BIR is sort of posted. There are two signs that say "firearms not allowed" or something of the sort. That said, security is not trained to look for weapons. For the most part, they're not trained at all. Many of the "guards" in for the nationals are just warm bodies from Command Labor.

You weren't by any chance at the track this weekend for the PCA racing, were you?

That makes me feel safe. Unarmed, Untrained Flashlight cops.....

I was going to work security for the nationals a few years ago. It is only because I know someone who knows someone who works there that the offer was extended. Read: nothing special. I asked about training as I had never done that sort of thing, and there was not any. They did pay fairly well I do remember.

Having said that, the normal track staff are pretty good, at least when I am up there for the few races that I do, and the few Wednesdays that I have gone.

As for carrying it is just too darn hot on the track to wear much clothing to conceal. That I why I really like my new assortment of pocket hardware and matching holsters. I do worry about what would happen if things went wrong and I crashed or was crashed into...

So thats what BIR means...

Way, way, way, back it was called Donnebrooke (sp?)......course that was well before my time

The guards who aren't through Command Labor are a mishmash of guards who have worked the nationals for quite a few years, veterans and private security with varying degrees of actual training. Command Labor employees are not allowed to work without supervision from a privately contracted guard and are authorized to do nothing except give directions, issue warnings and call for back up. They're mainly a visual deterrent. Several get fired each night. I miss working with my usual team.

I did experiment with my "uniform" shirt (I'm working the races, night shift, started Sunday) and found I can easily conceal IWB.

Well this is a good refreasher for remembering what BIR was like for its carry policy. The timing could not have been better either, I found out that there is a set of tickets for Nationals with my name on them.

I think the .357 is coming along for a ride.

"uniform shirt"??

*sigh* Yes. The "uniform" is a red t-shirt with large white lettering on it. No regulations on how it is to be worn. No standard gear. Not even an interview process. It's a wonder no one has been stabbed/shot/beaten.

Although, I was asked for a date by a coworker who disappeared the following night in mid-shift...arrested by the county on a drug related warrant.

*cough* Yes it is a wonder no one got hurt.

Let me preface this rant with: I had a great time at BIR this weekend, and it was well worth the money and time. But the below made me cranky and if this happened to other people (especially some of the people we saw there (i.e. drunk or drunk and stupid) someone would have gotten their asses handed to them. And Tick if you can, get a new sign. You will know which one I am talking about.

First the good stuff:

Tony Schumacher (Army driver) was nice enough to have his dinner interrupted by my brother so he could sign a pair of hats for my brother’s friends in Iraq.

Nitro methane fumes are pretty wicked. The smell is one that I will never forget. I also will not forget the burning throat and watering eyes.

Machines that burn the so called Nitro, will rattle your guts as they go by. I was trying to get some video with a digital camera, and I couldn't hold my hand still enough to get good video. The force from the engines shakes EVERYTHING.

Bring your hearing protection. And a pair for your friend.

Oh and Go Canada! I saw a lot of hairy man boobie from the (drunk) Canada cheering section.

Good times. Good times.

Now the rant:

Several of us showed up on Friday. $40 to get in. We drove into the public parking area. And kept driving and driving. It took a good 10 minutes to get to a sport that we could park. We packed up all of our gear (cameras, stuff that we wanted signed, etc). Started walking towards the gate. Ran into a buddy who was there on a cycle. They wanted $50 to park the cycle for one day. I am not sure how they get off charging more to park a cycle then it is to get in, in the first place but this guy decided to walk with us. Ended up running into a couple of people who were working that we knew, and shot the breeze with them for a bit. After some more walking we got to the" gate". The gate is under a bridge. It is about 20 feet wide. People are freely walking in and out.

This is where it gets good. As we walk through the gate (of course with our highly visible orange wrist bands on) we are yelled at. Something about "Hey you have to have your tickets". We turn and there is an old crotchety guy hassling *us*. But we have our wrist bands on. Other people don’t. Who knows if they even PAID! He says that we have to have our tickets. We cite our wrist bands. He says that we can’t get in unless we have our tickets. We look around and there are people with bright orange wrist bands walking in past us. They are not being hassled for their tickets. We don’t know why we are getting picked on, so we try the sympathy card. We claim that we don’t have our tickets and they are *all* the way back in the car. He informs us that we should read the signs, because there is a sign that informs us of the rule “no ticket, no enter”.

We go back to the car. On our way back we notice the sign. It is on the wrong side of the 4” PVC pipe that is serving as a post. So you have a post blocking a rather important part of the sign. As a matter of fact I saw that sign on the way in, but discredited it from holding any important information because they could not really expect someone to try to read the sign as they are traveling 10 mph and it being on the wrong side of the post.

Turns out that it is only a 40 minute round trip walk. Get back to the gate and walk right past. No one even looks at us. Trust me I know they didn’t even see us. They were too busy staring at the good looking woman without much clothing on in front of us. We went through that gate several other times that day. I never saw the old man on his feet again that day.

I was pissed after paying $40 and then getting hassled by some horn dog to see my ticket which forced me to walk 40 minutes out of my way.

someone1980, I do believe I know exactly who you're talking about. I haven't seen the sign you're referring to, but I'll look for it when I take DH his...meal...tonight. (What do you call the meal you eat at 2 a.m. while dodging beer bottles and driving around the trench the drunken mob is digging? I'd tend to call it lunch, since it is the second meal of the shift, but "lunch" doesn't sound sufficiently action filled.) There are still a lot of rough spots in the process and presentation that need work.

Rather than starting a new topic, I decided to drag up this old one....

I just received a BIR brochure in the mail and under the General Track Rules there is a section WHAT'S ALLOWED AND WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED INSIDE BIR

Never mind the 2 ton bludgeons, or poisons emitted by the rails.

Is that place under new ownership? I remember a couple years ago there was just about a riot on the 4th of July when the Colonel showed up and there were broken promises.

Yes, it is under new ownership.