The KSC Freak Show

On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 20:14:25 -0500, "Scott Hedrick"
wrote:

The Gift Shops were the absolute *worst* part of my KSC visit.

The last time I visited, in August, 1996, it was hard to find anything other
than pictures and patches that *didn't* involve the shuttle.

Hmm, that was the year the Apollo-Saturn V Center opened and only a
year after _Apollo 13_ was a blockbuster. I recall vividly that there
was a boatload of Apollo souvenirs at that time. Posters, patches,
models (both kits and pre-made), and t-shirts that featured both
Shuttle and Apollo.

Brian

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 04:36:54 GMT, Bruce Palmer
wrote:

The Gift Shops were the absolute *worst* part of my KSC visit. Very
schlock. Trying to find something not made in China was near
impossible. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I thought that back when we went to the STS-41C launch. I managed to
visit the employees' exchange gift shop, though, and it was more like
what I was expecting. Ditto at JSC, But you have to have a NASA
badge to get into those shops, because they're not for the tourists
but the employees.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

I thought that back when we went to the STS-41C launch. I managed to
visit the employees' exchange gift shop, though, and it was more like
what I was expecting. Ditto at JSC, But you have to have a NASA
badge to get into those shops, because they're not for the tourists
but the employees.

Mary

What is the real urpose of a gift shop?

You kniow its to SELL STUFF and make $$$ Its sad the glitzy junk sells so well.
But when I was there they had some good finds too. Heck if it were up to me a
gift shop wouls sell worn out shuttle pieces. Heres a $2000 bearing its $30
with certificate of authencity and its flight history.

If the hard core stuff so many floks here want to buy sold well the shops
woyuld be filled with them.

(Hallerb) writes:

Whats the big deal about paying admission to a well run classy facility?
Besides which most museums charge a entry fee of some sort.

Yet $20 to KSC makes it a freak show?

Because it's not necessarily a well run classy facility. It's
becoming science and space artifacts dumbed down to the lowest common
denominator.

Have you ever been to the NASM? It's arguably the best facilitiy of
its type on Earth. Admission is free.

Jeff
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Have you ever been to the NASM? It's arguably the best facilitiy of
its type on Earth. Admission is free

yeah but we still pay, each and every one of us with our taxes, so its not
free...

at least at KSC the visitiors pick up the tab

"Hallerb" wrote in message
...

Have you ever been to the NASM? It's arguably the best facilitiy of
its type on Earth. Admission is free

yeah but we still pay, each and every one of us with our taxes, so its not
free...

at least at KSC the visitiors pick up the tab

As do the taxpayers anyway.

Since I am *already* paying for the KSC Visitor's Center whether I go there
or not, I do have a problem with paying twice for the same ticket just
because crap I don't give a rat's ass about has been added on.

On or about 06 Feb 2004 09:39:44 -0500, jeff findley made the sensational claim that:
(Hallerb) writes:

Whats the big deal about paying admission to a well run classy facility?
Besides which most museums charge a entry fee of some sort.

Yet $20 to KSC makes it a freak show?

Because it's not necessarily a well run classy facility. It's
becoming science and space artifacts dumbed down to the lowest common
denominator.

And the Delaware North people are assholes[1]. Ok, so they probably get a lot
of tourist twits walking into their office, but when you've got a KSC badge
and you're looking for a NASA employee, I would have expected a little less
'**** off and die' attitude.

[1] Except for Midge. She's cool.
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"Hallerb" wrote in message
...

Whats the big deal about paying admission to a well run classy facility?

What's that got to do with the current KSC Visitor's Center?

Yet $20 to KSC makes it a freak show?

The interactive toys and exhibits makes it a freak show.

On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 17:38:53 -0600, Brian Thorn
wrote:

Note, if you tell the cashier that you just want to go in to the
souvenir store, you can buy a cheaper ticket that is fully refundable
if you return within, I think, two hours.

....Similar situation at JSC, where only about half the time they'll
ask you to leave some sort of ID unless it's a really slow weekday
such as a Monday or a Wednesday. For some reason the schools tend to
send their tours less frequently on those days, and the bluesuits
don't have to worry about you disappearing in the crowd. After I got
robbed by those two ghetto thugs back in '02 and they'd gotten my year
pass, they allowed me in to pick up some things the gift shop had
received on special order for me even though I didn't have the badges
anymore.

Never did get them replaced that day because I was still too much in a
state of shock after the previous night...


OM

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On or about Thu, 05 Feb 2004 17:38:53 -0600, Brian Thorn
made the sensational claim that:
Note, if you tell the cashier that you just want to go in to the
souvenir store, you can buy a cheaper ticket that is fully refundable
if you return within, I think, two hours.

I remember once when I was working at KSC, I had a job over in the Astro Hall
of Fame. I remembered the "space dots" from a tourist visit years before, so
I walked in to get some the same way all the tourists do, through the
turnstyles. The lady checking tickets asked for my pass, saw my badge and
said "Oh I guess you don't need one then!". *sigh* Those were the days.

Btw, is Bob Sieck a good ass to kiss these days?
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