I remember going to my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park with a group of friends in 1994, and bringing in a tray of brownies and a container of homemade peanut noodles with honey-roasted walnuts to share at the game. Plenty of people brought in their own food back then to supplement the inevitable ballpark peanuts and hot dogs.
Since that time, bringing your own food and drinks (even water) has become forbidden at more and more places. Many venues are afraid that outside food and drinks will reduce their concession sales. At the same time, food allergies have risen dramatically, meaning that for many people a ban on outside food is a ban on all food. I am used to dealing with this for 8 days a year during Passover, but it's a year-round concern for many people.
People who go hiking or camping learn to pack all the food and water they need, but this fundamental Boy Scouts lesson of “Be Prepared” is being inverted in the less pastoral settings of amusement parks, festivals, and fairgrounds. The renaissance faire in southeastern Massachusetts bans all outside food and drink, and does not allow you to go out to your vehicle and reenter without buying a new ticket. They allow no exceptions for religious or health reasons, so if you keep kosher or have other food restrictions you face a couple of unpalatable choices: (1) plan to attend the 8-hour faire for a far shorter period of time, or (2) plan to take time during the middle of the faire to return to your vehicle, have lunch in your car, and buy a new ticket to reenter. It's hard enough not being able to enjoy the same food as everyone else; the shunning aspect of not being allowed to eat with others and the added penalties of time and money are enough to drive me away from an event I would otherwise love to attend.
Perhaps as food allergies increase, venues will realize that bans on outside food and drink are driving away a noticeable number of customers. I wouldn’t mind a corkage fee, or simply a higher entrance price to offset lower food profits. In the meantime, please know that you’re always welcome to come watch the Red Sox game at our place, with or without your own peanut noodles.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Lunch in the parking lot
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1 comment:
I'm not sure that I want to face the insane person who runs the fair, but I feel that I've become rather skilled at smuggling food since I stopped being able to eat pretty much anything sold in venues that prohibit outside consumables. It's easier when the weather is cool and jacket pockets can be employed---One of my favorite jackets has a big pocket on the inside of the back into which the jacket (or a cooked chicken breast) can be stuffed.
I would much prefer to say "I'm bringing in food. Here's $5. Now leave me alone." than to worry about whether the bag checker will discover my brown paper envelope filled with gluten-free brownie and date bars.
But, of course, peanut butter and Lara Bars aren't period, so perhaps they shouldn't be allowed into the ren faire. But corn isn't period either, and you can rest assured that there's plenty of that in the food for sale.
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