Being that it was a METAL show, I had on my metal gear, which was jeans, a KISS t-shirt, a studded belt and studded bracelet. As I'm going through security, the guard checking me was extremely thorough. I didn't care, I had removed all questionable items from my purse (and believe me...she checked in every fucking zipper), and I didn't have anything on me. I'm no dummy. She checked my bra straps. Cleavage. Pants. SO anyway, right as I'm about to be let through, she goes "Oh...you're going to have to take off your belt. And your bracelet."
...
....
WHAT? Are you fucking kidding me?
IT'S A METAL SHOW AND YOU CAN'T HAVE A FUCKING STUDDED BELT OR CUFF? So I say to her, like..."Are you serious?" and she goes "DEAD SERIOUS. They can be used as weapons and we don't take that lightly".
What the hell do you think I'm going to do...take off my belt and start whipping it around like a flail?? For fucks sake...I was angry. What a RIDICULOUS policy.
So I ask her, where does she expect me to put my belt? "You can go rent a locker (which meant leaving the line to get in that I already WAITED IN, PAYING for a locker when I had NO change, and making my friends who were all already inside miss Testament who had already started playing) or leave it here in the bush, I suggest the locker". Well, I didn't have money and wasn't going to leave the line, so I threw my bracelet and belt into the bush (but not before keeping my Brady Bunch belt buckle safe in my purse). I almost was going to snarkily ask if I was allowed to save my buckle or did they think I'd use THAT as a weapon too but this security beehatch didn't look like she had a sense of humour.
Now, I really wouldn't have been THAT upset in usual circumstances, but there were a few reasons that this troubled me so much.
1. The fact that I had JUST THROWN OUT ALL MY OTHER BELTS. I was keeping them even though they were shitty, cheap and old. I never really wore any of them anymore so since I didn't want to be a hoarder, I tossed them. The 1 belt I kept has been my old faithful through fat and thin, (in fact, it's that very belt from the picture...I've cut it and drilled holes in it so that I could still wear it).
2. The fact that my jeans were missing the button at the top to keep them UP. They were from a 'seconds' sale so they just never had a button. The belt was NECESSARY to keep me from pulling up my pants every 10 fucking seconds.
3. The fact that I was SO open with the security beehatch, letting her check every nook and cranny of my being and she STILL made me take off my shit and throw it in a friggin BUSH.
4. The fact that those 'studs' were so fucking dull that they couldn't pop a bubble, let alone injure someone.
So needless to say, this was putting a damper on my evening. Luckily one of the guys I was with took a springy thing from a banner and I used that so I wasn't constantly pulling up my pants like a nerd.
Nothing put a damper on seeing Rust In Peace played live though, with David Ellefson (the original bassist) back in the band being the cherry on top.
What a treat. I didn't want them to end. After Megs was Slayer, who were really good as well. I didn't really know any of their music though, so it wasn't as exciting as Megadeth for me. During their last song, I went back over to the bush where my belt was, I thought it was at least worth trying to find it.
The Amphitheatre people had gone into the bush and salvaged all the orphan belts, chains and accessories! MY BELT AND CUFF WERE SAVED!! I couldn't believe they were laying right there. I picked them up, put them back on, and the concert was over. Good timing.
So even though in the end everything worked out, I'm still pissed at the Amphitheatre for making me think about my stupid belt for almost the whole show. FUCK YOU AMPHITHEATRE and your ridiculous security!!
Remember when you were clapping along?
ReplyDeleteI REMEMBER NOTHING.
ReplyDelete