With the State Fair of Texas coming soon.

[mikeintexas]

The Texas / OU game...

They have also had some kind of light or laser show in the Cotton Bowl after dark. I've never seen the show, when the sun starts setting, I'm looking for the way home.

[tonyh]

Think the only time the Cotton Bowl is off limits is if there is a Sporting Event of a School Event.

[tonyh]

If you plan to go with family and don't want your entrance seen, that's easy enough to orchestrate. Tell them you'll meet them at Big Tex or whatever other landmark inside the park at a particular time.

I recommend parking in the official lots and paying the extra money for them. The official satellite lots have tram service and the trams are packed with people coming and going. You're not going to be in dark secluded areas by yourself that way. It still isn't a grand part of town and caution should definitely be taken, but it isn't the same as wandering down dark alleyways trying to find your car parked up next to some stranger's house. You can also park cities away and take the DART which now stops at the front entrance of the fair.

You would have to enter at a different gate. Saw posts last year where people were more or less called out. They would yell to someone we have a CHL or we have a Gun here.

[Hoi Polloi]

If you plan to go with family and don't want your entrance seen, that's easy enough to orchestrate. Tell them you'll meet them at Big Tex or whatever other landmark inside the park at a particular time.

I recommend parking in the official lots and paying the extra money for them. The official satellite lots have tram service and the trams are packed with people coming and going. You're not going to be in dark secluded areas by yourself that way. It still isn't a grand part of town and caution should definitely be taken, but it isn't the same as wandering down dark alleyways trying to find your car parked up next to some stranger's house. You can also park cities away and take the DART which now stops at the front entrance of the fair.

You would have to enter at a different gate. Saw posts last year where people were more or less called out. They would yell to someone we have a CHL or we have a Gun here.

Yes, it was very unpredictable last year. Some people walked right in without being wanded or noticed, some showed their CHL and walked right by with a nod, some had to wait on security, some had their CHL numbers written down while some didn't...

My point was that by setting an internal location to meet, the chances that you'd coincidentally show up at the exact same entrance at the exact same time as your family members is very low so you'd avoid the issue of being at the entrance with them.

The light show I remember is not in the Cotton Bowl. I think it is called the Esplanade where it is held. The only thing held inside the Cotton Bowl that I know of is the TX/OU game. If you're not going to it, I recommend avoiding that day because it gets really busy once the game is let out. It isn't a deal breaker, though, if that's the best day for you.

[Kythas]

As far as the Cotton Bowl goes, the restriction should only be during the Texas/OU game. I'm 99% certain the laser light show at night is not a "high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event".

Of course, I am not a lawyer, do not play one on TV, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[Kythas]

I recommend parking in the official lots and paying the extra money for them. The official satellite lots have tram service and the trams are packed with people coming and going. You're not going to be in dark secluded areas by yourself that way. It still isn't a grand part of town and caution should definitely be taken, but it isn't the same as wandering down dark alleyways trying to find your car parked up next to some stranger's house. You can also park cities away and take the DART which now stops at the front entrance of the fair.

I recommend taking the DART rail. Why park at all in this area of town?

Of course, anyone who took DART last year was up the proverbial creek without a paddle. I waited in line for almost 4 hours after leaving the Fair to get on a train. I understand DART has made some changes to avoid that this year, though.

[jimlongley]

Think the only time the Cotton Bowl is off limits is if there is a Sporting Event of a School Event.

When asked for clarification the fair officials stated that the Cotton Bowl was off limits to CHL at ALL times per their stated policy. When pressed about the "is" clause in the law, and the quote of same in the policy, they refused to discuss it.

[Hoi Polloi]

Think the only time the Cotton Bowl is off limits is if there is a Sporting Event of a School Event.

When asked for clarification the fair officials stated that the Cotton Bowl was off limits to CHL at ALL times per their stated policy. When pressed about the "is" clause in the law, and the quote of same in the policy, they refused to discuss it.

Isn't it only open during the game? So it would be unlawful to carry there during the game and everyone is unable to go in the rest of the time including CHLs.

[C-dub]

I was one of the folks making a stink about it last year. Before being wanded I told the person I needed to see an officer and he walked with me to get one. I showed the officer my ID and another park person proclaimed they needed to get my information. I explained to the officer that person had no right to my personal information. The officer agreed. Then the park person said the officer could keep it. I protested again and the officer saw no reason to have that information and then handed me back my ID and said have a nice day at the Fair. I took it and my family and I walked on in without any further issues from anyone.

I called to discuss the attempt to gather my personal information and ended up talking to the DPD liaison to the Fair. He sort of agreed with me, but also tried to adhere to the rules of the private company in charge of park security or whatever. After talking with him I decided to get the Dallas City Council involved and e-mail all of them explaining that the fair grounds are government owned property and they could not prohibit me from carrying there and the collection of any information amounted to a form of registration. I also expressed my concern over what would happen with all of that information if they did collect. They will probably still try to collect some amount of information this year, but as always, it will vary from officer to officer and gate to gate and day to day.

The police are not the problem. It is the other company hired for park security or gate security or whatever. They have an attitude problem that needs adjusting if someone is up for the task. I'll push it as far as I can if necessary, but I'm not going to court with them. I may even just wait to see if I'm wanded or if they even pick anything up. I'll have my ID ready and if they do discover anything then I'll ask for the officer.

[blue]

-

NOTICE: Please take a chill pill before reading farther.

Went googling and for "platinum security firm failure" found a few things.
A article -Dallas Morning News, Mon 14 June 2010 ' Sixth floor museum's security firm uses guards who shouldn't be' by Tanya Eiserer

Seems the Museum, Dallas Cowboys, State Fair of Texas, use that platinums services even though some of the "guards" have NOT been background checked, NO permit , Bad background etc.



----------------------------


(Strange how so many of us had red flags a popping up last Fall on this!)

--------------------------------

---We REALLY, REALLY need to get a BUNCH of stuff thru Austin this very next time. (NO EXCUSES accepted from Austin!)

(NO ONE should have ANY ACCESS to CHL info - WITH A HUGH FINE AND JAIL TIME FOR SOLICITING, COLLECTING, or POSSESSING CHL INFO.) ( The ONLY exception being DPS .)

-----NO to: schools, private firms, security , etc., etc., PERIOD!---


Best Regards to All,
Blue



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[justherenow]

First off, I found this site while researching Texas CHL since I visit there yearly and am interested in carrying.

I looked at your State Fair website and the fair there looks awesome compared to ours here in Ohio. From reading it seems your fair uses a private security firm for at least part of the security there, maybe you guys should petition to have the local police or your state police provide security there. Here in Ohio we can carry at our State Fair, but cannot enter any building that is not a restroom facility (thats a restriction on goverment buildings in Ohio). We have state troopers that provide the security on the grounds and it is nothing but a professional experience.

[gemini]

Whatever policy the State Fair has regarding CHL, it is NOT any security company that makes the rules, it IS
the State Fair of Texas Corp / Board. Although the way the policy is enforced, or not enforced, at the various
gates, has in the past had no continuity from one entrance to the next. It was/ is strictly "luck of the draw" on
whether you were outed ,waved in, refused admittance etc.
Without going into a super long re-cap of my experience...... the bottom line should be.... at the most, show your
CHL to a uniformed DPD or DPS trooper. NO information should be recorded, no "outing" by ignorant gate wanders.
Enter and enjoy the Fair.
I now own a very, very small HD movie camera. I will be recording as I enter ........

[chartreuse]

Saw posts last year where people were more or less called out. They would yell to someone we have a CHL or we have a Gun here.

I remember the discussion. Frankly, that alone would be sufficient to persuade me to vote with my wallet and not attend.

[tonyh]

First off, I found this site while researching Texas CHL since I visit there yearly and am interested in carrying.

I looked at your State Fair website and the fair there looks awesome compared to ours here in Ohio. From reading it seems your fair uses a private security firm for at least part of the security there, maybe you guys should petition to have the local police or your state police provide security there. Here in Ohio we can carry at our State Fair, but cannot enter any building that is not a restroom facility (thats a restriction on goverment buildings in Ohio). We have state troopers that provide the security on the grounds and it is nothing but a professional experience.

Private Security is mainly at the gates, once in the Fair Dallas PD has a strong presence.

[paynewp]

Saw posts last year where people were more or less called out. They would yell to someone we have a CHL or we have a Gun here.

I remember the discussion. Frankly, that alone would be sufficient to persuade me to vote with my wallet and not attend.

I went last year a couple of times allways carried. I showed the ID to the person wanding, then to a officer and went in. The last time (which will be the last time I ever go to the fair unless there is some kind of change in how things are handled) I showed the ID, she said ok, wanded me inline, hit on the gun (still in line) and asked out loud is that the gun, called a officer and I showed him the ID. All of that was inline with a crowd of people, then she pulled me out ask me for my chl license and was going to write down the info. I ask her for her driver license so I could get her info, she asked why I told her if anything happens at my house I know who had my info. She said no to me getting her info, I told her no to writing my info and she called the officer over and he told me I was not allowed to go in unless she writes my info down. Now all of this is out in the open and has taken about 20 minutes, I ended up going in after I got a supervising officer over and he didn't want to mess with it.