[mike777]

I wonder how the Cell Phone ban is working or not working in Vegas?

[pclayton]

From what I heard, people are taking this pretty seriously. They had a check-in at a desk right outside the main room for the NABC events and it was $2 to have them keep your phone. I never had to wait to check it in or to get it out. You could check two phones at once if you wanted to.

I did hear of one phone going off but I'm not sure the person was penalized.

I had asked how many had been checked in and was told around 175 on Tuesday.

[matmat]

so this was a money raising measure, wasn't it...

[uday]

There is a station outside the NABC playing area, attended during the entire session. You toss your phone into a baggie along with a receipt stub and an index card with your name on it. Then you fork over $2 ( small coffee costs 2.50 at the playing site, fwiw )

The entire procedure is smooth. I'm not wild about the need to do this in every NABC event I feel like watching but the workaround is decent enough.

[blackshoe]

First time they lose somebody's phone, there will be Hell to pay.

[barmar]

matmat, on Jul 24 2008, 01:14 PM, said:

so this was a money raising measure, wasn't it...

Someone mentioned that the cell phone check station is not being operated by ACBL, and they're not getting the revenue.

[barmar]

blackshoe, on Jul 24 2008, 11:12 PM, said:

First time they lose somebody's phone, there will be Hell to pay.

On my first day I used it they tried to give me someone else's phone (she misread a digit on the ticket). I suppose an unethical person might take the phone, but I think this is pretty unlikely. After all, that means they can't get THEIR phone.

It's a pretty simple, fool-proof system. In addition to the ticket stub, you also have to put your name on an index card and put it in the baggie with the phone. Most of the time they ask you your name and check the card before giving you the phone. But I think this is really intended so they can try to get in touch with you if your phone turns up later.

[Elianna]

our teammate forgot to turn her cell off and it rang and we lost a full board in the mixed bam. So I can verify that they are awarding penalties for ringing cell phones.

[TimG]

Elianna, on Jul 25 2008, 03:20 AM, said:

our teammate forgot to turn her cell off and it rang and we lost a full board in the mixed bam. So I can verify that they are awarding penalties for ringing cell phones.

It went off in the baggie at the check station or at the table? Isn't the mixed BAM an NABC event where cell phones at the table are banned?

[bid_em_up]

Elianna, on Jul 25 2008, 03:20 AM, said:

our teammate forgot to turn her cell off and it rang and we lost a full board in the mixed bam. So I can verify that they are awarding penalties for ringing cell phones.

You mean she forgot to check it, right?

[barmar]

I hope none of the directors are reading this, as one of my friends has been engaging in civil disobedience while playing in the 0-1500 Mini-Spingold all week. They're in the finals today, maybe she'll be more prudent (it would be a real disaster to lose because of such a silly thing).

[mike777]

barmar, on Jul 25 2008, 01:24 PM, said:

I hope none of the directors are reading this, as one of my friends has been engaging in civil disobedience while playing in the 0-1500 Mini-Spingold all week.  They're in the finals today, maybe she'll be more prudent (it would be a real disaster to lose because of such a silly thing).

Engaging in Civil disobedience means being public in your disobedience, not doing it in secret. It also means you are willing to pay the price for breaking the law, a law you disagree with.

When people marched for Civil Rights, they did so in public. Rosa Parks rode the bus in public and was willing to go to jail or to get beaten up for breaking the law.

It is not, not, sneeking around and breaking the law in secret.

If your friends are pulling out their cell phones and putting it on the table during finals play and refusing to move it....now that is civil disobedience.

[JoAnneM]

ACBL is not making money off of this, I imagine it is costing them money - when you think about how much it costs to pay a hotel or security employee to man the station for that many hours each day. I haven't done the math though.
But from my experience with working with event venues $2 is not covering it.

My, aren't some of us cynical.

I believe ACBL is doing this in the best interest of the players, it may not be the best idea but think about what drove them to it.



Jo Anne Murdock
President District 20 ACBL

[TimG]

JoAnneM, on Jul 26 2008, 02:05 AM, said:

ACBL is not making money off of this, I imagine it is costing them money - when you think about how much it costs to pay a hotel or security employee to man the station for that many hours each day. I haven't done the math though.
But from my experience with working with event venues $2 is not covering it.

Today's Daily Bulletin included an item which stated that Allan Falk's wife has been manning the cell phone checking station. I don't think there is hotel/security staff being used for the desk.

[matmat]

TimG, on Jul 26 2008, 09:07 AM, said:

JoAnneM, on Jul 26 2008, 02:05 AM, said:

ACBL is not making money off of this, I imagine it is costing them money - when you think about how much it costs to pay a hotel or security employee to man the station for that many hours each day.  I haven't done the math though.
But from my experience with working with event venues $2 is not covering it.

Today's Daily Bulletin included an item which stated that Allan Falk's wife has been manning the cell phone checking station. I don't think there is hotel/security staff being used for the desk.

Also, there is a little blurb about how the event is monitored live via cameras and taped.

[rbforster]

Elianna, on Jul 25 2008, 03:20 AM, said:

our teammate forgot to turn her cell off and it rang and we lost a full board in the mixed bam. So I can verify that they are awarding penalties for ringing cell phones.

But other people got their full board penalties reduced to 1/4 board for the same thing. We knew this rule would be enforced inconsistently and selectively base on the whims of the director and the particular player(s) involved.

[matmat]

Rob F, on Jul 28 2008, 10:27 AM, said:

But other people got their full board penalties reduced to 1/4 board for the same thing.

Really?!

[inquiry]

Interstingly, a cell phone rang during the quarterfinals of the Spinggolds, 1st quarterr I think. That was just minutes after the director had issued the warning about cell phones at the start of play. I believe the ringing phone belong to one of the directors, or a kibitzer as it came from a non-table area. There was mild laughter. (It could have been from a mini-spingold player as they were in the same room.

I did leave my cell phone in the room, despite saying here before the event I would simply turn it off and ignore the ban per se.

[Elianna]

matmat, on Jul 28 2008, 07:35 AM, said:

Rob F, on Jul 28 2008, 10:27 AM, said:

But other people got their full board penalties reduced to 1/4 board for the same thing.

Really?!

Yes, really. It happened in the 2nd day of the mixed BAM. A cell phone went off in Val's (our teammate who got the penalty on the first qualifying session) section and so Val checked the recap sheet to find out who it happened to. She then found out that the team got only a quarter board penalty.

She went and asked the director why, and she was told that it was put in as a full board penalty, and "someone" changed it to a quarter board. She was not given a reason why, and it was strongly implied that it would not change.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Jul 24 2008, 12:02 PM, said:

From what I heard, people are taking this pretty seriously. They had a check-in at a desk right outside the main room for the NABC events and it was $2 to have them keep your phone. I never had to wait to check it in or to get it out. You could check two phones at once if you wanted to.

I did hear of one phone going off but I'm not sure the person was penalized.

I had asked how many had been checked in and was told around 175 on Tuesday.

You'll have to kill me to get me to name names, but I know of dozens (no exageration) of people who ignored the rule, so just imagine how many there were that I don't know of. I still hate the rule, but to show I'm not all negative the cameras all over were a good idea.

I consider it shameful that they charge for the service of leaving your cell phone at that table. Well done raising the entry fee on anyone who wants to follow the rules.