Eurofurence Community > Fursuiters Forum
first time fursuit???
njhcerebus01:
i might go on stage but i need to sort out a plan first heh heh and also it my first time at EF (if my evil parents let me go to germany that is) ooo i can't wait to get my fursuit and have fun with it on stage!
Cheetah:
--- Quote from: njhcerebus01 on 23.11.2006, 21:51:41 ---i might go on stage but i need to sort out a plan first heh heh and also it my first time at EF (if my evil parents let me go to germany that is) ooo i can't wait to get my fursuit and have fun with it on stage!
--- End quote ---
You know that you have to be at least 18 to attend EF, right?
Fuzzy:
Pity it doesn't mention that on the website anyplace that I could see.
I thought the under-18s *were* allowed at EF as long as they had consent? (and if this isn't the case then why bother to say at the start of the art auctions "If you are underage please leave now..."?)
K9Primate:
I’m not sure why and how, but there always seems to be a small number of people under 18 attending. ::)
It indeed seems conflicting, but it’s not my responsibility as general attendee, however I’m convinced their motives for allowing this are genuine.
And as the current state of affairs is (but I presume you already knew this), German law deems this as inappropriate for people under 18, and thus forces them to take preemptive measures.
Cheetah:
--- Quote from: K9Primate on 28.11.2006, 13:08:09 ---I’m not sure why and how, but there always seems to be a small number of people under 18 attending. ::)
It indeed seems conflicting, but it’s not my responsibility as general attendee, however I’m convinced their motives for allowing this are genuine.
--- End quote ---
Okay, I need to clarify ... indeed, until EF12, it has always been possible to attend even if you're under 18 if you're accompanied by at least one of your parents.
However, we're seriously considering no longer offering this option, because even WITH their parents on board, we've had some incidents with minors that were legally dangerous, and given the paranoia level of German "youth protection" laws, the risk of SERIOUS liabilities just isn't worth it any more. At least not for the two or three minors in 400 total attendees.
With serious liability issues, I mean, that even if parents are on site, I (as the chairman) may still be PERSONALLY held liable for whatever might happen if the parents don't look for just one minute.
It's crazy, yes. That's what the "OMGWTF, think of the children, someone might abuse them"-Mentality got us to. I can't help it.
My personal worst-case horror szenario would be: A 14 year old girl slips away from her parents at night, goes to the hotel bar where everyone else is hanging out, someone gets her a drink or two, she gets drunk, they decide to go off "cuddling", and she ends up pregnant. Mom sues us, describing our convention as a place where pornographic artwork ist being sold, and adults running around in animal costumes, and that her daughter has been malicously been lured away and abused while she wasn't looking. The judge concludes gross negliency, and we're all majorly screwed ... including the possibility of the chairman (that's me) going to jail.
You know, being in a situation like this ... and it's not exactly a far-fetched scenario ... you think twice if you really want to allow minors at all, or not.
(Another thing is ... even if they come with their parents, there's always a lot of pain and discussions to go through. Absurd situations like minors producing artwork they're not legally allowed to view themselves ... parents unwilling to accept that even they can not override the law, and we're still forced to exclude their offspring from certain events, even if they personally ask us not to ... )
I hope this makes the motivation behind this move a little more clear :) Even a very small number of minors, and even with their parents around, still cause a lot of fuss, and a certain risk ... that just uses up more of our resources than is appropriate for the microscopic fraction of guests they represent.