Your Dolls and Security Officers-ever a problem?

DarkNeko > I don't think you would be able to sue a security guard for "madhandling" your doll or any other items, since it'll just go under the category "to prevent any injustice" (I had thought of a better way to say it, but it suddenly escaped me ;P)

I've brought my boys with me loads of places, I like it having them with me and I've never been bothered by anyone, except the classmates I've run in to.
I think that maybe the reason for the guards getting suspicious is that, lets face it, an older teen carries around a doll, that would look very much like a Barbie in normal peoples eyes.

 

Not stupid. You could still sue. It just depends on the amount of damage and how agresssive they were in handling it.

 

DarkNeko > It wasn't stupid at all ;P I know if some security guard broke my doll I would go through hell to sue him ^^;;
+ I say I'm going to sue a person every time they do something I really don't like ;P

 

Well, unless it's a meet-up, with lots of other doll owners for backup, I don't really take my dolls to any place I haven't been to before. If I feel uncomfortable about their chances for going unmolested, I will just not take them there.
I actually work at a somewhat upscale shopping area, and the security for the area is a big presence, but they are also pretty respectful, so I would not worry about them harrassing any doll owners. I worry more about the shoppers...
It sounds like the security at your areas have nothing better to do, or the individual officers have let their badges go to their heads. With Mr. Stalker guy, I think a call to the mall offices about his behavior, and his making it an unpleasant experiance being at their mall, and how you're uncomfortable going there again might give them a push to have a little talk with him...

 

I've never heard of a dress code at a mall. O_o There's the obvious, implied, no shirt, no shoes, so service thing but I'm pretty suprised that you can't wear baggy clothes or spikes. That's rediculous. I used to know this guy who had a foot long, tri-colored mohawk and always wore spikes galore. He's since abandoned the look and gone more mainstream, but besides the point. That just kinda shocked me.

Anyway, security has no reason to have a problem with the doll. It's not illegal and it's not a threat.

 

I'm pretty sure I could weasel a bit of money out of the school, but probably
not much

And I only had school for about a week after, but they learned who/what she was and only smirked when I came through every day after that.
School is starting up in a couple of weeks, and I'll give you an update on her travels, and probably'll post some photos too!

I suspect your baby will be just fine, so long as you quickly explain how delicate 'e is.

 

I've been lucky in that security has always been amused by the presence of my dolls. (One of these days I have to take a picture of the guards face after they open the doll carrier... ah, priceless.) Let's see, I've taken them to the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the library... As long as you obey their posted rules, they generally won't bother you. Museum of Natural History on the other hand totally harassed the NY Doll group when they visited (it's why I didn't bother renewing my MoNH membership). I always thought it'd be fun to take a doll on a plane, but thanks to homeland security that dream is dead - anything outside of the ordinary and they lose their lunch.

As for malls, sadly, they're private space so you're not entitled to do anything there other than shop. For all it seems like bullying, the rent-a-cops are enforcing the mall's code of conduct/dress code/whatever. I think about the only thing to counter that is to have a merchandise bag in your hand. If you're taking up space on a bench and clearly haven't bought a thing they're far more likely to give you grief. If however they see that you've been shopping/spending money (food court doesn't count), they're like to let you go about your business.

 

I can't say I've ever had any problems wherever I've taken my boys. The one security-guard incident that sticks out in my head was two years ago when I was in Japan. I'd taken Ilú to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, and security had everyone lining up and was doing very thorough bag-checks for each person. When it was my turn I unzipped the carrier, and the security guard's face just lit up. "Ah, o-ningyou-san desu!" (A very polite way of saying "oh, it's a doll!") He was very interested and he had a good look at Ilú, but he never once tried to touch him or asked me to take him out of his bag -- I was quite touched by the whole thing, really

 

They really don't have anything better to do So they just sit around and give people speeding tickets and harrass teenagers.
About the badges going to their heads...yes. Texas police might be the worst about that They'll give fines for you being "disrespectful" just for the hell of it. One of my sister's friends got pulled over once because he "looked like he was in a hurry" (said the cop). But he wasn't speeding. wtf?
And unless it happens again, I wouldn't bother =/ Normally I'm with my mom or sister anyway, and I've never been bothered when someone's with me.

I was reading the "traveling with your doll" thread a few days ago, and I was wondering about this. Some people say they take their doll as their carry-on, but I don't see how they get through security! O.o; Last time I was on a plane (just from Houston to Chicago), I was unlucky enough to be sitting in the very back seat right by the cop. Any time I reached down to grab more homework from my bag, he would lean towards me and give me this hawk-like "I'MMA TASER YOU" look. x_x
So I can't imagine bringing a doll on a plane They'd think it was a bomb or something.

I might try bringing my boy to the mall around Christmas, though, just because it would be fun. (and the Christmas decorations + doll = pretty photoshoot) Hopefully the only reason cops can be snots about dolls is because they don't know what they are/understand them. Luckily, I'm still just a kid, so maybe I'd be left alone once I explained that my boy is - in fact - just a doll

Xi-feng- Awww! That is sooo cute! Especially somewhere so public like that where you'd expect them to be more suspicious.

 

Actually, my friend and I took our dolls to wal-mart with us and the door greeter put those pink little return stickers on them so people would know they weren't stolen. We asked for the smiley stickers too but the guy was a bit of a grump. =/

 

I've taken my dolls to the local 'mall' once before, but only my two tinies, and only because I was popping into the local fabric shop so I had them with me to guesstimate how much fabric I would need to attempt to make them some clothes. The shop manager had a bright look on her, people quite often go in there with little bits for inspiration and objects like dolls to see how much fabric they'd need for their projects. They were sitting in my handbag generally though, one little albino tiny had his head poking out because he didn't quite fit, but I wasn't harassed by anyone for having them around. Guess it does all depend on how strict security is, it is generally pretty relaxed where I am, unless someone is getting a little too rowdy

 

Lord I would have opened the back pck all the way and told him to have a look see or offered him a cookie (I always carry something to munch on).
Maybe he was just constipated? grin

I took all my dolls ie 5 of them on carryon and had no issues going from Atlanta to VEgas and back.

 

I've never had anyone actually stay and talk to me when I took dolls out places unless they wanted to know more about them--those that don't like them might say something rude, but then they walk away, no big deal. I've taken my dolls plenty of places, as long as you use common sense in handling them and keep an eye out for sticky-fingered children or overzealous admirers, it seems like there's no problem.

 

Dolls on Santa's lap would be really cute.

Anyways my dolls go lots of places with me malls, libraries, stores pretty much anywhere I go I might take one of my girls I've never had a problem with cops or security or anything of the sort haven't had that kind of problem since my massive goth days. So I say bring your dolls and spread the cuteness.

 

I've never had an issue, but when I travel with dolls in a place that might have security, I do remove the wires from their body. I also don't ship any dolls with the wiring still inside. Granted, a monkey could tell its not a bomb, but I just don't like to take the risk that anyone will see it as anything but a doll and I could see people getting touchy about wires in hollow spaces, especially if run through an xray machine, or metal detector.

 

Actually, it's really not that bad. I recently flew to San Francisco and had to go through security about 10 times going there and back. (I flew with a smoker who had to go outside the airport whenever a lounge wasn't available) and never had any problems. I did, however, have to take my dolls out of their carrier on the flight from SF to LA- the row we were in didn't have any carry-on space and they wanted to check my doll carrier, so I kept my dolls on my lap the entire flight and it was fine.

As for security other places, like malls, I've never had any problems. My city is quite conservative, so I'm generally ignored whenever I'm out with my dolls and I quite like it that way.

 

I don't know that I'd be to worried about security. Honestly, if they want to give you trouble they'll give you trouble. I've never been a big mall goer. Later on, a friend was a Tinker Cop, that's what we used to teasingly call him, and he would tell us about the guys and what they'd do. Unnecessary pat downs of female teens 'accused' of theft, disgusting things like that. I never heard about them breaking anything maliciously though.

You can't get it at WalMart. That cracked me up. And they kept saying it, lol.