Rapid T Rabbit
11-11-2005, 07:00 PM
Last Saturday, me and another Care Bears fan I know went up to The Westchester mall in White Plains NY just North of NYC to see one of the scheduled nationwide Share-A-Story promotional appearances with a Care Bear and to get a picture or two of the bear who came, which in this case turned out to be Funshine Bear.
Unfortunately, this really turned out to be a tense experience, as the mall management and their security guards immediately approached us in a very intimidating fashion, and warned us outright not to take any pictures on the premises and that they had us under surveillence, even though we were just sitting there not doing anything wrong nor bothering anybody.
The event was simple enough, a lady came out to read one of the new books that go with the new "Share-A-Story" Care Bear plush to the kids on the mall club that were gathered there. She asked the kids who their favorite Care Bears were, and even followed up with,
"Was anyone here a Care Bear for Halloween?"
I swear, I nearly died right then and there!
No, I did Not raise my hand, even though my honest answer would have been Yes.
http://www.bobdbob.com/~rtrabbit/fursuit/hal05ny1a.jpg
Anyway, after the reading was over, all the parents and their kids lined up to get their pictures taken with Funshine Bear. So then I thought that now they were being unfair to US, a couple of longtime Care Bear fans. I decided to try one more time, appealing to one of the event handlers, who then consulted again with Security. Finally they themselves took pictures of us and Funshine with our own cameras.
http://www.bobdbob.com/~rtrabbit/fursuit/funshineskyrc.jpg
This really wasn't supposed to be a big deal for either of us but sadly turned into one owing to the way the world nowadays has been turning a nasty eye to anybody or anything that may appear to be unusual and summarily instantly declared suspicious.
I mean, imagine if that happened to any of us at Chuck E. Cheese's (or worse yet, at a Disney theme park)! I feel at least that I've been lucky in the past that I was a welcomed guest at the franchisesd CEC@U-NJ during the early 90's before I even joinded the cast.
I ought to point out too that up to now, I never had any problems taking pictures of Care Bear appearances at Dorney Park PA (during the late 1980's) nor at Toys R Us. Furthemore, I want to point out that this never happens at any of the fan-supported Care Bear appearances that I personaly do.
And I hope nobody else here is viewed as suspect just for wanting to say hello to a character anywhere, regardless of your age.
Unfortunately, this really turned out to be a tense experience, as the mall management and their security guards immediately approached us in a very intimidating fashion, and warned us outright not to take any pictures on the premises and that they had us under surveillence, even though we were just sitting there not doing anything wrong nor bothering anybody.
The event was simple enough, a lady came out to read one of the new books that go with the new "Share-A-Story" Care Bear plush to the kids on the mall club that were gathered there. She asked the kids who their favorite Care Bears were, and even followed up with,
"Was anyone here a Care Bear for Halloween?"
I swear, I nearly died right then and there!
No, I did Not raise my hand, even though my honest answer would have been Yes.
http://www.bobdbob.com/~rtrabbit/fursuit/hal05ny1a.jpg
Anyway, after the reading was over, all the parents and their kids lined up to get their pictures taken with Funshine Bear. So then I thought that now they were being unfair to US, a couple of longtime Care Bear fans. I decided to try one more time, appealing to one of the event handlers, who then consulted again with Security. Finally they themselves took pictures of us and Funshine with our own cameras.
http://www.bobdbob.com/~rtrabbit/fursuit/funshineskyrc.jpg
This really wasn't supposed to be a big deal for either of us but sadly turned into one owing to the way the world nowadays has been turning a nasty eye to anybody or anything that may appear to be unusual and summarily instantly declared suspicious.
I mean, imagine if that happened to any of us at Chuck E. Cheese's (or worse yet, at a Disney theme park)! I feel at least that I've been lucky in the past that I was a welcomed guest at the franchisesd CEC@U-NJ during the early 90's before I even joinded the cast.
I ought to point out too that up to now, I never had any problems taking pictures of Care Bear appearances at Dorney Park PA (during the late 1980's) nor at Toys R Us. Furthemore, I want to point out that this never happens at any of the fan-supported Care Bear appearances that I personaly do.
And I hope nobody else here is viewed as suspect just for wanting to say hello to a character anywhere, regardless of your age.