Traffic Safety
Emerald City Comicon’s projected attendance is over 60,000, but life is still going on in downtown Seattle. The convention center is located near some of our city’s most dangerous intersections for pedestrians, so be extra careful when you’re walking to and from the convention.
- Don’t jaywalk. Seattle’s jaywalking laws are very strict, and at many downtown intersections it’s difficult to see cars coming from certain angles.
- If your outfit is all black (practical and stylish!), bring a reflective jacket or bag for evening wear. Seattle’s sunsets happen early in the spring and many of our streets are not well lit.
- If you’re driving, be aware that traffic will be intense and you’ll be sharing the road with commuters and buses. Try to stay off the road during rush hour (7 am – 9 am and 4:30 pm – 7 pm) and consider parking further away from the center and walking in.
Costume Safety
Your killer cosplay shouldn’t literally kill you. Make sure you try your costume on in advance and practice standing and walking briskly.
- Try your costume on in advance to make sure it’s easy to walk in and there are no trailing parts that someone else might step on. Remember, the con floor gets crowded.
- Take a test run around the block, or your hotel, with anything you’ll be wearing over your eyes: contacts, prop glasses, masks, zentai suits, etc.
- Pay attention on elevators and escalators. If you’re wearing a robe or dress that trails on the ground, hold it off the ground and away from places where it might be caught when you’re travelling between floors.
- If you’re wearing costume shoes, make sure they’re easy to walk in inside and out. Seattle sidewalks are often slick at this time of the year, so if your shoes didn’t come with grippy rubber or Vibram soles, consider making some modifications.
- Stick a pair of roll-up slippers in your bag just in case your fancy footwear turns out to be less practical than you expected.
- Pack a spare change of clothes just in case your costume turns out to be harder to wear than you expected.
Prop Safety
Your heroes may be brawlers, but the convention staff expects you to keep the peace. ECCC has strict rules about the kind of props you’re allowed to carry around the convention floor.
- Check the official ECCC policies about prop weaponry before taking your weapon to the con.
- Remember to put a brightly colored cap on the barrel of any weapon that looks like a gun.
- Leave any sharp knives or swords at home. ECCC only allows dull metal weapons.
- If you can, make your props out of foam, cardboard, plastic, sculpey, or light wood or composite.
- Visit the Peace Bonding station to get your weapon marked as safe.
What to Do If You Get Hurt
If you’re hurt at the convention
- Ask an ECCC staff member, minion, or building security officer for help.
- If you can walk, go to the First Aid Station on WSCC Level 4, inside the doors to 4B.
- If you can, snap some pictures of the scene of the accident and ask any witnesses for their contact information.
- If you’re hurt badly enough to require emergency medical attention, call 911 or ask a bystander to do it for you. Be aware that phone lines may be tied up by the convention crowds, so an ECCC staff member may need to place a call from a landline.
If you’re hurt outside the convention
- If you can, snap some pictures of the scene of the accident and ask any witnesses for their contact information.
- Call 911 and report the accident to the police.
- Seek medical treatment at the aid station, or at a local hospital if you need more than the aid station can provide.
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