Why is this a threat to Bud?

The photo, above, is of an Addi Turbo Lace needle.  Addi Turbo Lace needles are a beautiful thing, particularly if you are knitting lace.  The one's I was carrying were size five and connected to a skein of Creamy, a milk based yarn, in the natural colorway.  This is becoming attempt two at my niece's wedding shawl.  (We don't talk about what happened with the first attempt -- it resulted in gnashing of teeth, wailing and much language which is not fit for a family blog!)  

So, last week, I found out that these needles are a threat to the great Busch Entertainment Corporation, which is related in some fashion, to the ever large Clydesdale pulled Anheuser Busch (aka Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, etc.) beer wagon.  We went on vacation with the girls to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.  (Yes, we went to the water park despite Daughter 2's broken arm -- she didn't let the cast stop the fun.)  

Now, these days when one goes to a theme park, you must go through a security checkpoint.  Here we are at the check point on the way in to Water Country when a nice, young security guard says:  "I'm sorry, ma'am.  You can't bring those knitting needles into the park.  We don't allow them."  The look on my face was clearly "What?!"  I responded very calmly, "I can bring them on an airplane, but I can't bring them into a water park?  If you had inflatable pools, I could see your concern, but I don't see how my needles can hurt your concrete pools."  The knitter in me was saying under my breath -- If I have the guts to bring my good yarn and needles to somewhere there is this much chlorine, I should be rewarded for my fortitude."  I did not utter that part aloud.

Darling husband took the ziploc bag of yarn, pattern and needles away from me and walked it back to the car, while I muttered all the while.  

I'm sending a letter to Busch Entertainment asking for an explanation, because my sock in progress had a wonderful time at Busch Gardens Europe.  It rode the skyride across the park a few times, the carousel, kept me sane while waiting for people to ride rollercoasters.  Now, it is possible the sock was never detected because rather than being in a plain, see through ziploc bag, it was in a Go Knit! pouch (blue ripstop nylon -- I love them.)  However, many Busch Gardens employees saw me knitting in the park -- including in the Emerald Beat Irish Dancing show (which was quite good).  

So, what should we do.  As the Yarn Harlot says (and has proven), knitters can be motivated. We are a multitude.  We out number golfers in North America.  Most knitters I know are motivated by beer.  We need to let the folks feeding the Clydesdales know how we feel.  I, personally, will not be drinking another Busch product until such time as knitting is allowed in all Busch theme parks (Sesame Place and Sea World included.) You can let them know how you feel by dialing 1-800-DIAL-BUD. If you expected us to endure endless lines with good humor, the least you can do is let us have our knitting.

BTW -- other than the needle incident, we had a great time.