Do's and Donts....
 

I noticed on the NYC site info that there are few dont's that teams can and can't do.
It said,
Do not bring food on the property.
then further down it said
"Do not give away Candy, Water, Soda or Fruit" But giving out pins is OK!!!
So bring lots of CASH for those tasteless $6.00 Hotdogs, $3.00 bag of chips and $4.00 bottles of warm water.
Riverside drive has no stores or restraunts around to go eat or get food so if you cant bring it with you and you cant go out and buy it then your at the mercy of the price gouging venders inside.
I guess the pins are OK as they probably dont sell them or consider them unprofitable..... I mean who would buy a pin with $6.00 hotdogs on it.
For those teams on a very tight budget Eat a large breakfast and dont get thirsty as they also turn the water fountains off in the hall like they did in Hartford last year.

These rules are so unfair. I realize that these events are usually staffed by union workers who do not want their money taken by us bringing in food. What happens to people with medical conditions, like diabetics, etc. I know for a fact they cannot eat that trash they call food. Are the event staff going to tell these people they cannot bring in food?

This rule isnt really that big, because most everyone can just sneak stuff in, but for people with a genuine need to bring food, this could be a concern

Cory

Two things:

1. These are true for most, if not all, regionals

2. You cannot give out pins, only trade pins with other teams

As for the food rules, they would never stop somebody with a medical/religious reason so I guess you can always pretend you have special needs or allergies ;)

P.S. At least MOE sticks are also banned :D

These types of food rules apply to just about every venue at every event, not just FIRST. Both movie theaters and sports stadiums do it, so I don't see what the big deal is. Anyway, you can always just go outside to eat. Last year, we just sent someone to go get food and then the entire pit crew walked three feet outside the stadium and ate it.

The rule said "ON THE PROPERTY" so im assuming 3 feet out side the door is in the parking lot and there for "still on property"...
There wouldnt be any question If the food had a reasonable resemblance to "FOOD" and didnt invole taking out a mortgage to pay for it. its nothing short of expensive tasteless garbage. The only reason they get away with it is people dont complain and are willing to over pay.

Why don't you just get some MREs and pack those into the crate.

Really, try it.

It is all because of union rules and the agreement FIRST has with the venue.

Hey, you stole my idea. Well, actually I was thinking water...
"No, Mr. Security guard. This is to test our grabbers--it's part of the competition--that's why its rivetted shut. Why is it heavy? To simulate the weight of more containers. Why is the weight sloshing around? Um.. well... er...-hey look! A distraction! (security gurad turns around) yoink!"

:D ROTFL!

But I what I meant was to pack them with the robot.

You could fill all your extra pneumatic cylinders with soda:D Of course a little grease might get mixed in too.:p

I say... Tailgate party!

Have a few people bring a Coleman stove or the sort, cook some stuff up at lunch. Bring some coolers for cold stuffs.

"The water you hear? Oh, that's the liquid state gyroscopes..."

But really, most places are in stadiums or areanas where it is owned by a company or sponsored by one. VCU is sponsored by Pepsi, so you can't find a single Coke thing there. But last year I brought Cheese-Its and got some food there.

I for one, will be violating this rule. I refuse to pay upwards of 15 dollars each day at the competition venue's alone. My backpack will have it's fare share of food in it. If I am spotted eating, and asked to stop, I will gladly step outside and continue to eat my own food, not their gruel. As for shutting off the water fountains, that's illegal. I'd also love to see them try to stop teams from handing things out....I'd die laughing if FIRST has some form of "button police" this year.

BP= Button Police IF= Innocent FIRST'er

BP "did you obtain that button thru a trade with another team?"
IF "no sir, I actually found it on the floor and thought I'd save it"
BP "you are in direct violation of the rule that states you may only extange buttons with other teams, not simply hand them out"
IF "but sir..."
BP "no buts! *over official-looking walkie talkie* we have a 10-39 in sector 4b...all availble units respond!"
Seccond BP "*over another official-looking walkie talkie* "rodger that, SWARM! SWARM! SWARM!"

Alright, I know a thing or two about diabetics, as long as you have the medic alert thing on you, you (I think by law) are allowed to bring in food that you can eat. (therefore, if you pulled in what they were selling, you'd be in a lil trouble) but they have to respect that. As for any other reasons, I kow personally, I'm apollo-vegetarian (I eat chicken and seafood in the way of meat) and last year I got stuck eating fries at the competition. However, our team did order in, and we were told to simply take our food out of the stadium area and eat in the main hall. That's all. I think it would be rare to find event staff that will have a real problem with it.... just watch out for the food vendors, they might get upset. Just be polite(not hard for FIRSTers I'm sure) and you should be just fine!
~Ann-Marie W. - team 783