hiding an alcoholic beverage in a water bottle (a quick sniff should tell the difference), they'd be cutting the throats of their own vendors.
On a hot day, they'll sell far more water than alcohol, and with a bigger mark-up as well....whatever the alleged reasons for banning items, they all stem from keeping more money spent in the event itself. Simply, the more water AND alcohol they ban, the MORE alcohol and water they sell IN the event.
Money-making is such a priority that this event had the evident gall of banning supplies that fulfill bodily NEEDS on a very hot day. There IS no option but to drink fluids on a 100+ day, or risk dehydration, or even heat stroke.....what this BAT event did is a crime...if Austin was not so transient, and had a more stable population/neighborhoods, they would jump on things like this....events can get away with bloody murder in cities growing as fast as Austin, with such a large % of new residents that don't know the ins and outs of making things happen locally, and/or are not here long enough to care/have impact on the same.....
Again, transiency is the bane of rapidly growing cities like Austin, and attract rip-off artist groups like this one which implemented the "no bringing in your own water" rule....
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Old 08-24-2009, 12:21 PM
 
139 posts, read 350,857 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
As for "just a money maker", how do folks think that these events are paid for, anyway? Surely not entirely by admission price (which would have to be prohibitive it if were to cover everything). Vendors pay for a spot, as one example, in hopes of selling their wares.
And people attend the events in hopes of having a good time. The two sides need each other. I don't think bringing in an opened bottle of water was somehow undercutting their profits. She wasn't carrying a cooler full of beer.

I'm surprised the organizers didn't put up signs that read: Please have your heat stroke outside the event so that we are not responsible, thanks.
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Old 08-24-2009, 12:33 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,400,512 times
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Didn't say she was undercutting their profits by bringing in water, but referring the the possibility that some (and quite a few, if it weren't checked) would be bringing in alcohol disguised in a water bottle and THAT would undercut profits (assuming it was an event at which alcohol was allowed - sometimes, on city property, it isn't, by law).

I was referring to the comments regarding it being all about the money, and how festivals shouldn't be, and wondering how long people think there would be festivals (or, at least, ones anyone could afford to attend) if the finances weren't considered.
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Old 08-24-2009, 01:03 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,757 posts, read 9,059,327 times
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Well, the Pecan Street Festival has been going on for quite some time now and the times we've attended (back in 99 and 2000 and then again this spring) we've always been able to bring along our own water. And all they would have to do is have me remove the top of my water bottle to see it was ice water, anything more and it would have smelled or been visually apparent. They did go through our back packs to check for stuff like food (which we didn't bring because we read on the website that we could not)
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Old 08-24-2009, 02:30 PM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,036,370 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kingugly View Post
And people attend the events in hopes of having a good time. The two sides need each other. I don't think bringing in an opened bottle of water was somehow undercutting their profits. She wasn't carrying a cooler full of beer.

I'm surprised the organizers didn't put up signs that read: Please have your heat stroke outside the event so that we are not responsible, thanks.
I don't usually leave a "now that was funny" comment...This is an exception! Brilliant!.....should be a mandated sign per every Austin event that bans "bring your own vital fluids" bottles in hot weather......or one that says, "Not responsible for heat strokes in or out of this event"....
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Old 08-24-2009, 02:37 PM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,036,370 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
Didn't say she was undercutting their profits by bringing in water, but referring the the possibility that some (and quite a few, if it weren't checked) would be bringing in alcohol disguised in a water bottle and THAT would undercut profits (assuming it was an event at which alcohol was allowed - sometimes, on city property, it isn't, by law).

I was referring to the comments regarding it being all about the money, and how festivals shouldn't be, and wondering how long people think there would be festivals (or, at least, ones anyone could afford to attend) if the finances weren't considered.
Think of the implications...if someone snuck in alcohol in the guise of "water bottles", it would have to be either vodka or grain alcohol....white wine MAYBE.....considering that 85-90% of festival drinkers are beer drinkers, how many would jones enough for alcohol to mix vodka/grain alcohol with their water/drinks(those I presume paid for in the event as well?)...

No matter how you slice it, or excuse it, this is an egregious affront to fest attendees, denying them the ability to bring in their own water on a 100+ degree day, where they will be outside for the entire duration.....
what will they charge them for next? Oxygen? Using the portapotty?

Shame shame shame on the organizers of Batfest, and the city council that let them shut down a major street, and charge admission for admitance to what is public domain...that itself was illegal, which is why they called it a "donation".......we found out 5 years ago in the city I came from that does the same thing(closing off city streets) that they must call it a donation, and can't force a soul to pay it!

Per them not having festivals without getting people to "pay" "carry their weight" etc.....I say then don't have them.....there are plenty of fests that let you bring water/don't charge...all the best don't(Pecan, Eeyore's).....with the huge Austin population, there will ALWAYS be vendors willing to pay to set up stalls, and that will always pay for the fest, though may not pump up profits to go in pockets of organizers looking to rip people off by banning bottles of water to paying attendees...
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Old 08-24-2009, 02:44 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,063,260 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by inthecut View Post
Shame shame shame on the organizers of Batfest, and the city council that let them shut down a major street, and charge admission for admitance to what is public domain...that itself was illegal, which is why they called it a "donation".......we found out 5 years ago in the city I came from that does the same thing(closing off city streets) that they must call it a donation, and can't force a soul to pay it!
Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez voted against allowing them to close of the Congress Avenue Bridge for this event.

You can send emails to complain to your council members here

City of Austin - Austin City Council
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