Posted on 09/25/2004 4:29:30 AM PDT by The G Man
I scored tickets for Monday's George W. Bush rally here in the greater Cincinnati area. They're expecting 35,000 people which will make it the biggest campaign rally in the US this year. My wife and I are keeping the kids home from school so they can go too.
Question - we've got a 1 year old also. Do they allow strollers into these things? The folks at the local Bush-Cheney HQ yesterday didn't know.
Just don't have anything pro-bush on the stroller. You never can tell when there will be Kerry's Union thugs in the crowd.
Do you know if I would still be able to get in or not?
I saw him once in Louisville and once in Cincy back in 2000. I'd LOVE to see him again.
They've distributed 27,000 tix already. The paper this morning said you can contact John Boehner's office in West Chester for info.
Good Morning. My advice would be to get what used to be called a "Snuggly" (I don't know if they still make that brand or not.) But it's a backpack in which the kid can ride on your or your wife's back. The Snuggly we had years ago was adaptable for hanging on the front of your body too for a newborn. It came in handy 20+++ years ago when ours were little. I'm sure they'll make an accomodation for one, but strollers, even back before the Homeland Security days, were a pain in the backside for a large gathering like that.
Congratulations on getting the tickets. Hope you have a good time.
FWIW, when GWB was in Columbus the day before his acceptance speech, there were quite a few young chidren (including some in strollers). Everyone and everythiong went through a security set-up much like that in any airport.
35,000 is a lot of people. A young child would be safe (but probably bored with the waiting or frightened by the cheers)at a big Bush rally.
Strollers will probably be permitted, but from my experience I would suggest a stroller would not be the safest place for a child to be once inside the Gathering Place.
At most of these events held indoors the crowd stands, as they don't provide chairs. Imagine a little person in a stroller, surrounded by a sea of people.
I can certainly see the value of the stroller to get from the parking area to the Gathering Place. But I would strongly urge that you take a backpack type of thing (can't remember the real name) to get the child up where they won't feel totally surrounded by thousands of knees.
Having said all this, and understanding there will be at least a 2 hr wait once you arrive at the site, I would suggest leaving the youngest child at home with Grandma.
Can you guarentee the child isn't going to become fussy? It would be a courteousy to the other attendees to leave the child at home.
I love children. But when I've had to stand shoulder to shoulder and belly button to belly button for 2 hrs with complete strangers I find it extremely annoying to be distracted by a crying child.
We went to the event at Poplar Bluff MO that had over 26,000. There was one lady with a stroller that was right next to us. It was the only stroller I saw. We decided not to bring our 1 year old. Good call for us because it ended up being pretty hot, mostly because we were packed like sardines for nearly 5 hours and then it took another 2 hours to leave because the way out was very restricted.
The lady next to us with the stroller the baby did OK for the most part, got pretty fussy a few hours in and then went to sleep in the stroller. But we were absolutely exhausted and we didn't take a baby, just the 7 year old.
Rally was fantastic by the way, well worth the seven hours, but we were glad we didn't have the baby with us.
You left your 1 year old infant home alone for 7 hours just so you could attend a Bush-Cheney event!?! You Republicans are irresponsible animals!
Diaper bags will need to be searched.
The lest you take to a rally the better. Many here have reported that you can only take in keys, id and some money.
Better to get a sitter.
Yes, as long as the 50 caliber machine mounted on it has it's clip unloaded.
If it is PRO-Bush, you will be safe.
Bring a movie camera just in case
There were a few at the Bangor rally in Maine,but... I recommend a babysitter. You will be more comfortable. From the time I joined the line in to the end of the rally was 5(five) hours!
Thanks for the info. I'll do just that.
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