The GZG Digest V2 #1881

In a message dated 1/27/04 2:01:20 AM,
> owner-gzg-digest@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU writes:

<< From: "Robertson, Brendan" <Brendan.Robertson@dva.gov.au>

Subject: RE: [CON] GZG East Coast Convention

Reminds me of a local personality who popped over to New Zealand for

convention quite a few years back.

In answer to the usual question "anything to declare", the answer was "guns,

knives & armor". They thought he was joking; until the full scale replica

of an Aliens Sentry Gun went through the x-ray machine!

A 30 minute photo shoot then ensued with the gun set up pointing at the

walk-through metal detector (rather disconcerting for any passengers who

knew what it was!) >>

WTF was he thinking...

In the USA now I'm pretty sure that would get him arrested, or at least
detained. However I'm not sure how to properly explain what it was, if they
were "Props" as I've meet some security checkers and if they don't understand
they get down right annoyed, but anything that looks like a weapon is treated
as suc
h.

Of course with all these other stories, I have to include mine:

Years ago I was traveling back from a convention, out of state after being
awake 36-48 hours, and I was driving home with my minis and rest of my
gaming stuff sitting in the back seat of my Horizon.

Well, about 4:30am I got stopped by a State Trooper, who came up ask all the
questions they normally ask when they think you might have been drinking, and
when he got to the question of "Do U have any Weapons on you or in the Car"

I answered "No," and just about that point his flashlight panned into the back
seat, and saw my minis case (3 Pistol cases). It my sitting back in the squad
car, and him opening the cases not so gentle, and then having me explain
Battletech to him.

End result, No Ticket and I was wide awake.

But learned a great lesson that morning, minis cases always go into the trunk.

Have a Good One,

> DOCAgren@aol.com wrote:

> I answered "No," and just about that point his flashlight panned into

This reminds me of a story: The convention site for ECC is at the Ramada
Brunswick in downtown Lancaster. It also happens to be right across the street
from a police station. One year, we had two cops come through and look around
with 'business' intent. Once they saw that our pistol cases were being used
for miniatures, they relaxed and chatted for a while and then left.

It was also the year I told Mike Richie NOT to bring his Airsoft equipment
(MP5 and Glocks) to the convention. Whew!

> But learned a great lesson that morning, minis cases always go into

I keep some minis in pistol cases. I discovered that it's far cheaper to buy a
pistol case than it is to buy a dedicated miniatures case. (Though it's almost
impossible to find a pistol case in Canada; I used to get mine in the U.S.
before I moved down south.)

However, I do know of people who refuse to store their miniatures in pistol
cases, and for reasons similar to what happened with you. People see a pistol
case and assume that it has a pistol in it. Someone on
rec.games.miniatures.historical a few years ago mentioned having a large

ancients army stolen. Someone saw the cases in his car and stole them,
thinking that they held a couple of guns.

If you use pistol cases, keep them out of sight at all times. Another option,
which is about as cheap as a pistol case but more work, is to get your own
foam and cut sheets to fit in a plastic container (Rubbermaid, Sterlite,

etc.). If you're very industrious, you can cut out compartments for the
figures.