George Collins, the editor of Santa Ana Insight, went to the Orange International Street Fair yesterday, with the goal of filming the event so he could promote it on his website.
However, when he got there, one of the event security guards stopped him and said he could not stay at the fair as it was a private event. You can see the video Collins shot depicting the confrontation here.
The security guard ended up calling a police officer to remove Collins, who said he had a right to be there as a member of the press. The rent a cop then told Collins that the media was not allowed at the event. Collins actually has an international press pass because of his work in Peru, where he films documentaries.
Collins was also told that he had to leave because he was on a Segway, the unique two-wheeled vehicles that you stand on and are controlled by a gyroscopic device. However, the O.C. Sheriff’s at John Wayne airport are now using Segways! If they are safe enough to use at the crowded airport, what is the problem with using them at the Street Fair?
The Orange police officer told Collins, off camera, that the real reason that the street fair organizers do not want to be filmed is that a lot of people get very drunk at the street fair. Ah ha!
I took a look at the Street Fair website. I could not find ANY information about the organizers of the event. But I did find a list of their sponsors. Guess what? Budweiser is their top sponsor!
Apparently the street fair organizers pay for Orange police to be there. But who pays when there are DUI’s or when people are hurt, or when the city gets sued?
This is all quite shocking to me. I never stopped to think about the alcohol issue at the Street Fair. Now we know there is a lot more to the story. Ironically, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) tells us that there is a nationwide crackdown on drunk drivers going on right now, over the Labor Day weekend. Maybe they need to crack down in Orange?
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Santa Ana Insight
Date: Sun, 02 Sep 2007 13:52:18 -0700
From: standa@merlin4x.com
To: editor@santaanainsight.com
Hi George,
In essence I am glad that you got kicked out from the Orange
International Street Fair because you and Pedroza are doing same thing
in your blogs.
Remember the GOLDEN RULE George!
-Stan
Stanley,
If you would send me posts without the rampant use of the F word, I would post them. This is one of the FEW times that you have refrained from using the F word, so I approved your post.
Also, I wanted my readers to see your email address so they could feel free to spam away!
The Golden Rule by the way refers to doing onto others as you would like to have done onto you. So do you like to be cursed at? No? Then please stop trying to post your racist, gutter B.S. on my blog. I will ALWAYS delete it.
Don’t you have your OWN blog where you can curse to your heart’s content? Here is the address: http://ocsatire.com/. I doubt anyone will bother to read your bigoted tripe.
Great story Art! I wish you could have shown more video when the cops arrived. Did George keep taping? The quality of the video is awesome too. Please have Mr. Collins do more videos for O.J. This was so good. We need to keep asserting our rights to video or they will take them away. Way to go George!
Sorry to hear Mr. Collins got kicked out of the fair. Next time, just sneak it in. There were a few people seen video taping with small camcorders and DVD-R recorders. And next time leave the Segway at home- the’re for dorks and the O.C. Sherrifs.
People who go to this event in 100 degree plus heat have more interest and stamina than I!
I noticed a lot of underage drinking going on at the street fair today right under the noses of the folks in uniform. I wondered why until I saw that Budweiser is a big sponsor.
Security at Westminster Mall uses Segways to patrol. Even in the food court during lunch time.
Follow the money of the other alcohol providers at the fair you’d be surprised. Especially for Santa Anan’s and catholics.
The street fair people don’t care if you film, I did all weekend. I just left them a business card at the info booth and they were fine.
As for the segway, I can clearly see where thats a problem, the place gets crowded, for god sake’s I wish they would ban strollers at night.
Like I said I was almost all weekend, and I never saw an underage drinker, as a matter of fact the street fair shut down the one place in the fair that used to be the problem (Rod’s Liquor) on West Chapman.
In the end, I had a great weekend, and my segments will air later this week on KABC.
What kind of idiot tries to take a Segway into the Orange Street Fair?
It’s not “crowded” like John Wayne Airport. It’s wall-to-wall people.
What kind of idiots is or those who use wheelchair in the Orange City street fair?.That is what some body said about segway.Is the coments also aplys to wheelchairs, no?.
You would have to be a fool to believe the Orange City police would make a statement to you that
and I quote.
“That the real reason that the street fair organizers do not want to be filmed is that a lot of people get very drunk at the street fair. Ah ha!”
They have a liability here and to make such a statement would foolish.