Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] Limited OM content

Subject: [OM] Limited OM content
From: dhurley@xxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 01:48:01 -0500
Long-winded, limited OM content, maybe even slightly off topic, but I
just wanted to share this.  I decided it wasn't going to rain today, so
in order to avoid mowing the lawn, I headed for Heartland Park Race
Track.  (www.hpt.com) (today was 1/4 mile drag racing) I grabbed a couple
of OM2n's, one with MD2, the other with winder 2, a few lenses, (180/2.8,
135/2.8,100/2.8, 50/3.5, 24/2.8, and a 2x{non-om}), a T20, half a dozen
rolls of film, even spare batteries, tossed them all in my WWII surplus
gas mask bag, slipped on my photo vest, put a six pack of Coke in the
pockets, (They don't allow food or drink to be brought in.  They always
check back packs and bags, the photo vest looks official?, hasn't been
checked in 10 years!) hopped in the truck, swung by Subway, picked up a
foot long sub (had it packaged as two 6 incher's; fits the vest pockets
better that way) and headed to the track, got there about 10:30.  Ticket
office wasn't open, strange, pretty sure this was the right day, and it
sure sounded like something was happening inside the track?  Drove around
to the back side where the racers enter, security (by manpower) told me I
needed a pass to get in.  I told security I wasn't there to race, I was a
spectator.  Security told me in that case, you need a ticket.  DUH!  Told
security the ticket office was closed.  Security said go to the window
and knock, they're probably in the back goofing off.  Now, not being a
manpower security guard, I failed to follow security's directions. 
Instead, I figured if  (a) the ticket office is locked down, (b) no cars
of any kind are anywhere near ticket office, (c) no cars are in spectator
area, and (d) spectator gates are chained and padlocked, then if I drove
all the way back to the front side, knocked on the window, and if they
appeared and if they sold me a ticket, then I would be the only vehicle
in the parking lot, the only spectator at the races, and I would have to
scale the fence to get in!  Not likely!  So instead I drove over to the
area where the racers get their passes and check in and asked the lady at
the window "what happened, did they change the starting time?"   She said
yes.  They are now running the time trials before the gates are open to
the public at 1:00.  That way they don't have to hire all those extra
manpower security guards/parking attendents/concession workers/cleanup
crew for the whole day, just half day!  I said, "Oh."   She asked me if I
was there to race.  I said no, I usually just got there early and took
photos of the activity in the paddock and pits during time trials.  She
said, "oh, are you with the newspaper?"  I immediatlely and honestly
answered, "no."  She said, "Well then, I can't give you press credentials
unless you work for somebody that normally covers the races and have a
letter from them to prove it."  I tried to explain I was just there to
take pictures for myself and watch the races.  She said, "Oh, freelance!"
 I gave up and said, "sort of."  She said, "I still can't give you press
credentials."  I asked could she maybe just sell me a ticket?  She told
me, "No, the ticket office won't open till 12:30, but I can sell you a
crew pass that will get you in now for $2.00 more than a ticket will cost
you ($8.00)and it will let you go anywhere except the starting line."  I
protested, "I'm not on anyone's crew, I just wanna take some pictures and
watch the races!"  She said, "Doesn't matter"  I said, "And it'll let me
go anywhere except the start line?"  She said , "Yep"  I said, "The VIP
stands?"  She said , "Yep"  I said, "The staging area, I can go right in
with the cars and drivers as they line them up?"  She said , "Yep"  I
said, "Under the tower?"  She said , "Yep"  I said, "In front of the
tower?"  She said , "Yep"  I said, "Beside the track?"  She said , "Yep,
but you can't actually go on the track."  I said, "Sounds to me like I
could do anything with this that I could do if I had press credentials? 
She said , "Nope, you don't get the press release with all the drivers
and car numbers listed."  I almost said, "Who cares?," but instead, I
said "Well, I guess that'll just hafta do me."  She sold me the crew pass
and told me to park my truck by the back entrance and walk in through the
tunnel.  I said,"OK"  On the way to park the truck, I got to thinking,
"that's a manpower guard on the gate" so I drove right up, waved my crew
pass out the window, and the guard waved me on through, so I drove in
through the tunnel, and parked in the pits with the rest of the crew,
about 30' from the stands!  Then I took pictures from all the places I
couldn't get into for the last 10 years!  I got so close, I was using my
24mm lens and couldn't get the whole car in the frame!  I was wondering
as I packed this morning, "Do I really need to carry the 24 and the 50?" 
By mid afternoon I was wondering, "Why didn't I pack the 19mm?" 

The moral of this story?  If you stumble around long enough you
eventually fall into something?.  

Hope it rains tonight so I don't have to mow the lawn tomorrow.

Daryl Hurley
___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz