Sneaking Pizza in

[Ian W.]

Originally Posted by ZeoFateX

Anyone see us try to sneak the pizza into the stadium? We were so busted lol. Did anyone else know about the pizza place on the first day? We were the only team there on the first day and the day after we tried to sneak the pizza in, everyone was there. We had to wait in lines that were out the door >.<

The prices at the stadium were outrageous... nearly $6 for a slice of pizza and $3.50 just for a medium sized soda (or a bottle from the vending machines). At the pizza restaurant we could get a 2 liter bottle for $2.00. We successfully snuck those in -- not quite as obvious as 4 boxes of pizza.

Normally I wouldn't mind buying from vendors at the competitions, but if prices are that outrageous, I'll definitely be bringing my own food when I can. I'm glad I'll be driving myself to SBPLI, cause it's about ten minutes from my house :-p.

The key is to find a nice little deli, and send team members out to the deli as time permits. Sandwiches are easy to sneak in, they're pretty small. Just make sure to send girls, because they can all bring those huge purses (I learn from my grandmother, who must have the biggest purse in the world, all the better to hide food in ;-)).

[KenWittlief]

I hate to encourage anyone to break the spirit of the rules for the regionals, but if you really want to bring food into the arenas to feed your team, there is one way you can do it

and I dont think it would technically be breaking the rules!

Ever see how a mother penguin feeds its chicks?

[Jay H 237]

If you bring enough pizza for everyone I don't see it being an issue sneaking it in.

P.S. I would like cheese or bacon

[Ryan Dognaux]

Or eat outside the stadium, like our team will be doing in sunny Arizona

[Ian W.]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Or eat outside the stadium, like our team will be doing in sunny Arizona

Maybe if all of the teams did this to protest the high prices, FIRST, or at least the vendors FIRST uses, would realize that we're all either poor high school students, poor college students, or mentors who haven't actually worked for the past few months?

[KenWittlief]

our they might decide there is no money to be made hosting FIRST regionals, and will reject us, and we will end up in a high school gym somewhere instead?

usually facilities like these get a significant percentage of the income from sold tickets - since no tickets are sold at FIRST event.....???

I remember last year during the St Louis Regionals they banned outside food from inside the stadium, but then they pushed it. Next rulling was no outside food in the parking lot. Basically they rulled you couldn't sit in your car and eat...which was TOTALLY bogus.

[KenWittlief]

it could be worse!

they could weigh you when you leave, and if you try to come back in after eating lunch somewhere else "SORRY! no outside food allowed inside you!"

wait, maybe we shouldnt give them ideas :c)

[Alaina]

814 isn't very much of a hungry team...We just usually wait till lunch time or after the day is over to eat...

[Ryan Albright]

i understand why they say no outside food because they want the participating vendors to make money, but i mean my team brings food and go;s outside and eats. But for me a driver i usually never leave the pits i know last year i only made it outside to eat once. O well i guess jsut eat a big breakfast

[KathieK]

We found that rules were being enforced unequally in NJ.

Noisemakers: We left ours at home as we had decided to follow the rules. Imagine our disappointment when several other teams had noisemakers with them on Thursday? On Friday we asked if we could use our party noisemakers (it's our birthday year) and were told that small noisemakers were allowed but that loud ones would not be (Air horns, etc.). There were water bottle drums and air horns being used. By Saturday we had made some empty water bottles into noisemakers and used them.

Food: Prices were awfully high ($4.50 for a pretzel? C'mon!). The venue was VERY hot and dry and most of our team was in need of water. Thursday food was not being allowed. We had two cars with our team and took team members to McDonald's down the street. We made other arrangements for lunches on Friday and Saturday.

FIRST is in a bind because we all understand that they have to abide by the rules of the venue and the prices of the vendors. However, teams are having sponsors cut back on funding at the same time that travel costs are rising. We are holding fundraisers year-round but how many fundraisers can a town support (there are car washes, candy sales, etc. etc. every time you turn around)?

We have a large team and have not moved to the concept of a "travel team" because we want everyone to have the experience of a FIRST competition. But we also went around to our students and made sure they were eating by Saturday because we worried they didn't have enough money with them to be able to buy lunch and dinner!

[Wetzel]

Huzzah for VCU students who were not searched on their way into the Siegel Center!

And for crowded pits, preventing the bossy lady from yelling at us for eating in the pits. We can eat KK fast.

Wetzel

[mtaman02]

Originally Posted by KathieK

We found that rules were being enforced unequally in NJ.

Me and 2 other friends missed alliance pickings @ NJ b/c first we had to do some walking b4 finding an actual place for food (thank god for chinese food). After orering the food we started heading back to the arena when security said that we were not allowed in the arena with food. thankfully I had big pockets and was able to suff the little bit of food i ordered in the pockets. Normally I would put food in a bookbag and just carry it in. This time I was fairly stupid in not doing so. I felt bad that I had to leave the 2 people I was with so they can eat peacfully due to the fact that security wouldn't let them in.

Maybe Rich Wong can get ahold of the Coordinators and work somethig out next year b/c It's entirely not fair to have to be forced to buy expensive food at the arena that you can eat by the field and your only other alternative is to walk a pretty far distance to a fast food place order and have to eat it outside with having no tables and small benches. :-( other wise the arena and how they situated the field and pits was cool and neatly spaced. :-)

MRE's are cool just add water and let it cook for maybe 5 minutes or so (no microwave or stove just pure nature doing the cooking) . I like when my uncle brought them up from georgia for me. However in some cases. different MRE's have different outcomes on the body. Some will make you wish you had a bathroom hitched to where your sitting. Others can leave you gassy :-(

[KenWittlief]

if you really get hungry bring some eggs
you can fry them on your drill motors after a match
and if security finds them in your bag, tell them
these aint for eating
they are for throwing!

[ZeoFateX]

lol@eggs

They never checked my backpack or big pockets once while I was going in and out. About chinese food, yeah well... there was nothing around except the pizza place, a dollar store and some rotisserie chicken place (which looked like a bad place so I really wasn't interested in eating there...(food poisoning isn't fun.))