By Mark David Blum

Today was one of the very few times I entered the Fairgrounds through the Main Gate. As I and my t-shirt approached the entrance, a kindly woman dressed with a black t-shirt and rubber gloves halted me in my tracks.

“Sir, we want to search your backpack.”

“You what?”

“We need to search your backpack. It is required.”

“Why, what are you looking for?”

“Weapons and alcohol.”

“Isn’t my word good enough that I don’t have any such thing?”

“No Sir, we must search.”

Really enjoying this and wanting to have some fun, I set down my pack on the table and let her have at it. Of course I wasn’t carrying any weapons nor alcohol. I don’t need a weapon and alcohol is not my drug of choice. Why they were not searching for other contraband eludes me; and eluded them.

“Did you find anything? Do I get a strip search or cavity search next?”

(Laughing) “No. Are you really a lawyer?”

“Yes”

“Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney.”

“Where?”

“Here in Syracuse.”

“What’s your name?”

“Mark David Blum. You didn’t see the shirt when you stopped me?”

(Shocked and nervously smiling) “No. If I had, you would have had an even more thorough search.”

“I am still here; if you are still interested. I haven’t had a good cavity search or strip search in a long time.”

From what I learned, the State Fair has set up these random bag checks at various times throughout the day. While I thought it was a new phenomena and something else I could blame on Dan O’Hara; alas but the program was implemented last year. Though last year, they would set up and check for just a couple hours now and then; this year they are doing six hour stretches randomly throughout the day.

Leave your weapons and alcohol at home. I hear cigarettes are selling on the black market for $10 a pack.