"Reef Safe" Vendors

[Heathd]

So youve got wristbands matching child to adult... Who is checking the bandd to make sure they match? Off duty police, perhaps?

 

[helen ann]

So youve got wristbands matching child to adult... Who is checking the bandd to make sure they match? Off duty police, perhaps?

Yes, the wristbands have matching numbers along with a place to put a cell number. The hope is to have a show volunteer responsible for checking that the numbers match when I child is removed from venue.

 

[CubsFan]

Kids are more likely to be abducted or abused by someone they know. I’d be more worried about what’s going on closer to home.

 

[sharpimage]

I don't think anyone is talking about screening the vendors. Did you check the plan? It seems like a real common sense option.

I should have read better. The plan makes sense, but I still think it is unnecessary.

 

[Hemmdog]

I could very easily look up every vendor on registry and make a list of convicted child predators and post it

I support what you are trying to achieve, but you really need to be careful, you are going to get sued saying things like this and threatening these businesses reputations by not allowing them to be “approved reefsafe” or whatever. I have many friends from college on that list who got citations for peeing outside, really good guys that weren’t doing any real harm. Heck, I even know girls on that list for doing that same thing.
If you could somehow screen against only child offenders and not allow them in, I’d be 100% on-board, but this idea just marginalizes way to many people.

 

[helen ann]

I support what you are trying to achieve, but you really need to be careful, you are going to get sued saying things like this and threatening these businesses reputations by not allowing them to be “approved reefsafe” or whatever. I have many friends from college on that list who got citations for peeing outside, really good guys that weren’t doing any real harm. Heck, I even know girls on that list for doing that same thing.
If you could somehow screen against only child offenders and not allow them in, I’d be 100% on-board, but this idea just marginalizes way to many people.

I actually have spoken to an lawyer and have all rights to publish any public record on individuals.

I did not threaten to do that and I am pretty sure I said this was NOT my intent nor is it my intentions to get in the way of anyone making a living, male or female.

Also, any vendor is allowed display a sticker if they chose and are not on registery for child molestation and I honestly would spend my money with those that do vs those who don’t.

How does a wristband interfere with anything? How does a sign in certain areas harm anything?

 

[TheHarold]

I honestly would spend my money with those that do vs those who don’t.

Boom. Now you’ve shifted from trying to protect children, from discriminating to someone due to their history. I pretty much saw this at the beginning, on your first post.

Enough is said, I’m out. Next you’ll say we shouldn’t let a veteran who has a record after they hit someone during a panic attach at our shows.

You are NOT the judge of morality. You are NOT the police. You do NOT have the arbitrary right to decide who should and should not be allowed there.

 

[Hemmdog]

I actually have spoken to an lawyer and have all rights to publish any public record on individuals.

I did not threaten to do that and I am pretty sure I said this was NOT my intent nor is it my intentions to get in the way of anyone making a living, male or female.

Also, any vendor is allowed display a sticker if they chose and are not on registery for child molestation and I honestly would spend my money with those that do vs those who don’t.

How does a wristband interfere with anything? How does a sign in certain areas harm anything?

Wristband and lost child meet up areas are a good idea. I agree with that.

 

[helen ann]

Boom. Now you’ve shifted from trying to protect children, from discriminating to someone due to their history. I pretty much saw this at the beginning, on your first post.

Enough is said, I’m out

That isn’t truth! If it was I would have posted who in my original post that
was shared here. I am not stopping anyone from attending.

 

[Silver14SS]

Did something happen or is it just due to someone being there who in hindsight other people didn't want there? What caused the concerned person to contact you to look up the vendor?

If it's truly about creating safe spaces the message gets very clouded when half of the FB post is focused on someone attending the event. I think that's what is leading so many to say it sounds punitive despite your intent. :)

 

[helen ann]

There is nothing in my post or anything I am trying to accomplish punitive against anyone! I am not trying to stop anyone from attending or being a vendor.

 

[Brandon Smith]

Ok, I used to be a retail manager for a Big Box store. For one, the staff for the even could be trained to respond to lost children by announcing "Code Adam" with a description of the child is lost. In the event that a child is lost, you simply have certain people designated to go to a particular entry/exit point to watch for the child until they are found. You could even take it a step further, and lock the place down until the child is found.

I understand wanting an extra layer of protection, but honestly there are different degrees of sex offenders, and would it really be fair to not allow a vendor to attend the event because they slept with someone that could simply cry "****" because they realize they made a bad decision? Shoot parents of minors can even press charges if their child was supposedly *****, or at least they used to be able to. Anyways, my point is where do you draw the line at?

It is the parent/guardians responsibility to keep an eye of their young ones, but almost anyone who has children knows they can get away from you in the blink of an eye.

 

[helen ann]

Ok, I used to be a retail manager for a Big Box store. For one, the staff for the even could be trained to respond to lost children by announcing "Code Adam" with a description of the child is lost. In the event that a child is lost, you simply have certain people designated to go to a particular entry/exit point to watch for the child until they are found. You could even take it a step further, and lock the place down until the child is found.

I understand wanting an extra layer of protection, but honestly there are different degrees of sex offenders, and would it really be fair to not allow a vendor to attend the event because they slept with someone that could simply cry "****" because they realize they made a bad decision? Shoot parents of minors can even press charges if their child was supposedly *****, or at least they used to be able to. Anyways, my point is where do you draw the line at?

It is the parent/guardians responsibility to keep an eye of their young ones, but almost anyone who has children knows they can get away from you in the blink of an eye.

No one is asking that a vendor not be allowed to have a both. Yes, ultimately it’s the parents responsibility but it only takes a second and if something as simple as armband can make 1% safer, should we not try?

 

[MTBake]

The armbands would however prevent that child from being removed from a venue by anyone other than who they arrived with.

But as I stated above, if the reefing community finds this unnecessary then this thread will die off and we all go about our lives.

My kids would be kicking and screaming for help if a stranger tried to grab them and drag them out of a store or venue. If they get lost, they have been instructed to go to the front of the store and find an employee or staff member and ask for help. If it makes you feel better, go head and push for it. I just don't see a need for this. I'm more worried about going to the store or gas station than going to a trade show.

 

[helen ann]

My kids would be kicking and screaming for help if a stranger tried to grab them and drag them out of a store or venue. If they get lost, they have been instructed to go to the front of the store and find an employee or staff member and ask for help. If it makes you feel better, go head and push for it. I just don't see a need for this. I'm more worried about going to the store or gas station than going to a trade show.

Thank you.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I really wish everyone would go read the actual proposed plan in the first post. It doesn't call for banning anyone or even requiring screening for anyone other than those who volunteer to be screened.

 

[Silver14SS]

I really wish everyone would go read the actual proposed plan in the first post. It doesn't call for banning anyone or even requiring screening for anyone other than those who volunteer to be screened.

Agreed the proposal doesn’t call for that, but it sure seems like a reaction to someone being there after others retroactively realized (and “screened” them?) that they didn’t want them there. I’m not commenting on the morality of them being there or not. If it was legal for them and the event was issue free I’m genuinely curious how the topic came up to even look into them.

Just seems disingenuous, goalpost moving, etc, to say it’s all about wristbands and lost kids finding their parents given the context of the first half of the picture, that’s all. Without subjective criteria for what allows someone to get a safe badge it seems like the potential to hurt some vendors sales if they don’t participate or don’t pass whatever the check is. Again, not passing judgement on this just stating how I perceive it.

I have kids, I don’t take this stuff lightly and I hope I’m not coming across as combative or dismissive of the topic’s concerns but it all seems reactionary to a specific person being there.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I do think anyone would disagree about keeping our children safe. offering a lost child area, a safe zone area or handing out wrist bands if parents wanted them would all be really fantastic ideas..

I think the reason for so much push back is the OP is making this all about a individual vendor, how about the thousands of attendees coming through the front doors that nobody knows anything about? That’s who I would be worried about not some vender working his booth with name badge on and hundreds of cameras everywhere.. I mean what are they going to do put up the I’ll be right back sign and go out on the venue floor looking for a victim? IMO forcing vendors to put up safe space/no pervs working here signs just seems creepy and would actually diminish people’s experience at these shows.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Agreed the proposal doesn’t call for that, but it sure seems like a reaction to someone being there after others retroactively realized (and “screened” them?) that they didn’t want them there. I’m not commenting on the morality of them being there or not. If it was legal for them and the event was issue free I’m genuinely curious how the topic came up to even look into them.

Just seems disingenuous, goalpost moving, etc, to say it’s all about wristbands and lost kids finding their parents given the context of the first half of the picture, that’s all. Without subjective criteria for what allows someone to get a safe badge it seems like the potential to hurt some vendors sales if they don’t participate or don’t pass whatever the check is. Again, not passing judgement on this just stating how I perceive it.

I have kids, I don’t take this stuff lightly and I hope I’m not coming across as combative or dismissive of the topic’s concerns but it all seems reactionary to a specific person being there.

I do think anyone would disagree about keeping our children safe. offering a lost child area, a safe zone area or handing out wrist bands if parents wanted them would all be really fantastic ideas..

I think the reason for so much push back is the OP is making this all about a individual vendor, how about the thousands of attendees coming through the front doors that nobody knows anything about? That’s who I would be worried about not some vender working his booth with name badge on and hundreds of cameras everywhere.. I mean what are they going to do put up the I’ll be right back sign and go out on the venue floor looking for a victim? IMO forcing vendors to put up safe space/no pervs working here signs just seems creepy and would actually diminish people’s experience at these shows.

Ok. These comments are helpful to me in thinking about this discussion because I was really having a hard time understanding why so many people seemed so opposed to a simple plan to make our events safer for kids. Do you guys think you may have reacted differently or the discussion would've gone a different direction if the plan had been proposed without the explanation about the vendor who was on Meagan's List? I think the OP was just saying that this discovery was just what got her thinking about a potential need to create a kid safe environment. I'm personally just evaluating the plan on its merits as something feasible and reasonable to do to make reef shows safer.

 

[Silver14SS]

Ok. These comments are helpful to me un thinking about this discussion because I was really having a hard time understanding why so many people seemed so opposed to a simple plan to make our events safer for kids. Do you guys think you may have reacted differently or the discussion would've gone a different direction if the plan had been proposed without the explanation about the vendor who was on Meagan's List? I think the OP was just saying that this discovery was just what got her thinking about a potential need to create a kid safe environment. I'm personally just evaluating the plan on its merits as something feasible and reasonable to do to make reef shows safer.

Yes, absolutely, especially with it being the leading half of the post it influences my interpretation of the rest. First impressions and all that.