Hi everyone. Not sure if this is where I can post this, but during comic con I was thinking (as I'm sure most people were) about better ways to control certain lines, specifically Hall H. After the Star Wars cutters mess, I thought of an idea that I'm just going to post here. Feel free to discuss or post your own ideas.
The wristbands for Hall H, I think, worked as far as giving people a sense of where they were in line/how full the room was/ etc. It did also probably cut down on cutters when filing into the hall each morning so I don't really have a problem with that. What didn't work was their distribution, because that's when people cut/rejoined groups etc. I saw pictures of the progress from there being a line 2-people wide during the day and an angry massive hoard of people 20-deep at night. I can't imagine having to live that nightmare.
My suggestion:
CCI organizers had the right idea in kicking the Next Day Line out to the back because there's plenty of space. Since they probably can't put up physical barricades because of emergency protocol, etc, and people still need to be free to move around for bathroom/food breaks, what if they put down tape squares (I'm very bad at measurements but let's say 10ftx10ft?) all in a line (think hopscotch), and say that each square is for 10 campers. Once a square has 10 people, fill the next square and so on. Once settled in that square, there must be at least 3-5 people in it at all times (so people can't claim a square then leave one poor soul to watch it all day). If there's less than the designated amount of people, then either those people get kicked out and everyone moves up one, or simply that square is X'd out (passed over come distribution time). I think this would inspire camaraderie among square-mates, help people who are camping in line alone, and prevent people from cutting later on. It would be immediately clear that someone doesn't belong and wasn't originally in that square if they're standing next to the group and happen to be an 11th person. Then the wristband distributors just move down the line, giving wristbands 10 at a time.
It's half-baked, probably too complicated, and I came up with it while sitting in the sun for the next day's Exhibit Hall line, but it's the best I've got. Thoughts?