[Mccoypottery-talk] off topic

[Betty F. Nelson]

I think that was a spine chilling story about the photographer.  I want to =
add a note' as summer approaches and more kids are about all day long.  I s=
pent about 15 years traveling and demonstrating
products at State Fairs, homeshows, farm shows. Traveled the midwest from D=
uluth on the N.  OKC on the S. Cleveland, Ky state fair on the E and Ogahol=
la Nebr on the west.  I have heard litterally 100's of people tell children=
 "If you get lost look for a policeman'.  Wrong....at any huge thing like a=
 fair the hardest thing to find is a cop unless you are leaving your child =
by the beer tent.  Take your small children to an exhibit building.  Point =
out the colored curtains behind the booth and the tables in front and all t=
he people with name tags on and tell them that if they get lost in one of t=
hose buildings go the the person in a booth that looks friendly to them and=
 tell them that they are lost. If they get lost on the grounds tell them to=
 go inside a building and look for the people in a booth.  Any one that has=
 a booth in such a place has paid usually $1,000+ for the space and have pr=
ovided all the stats except the blood type to get that space.  They know an=
y one that is working for them and believe me if one of those exhibitors sh=
ould steal a child they would be missed quickly and all the data is there i=
n the office.  I have never know of an exhibitor that would not take care o=
f a child.  I have known a couple that would have been really cranky about =
doing it, but they looked so crabby that a child wouldn't have gone to them=
 in the first place!!!   Probably 90% of the carnival workers would help a =
lost child but  the midway is not a place to send a child.  I imagine I hav=
e helped at least 100 kids while I was doing that.  I never had to turn a o=
ne into security.  Lots of announcements were made over the speakers but us=
ually I would do what an old long time exibitor taught me when I first star=
ted.  Put the kid up on your table or booth so they can see over the crowd =
to spot the lost adult, AND there is nothing much more eye catching than a =
child standing on a table or counter top where they don't belong.  Kids hav=
e an entirely different view of a crowd that adults have.  Most of the time=
 they can't even see the face just the rear ends.  Okay done my thing so I =
will get off my soapbox.   Betty in Ia.