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Police Escorts


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Also, have you ever seen or been escorted by the police for an drum corps related event?

Yes, but it was for college marching band. Several times, for that matter, but especially for bowl games.

Most frequently was when my University was playing in the Rose Bowl a few years back, and we had a police escort pretty much anywhere we went throughout LA over a four day span.

It's a pretty cool feeling, especially when you're in a caravan of 7 charter busses just ripping through typical LA traffic.

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Yes, but it was for college marching band. Several times, for that matter, but especially for bowl games.

Most frequently was when my University was playing in the Rose Bowl a few years back, and we had a police escort pretty much anywhere we went throughout LA over a four day span.

It's a pretty cool feeling, especially when you're in a caravan of 7 charter busses just ripping through typical LA traffic.

Yeah, seems to be typical for college marching band.

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Also, have you ever seen or been escorted by the police for a drum corps related event?

On the 4th of July, the Kilties had a police motorcycle officer escorting us from an early morning parade in Wauwatosa WI to the "main event" back in Racine.

Fortunately the escort was in FRONT of us and not behind! :lol:

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Yeah, seems to be typical for college marching band.

And with good reason.

College bands , at least for BCS schools, are usually in the midst of some pretty huge events with some huge amounts of $$$$ involved. And lots of people.

College marching band can provide some pretty awesome and fun experiences. I really loved my time in the band at the Big Ten school I went to. Those words might be dirty around here, but I said it. devil.gif

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Also, have you ever seen or been escorted by the police for a drum corps related event?

One of my favorite drum corps stories, as told to me on separate occasions by members, staff, and volunteers who were there. To protect the innocent(ish) parties, I'll refrain from using names..

In 1994, when finals was in Boston, this corps (Division 2, or 'Open Class' to you youngins) was housed in a seedy area of town. During the lunch break, a snare drummer (who went on to win a couple of high percussion & World Champion titles later on) was practicing his solo for I & E somewhere outside. As he was practicing, a group of shady characters told him to stop. Being a snare drummer, the member continued to play, louder than previously (it's possible he also said a thing or two in response). The hooligans then started running at the member who in turn started booking back to the corps, eating inside the school. Apparently one of the hooligans caught up with the member, and pushed/threw him into/onto a table.

What happened next seriously sounds like it comes from a movie...

As the member was thrown into the table, the room full of the rest of the corps, staff & volunteers grew deadly quiet. The rest of the hooligans entered the room to see how their homey was doing, and then everyone with the corps who was sitting stood up.

And epic throw-down ensued.

Staffers and volunteers were pummeling the hooligans (in self defense, of course). People were being thrown into walls, faces were getting pulverized, and against all cliches the bandos kicked the living snot out of these hooligans. It should be noted that loyal volunteers of this corps were of the blue color variety: truck drivers, bikers, etc. I.E. guys who may have gotten into a scuffle or two in their lives.

The hooligans knew they were defeated and bolted out of the school and off campus. The corps director had already called police, and as one officer showed up and took statements the other drove around looking for the perps. Quickly the officers realized that this corps had scrapped with a pretty notorious local street gang. The police then informed the corps that there would likely be a retaliation, and their safety was now a major concern. Keep in mind, this was Sunday or Monday, at the top of Championship week.

The rest of the week the corps not only got full, multiple police escorts EVERYWHERE they went, but had armed police protection 24/7 the rest of Championship week.

Again, this was before my marching days, but I heard this story consistently (I left out some of the details that would've made the story sound even more fantastical), from multiple people multiple times over several different years.

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