The crowd and we were still 1/2 mile away

Is he flashing?

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Police shut down mooning of the Amtrak trains

Big crowds, big drinking created dangerous scene, police said.

By PETER SCHELDEN

The Orange County Register

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LAGUNA NIGUEL For the first time in the event's 29-year history, police are closing down the 29th annual Mooning of Amtrak because of big crowds and heavy drinking Saturday afternoon.

Police decided what started as a fun--and risque--event could turn dangerous as crowds grew larger than in previous years.

"It started to get a little out of hand so we decided to move in and show presence to try to quell any further disruption," Orange County Sheriff's Department Lt.Ted Boyne said.

Nice weather, big publicity and increasing population led to larger-than-expected crowds of between 8,000 and 10,000 at the annual event, held each year at the Mugs Away Saloon across Camino Capistrano from the train track that carries both Amtrak and Metrolink trains.

"There is so much skin," Cameron Dill of San Clemente said. "It's our own little Mardi Gras."

Before police broke up the party, RVs, Harleys, camping tents, and even blow-up swimming pools stretched along Camino Capistrano in Laguna Niguel.

Some members of the crowd offered shots of alcohol to those who would flash them.

POLICE ARRIVE

Along with about two dozen police officers, helicoptors announced from loudspeakers that the event was cancelled.

No fighting was reported.

By 5 p.m. Saturday, the crowd had been reduced to about 1,500 people. Police expected to completely clear the street of crowd-goers by about 6 p.m.

Scott and Chelsea leaving for LAX. Little did they know that they would be delayed at LAX due to a terrorist bomb threat. They had to walk down Century Blvd when it was stopped for over 45 minutes. They missed their flight but got on the next one standby because all those people were delayed too. They arrived at Jenn's apartment at almost 3 a.m.

Jenna, Scott, and Chelsea in the crowd at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. They're in the back by the carnival area on Coney Island.

Jenna, Scott, and Chelsea in the crowd

Keith, Wendy, Kathy, and Karen

Mckenzie with Sedona in the fortress of solitude

The streets of LAX turned into a parking lot and passengers arriving and departing walking the rest of the way. Scott and Chelsea got stuck in the "bomb threat" on their way to New York to visit Jenna.

This is not a parking lot, it's Century Blvd on the way to the airport terminals

Not even at the airport terminals yet and Scott and Chelsea had to get out and walk with the rest of the incoming and outgoing passengers