Monday, March 2, 2015

Natural Products Expo West: Beware the Legionnaires Gestapo



Going to the Natural Products Expo West can be hazardous. Because of the Legionnaire’s. No, not Legionnaire’s disease. But the elderly Gestapo.

The show, I suppose, hires the elderly legionnaires—I’m guessing that’s who they are because they are in uniform—to staff the entrances. But it can be very hazardous. Why?

They check IDs. Which takes longer than it should because they’re eyesight in not great. Whoever thought about putting them with that task is clearly not thinking.

They stamp hands after checking IDs. Simple enough, right? Except the fact that the ink on the stamps wears off easily when you wash my hands. Last year, I got my hand stamped then washed my hands. When I went back into the exhibit hall, the elderly woman at the door argued with me claiming that I got my hand stamped yesterday because it was faded. I guess she never fucking washes her hands. She was so irritating.

At the end of the show, the organizers put them at all the exits making sure no one leaves with more than one bag. They seize anything over the limit. I just brought an oversized duffel bag and made periodic luggage dumps at the Hilton.

I love the Natural Products Expo West, but the Gestapo nature that they exact in the operation of it leaves much to be desired. Since they offer free exhibit hall entry codes and their verifying of qualifications is not stringent, it seems they should be doing more clamping down prior to the beginning of the show.

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