I started attending Dragon*Con in 2009, after years of watching longingly as the pictures popped up on Flickr. Because I'm so new to D*C, I don't have any nostalgia for the "good old days" before the con got too big or whatever. I love that D*C is this huge, this diverse, and having been to other cons including E3, San Diego ComicCon, and BlizzCon out here in southern California, there's really very little I would change about Dragon*Con.
Reading through the comments on this topic, it seems to me that some people have unrealistic expectations of safety. No event that's open to the public, even one that requires a badge to enter, will ever be safe. Expecting it to be safe is just setting yourself up for disaster. Not until you're alone in your hotel room with the door locked behind you should you have any expectation of safety -- and even then, there are precautions that experienced travelers take to ensure their safety.
How many of us would go walking alone, drunk, at 3am through an unfamiliar city? And yet somehow Dragon*Con is supposed to be exempt from the reality that there are assholes in the world? Any basic safety precautions you would use after dark in an unfamiliar location should be used at Dragon*Con -- be aware of your surroundings, travel in a group, have a cellphone on you, etc.
I am in no way trying to blame the victims for their assaults, or deny that there's a problem. Nor am I saying that you shouldn't party at Dragon*Con. Hell, I drink at D*C, stay out late, wear revealing outfits, etc. But I don't get black-out drunk, I never go anywhere alone, and I always build a hidden pocket into even the skimpiest of costumes for my cell phone, room key, credit card, and ID. I have a *great* time, but I also assume my own safety is my responsibility. My friends' safety is my responsibility too, as my safety is their responsibility.
Of course, this isn't a fool-proof guide to not getting assaulted, and I do know that people have been groped and assaulted at Con while still following all the usual safety tips. I just think it's important for us all to be realistic about how much our personal safety is our own responsibility, and how much it is the hotels' or Dragon*Con's responsibility. I'm the only one who can watch out for me 24/7.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-05-25 07:28 pm (UTC)Reading through the comments on this topic, it seems to me that some people have unrealistic expectations of safety. No event that's open to the public, even one that requires a badge to enter, will ever be safe. Expecting it to be safe is just setting yourself up for disaster. Not until you're alone in your hotel room with the door locked behind you should you have any expectation of safety -- and even then, there are precautions that experienced travelers take to ensure their safety.
How many of us would go walking alone, drunk, at 3am through an unfamiliar city? And yet somehow Dragon*Con is supposed to be exempt from the reality that there are assholes in the world? Any basic safety precautions you would use after dark in an unfamiliar location should be used at Dragon*Con -- be aware of your surroundings, travel in a group, have a cellphone on you, etc.
I am in no way trying to blame the victims for their assaults, or deny that there's a problem. Nor am I saying that you shouldn't party at Dragon*Con. Hell, I drink at D*C, stay out late, wear revealing outfits, etc. But I don't get black-out drunk, I never go anywhere alone, and I always build a hidden pocket into even the skimpiest of costumes for my cell phone, room key, credit card, and ID. I have a *great* time, but I also assume my own safety is my responsibility. My friends' safety is my responsibility too, as my safety is their responsibility.
Of course, this isn't a fool-proof guide to not getting assaulted, and I do know that people have been groped and assaulted at Con while still following all the usual safety tips. I just think it's important for us all to be realistic about how much our personal safety is our own responsibility, and how much it is the hotels' or Dragon*Con's responsibility. I'm the only one who can watch out for me 24/7.