Cafe Hitch-hike

2023-07-23

The concert

We went to the outdoor amphitheater to see a concert. I had gone to this place many times before.

One rule changed in that we could no longer bring our own lawn or beach chairs, but blankets were allowed. Ok. They just offered their own for the tune of $20 for the rental.

The second thing that changed was having to go through 2 security checkpoints. We walked walked through metal detectors twice. At least they had tanks of drinking water along the way (which was another change), but this was actually more than airport security.

There were at least a dozen cops in the entrance lobby, some with bulletproof vests and all with live ammo. The heat index was probably around 90 (and at night at that). I had never seen that many cops at a concert.

Then, as we walked to the outdoor green area, I noticed 2 big signs:

In case of thunderstorms or severe weather, please return to your vehicles or take shelter.

You can return to the concert by showing your ticket if the show resumes.

There were other signs that provided the symptoms of heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else had them. The venue also had 2 cooling stations with water mists, and I had never been to a concert where drinking water was everywhere, but it's necessary here in Florida.

My friend and I noticed the signs and felt puzzled. We both noticed the heavy LE presence and looked at each other. I then thought about the active shooter trainings that are now commonplace. There's the news and the now-daily instances of public shootings or acts of violence directed at multiple people. Yeah, I could see how some pissed off person could really mark off a lot of people in this crowded and fenced-in area, and so we have tons of cops on alert to minimize damages of sorts. A part of me wanted to glare at my friend who's very conservative: here's what we get because too many people think guns should be more protected than people.

I also figured the facility didn't want to be responsible for any injuries due to heat, lightening, or weapons. Perhaps their insurer told the they had to take these steps or they wouldn't cover them (or charge them a lot more).

It was an event where I wanted to go relax and get lost with a crowd to some good music, but no. It was a reminder of the times we live in. I left the concert rather disappointed, and quietly saddened.

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