Galen Center — Attraction in Los Angeles

One of the security supervisors, Darnell, was extremely officious, rude, and lacked people skills. I understand that security is very important, however, you don't have to be so abrasive to the guests of the venue. Darnell was threatening to cut the wristband and eject people if they cut into the line for the WV store which was probably not his responsibility. I'm not an advocate for breaking rules but his suggested response was excessive. My interaction with him rough as well. I brought an 8 outlet surge protector to the venue on Saturday, no problem. On Sunday, it's not allowed because, in his words, "Today is a new day." He asked me what I needed it for and I explained that finding an outlet to charge my phone can be difficult and this device can turn one plug into 8. Also, other people can charge their phones as well. He said, "We don't need you to do that. Take it back to your car." Even one of his employees said, "He brought it yesterday." This man is controlling, micromanaging and has no tact, empathy, or consistency. He enforces and/or creates rules as he sees fit,...

The security detail hired for this venue forgot that the reason they are there is to be the first welcoming human experience and extension of the event. The event starts upon arrival, that means the first contact should make you feel welcome and at ease not like the money you paid to be there is not worth the time, effort and expense. If you have a disability, be prepared to enter through only the main entrance. This is not labeled well and the building support is so protective of not ending up on an elevator that goes outside of the arena area for guests that they can't seem to problem solve without a lot of self advocacy. Also, women...don't bring a purse...they don't disclose that before coming and it would be a tragedy for you to choose between your investment in being there and your bag. This team needs to remember that being human is primary to all other things as it means stepping...

I attended two events here - a volleyball game and a visit by the Dalai Lama. The two experiences were dramatically different.

The volleyball game was a rousing, communal experience. People were loud and spirited. USC hosted Stanford and despite the childish comments from many fans it was a pretty fun time. It was nice to sit a few rows from the court.

The Dalai Lama event was decidedly uninspired. It was difficult to hear him and the atmosphere was flat and empty. The acoustics weren't appropriate. The Dalai Lama's faint voice certainly exacerbated this, as did the fact that I was up in the bleachers, pretty far from where he sat.

The Galen Center is best suited to sports events, where sound comes from and to many places, echoing around, but no particular message is important. It's not great for speaking engagements, where people need to hear a single...