Zombie Crawls are fun! Getting hassled by cops, uncool local businesses and other passersby is not, so we here at Zombie-O-Rama central have come up with a few simple rules to help make sure that everyone, zombies and spectators alike, have a sane and safe zombie apocalypse.
1) ZOMBIE-O-RAMA is an ALCHOHOL FREE EVENT. No spirits of any sort will be served or allowed at the movie site on First Street or in Gore Park. This is San Jose, CA not New Orleans so walking (or stumbling) down the street with an open container is not allowed. Likewise the use of drugs will not be tolerated. Just because you are undead does not mean that all local laws have gone out the window.
2)OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS & SIGNS! Do not block foot or auto traffic, as it is a safety risk and can also be illegal depending on the situation. Please drop out of character when crossing streets, always use crosswalks and observe all the rules that you normally would were you still alive.
3) Keep your ooze to yourself. Your make-up is gross, as it should be, but if you intentionally or unintentionally leave it somewhere else (on a window, light pole, automobile), it can be considered vandalism. There will no doubt be a lot more police around downtown this year and you seriously do not need the hassle.. Try not to bring extra blood or supplies with you. If you make a mess, you are legally responsible for it and you may give the walk a bad reputation – which will make it impossible for us to stage these kinds of events later on.
4) Don’t approach or touch anyone not associated with the walk. You will no doubt be scary looking, and that should be its own reward. Do NOT approach someone who is obviously not interested in your hijinks. Staring at people eating their dinners is funny, but keep moving and don't try to get people sick. Grabbing at someone who is minding their own business can be considered assault and land you in jail.
5) Please do not lean over any barriers/fences, enter any shops, lean into doorways/entryways, or pound on/touch windows : These are all borderline illegal behaviors. If law enforcement sees you doing it, they may ticket or arrest you. If they don’t see you, retailers and restaurateurs may lobby to ban zombie-o-rama because you’re annoying them and their customers. So, please refrain from those activities. There will be a list of zombie-friendly business on the Crawl Info page.
6) Things NOT to bring with you:
a) Weapons. Real ones, fake ones, imaginary ones, toy ones, anything that can look threatening. You don't need them, zombies are not armed anyway. If we see you with something you will be asked to stow it in your vehicle.
b) Anything that amplifies sound. Stereos, boom boxes, PA's, megaphones.
c) DRUGS/ALCOHOL. As per above, the movie site is a booze free zone. Anyone clearly under the influence will be asked to leave. This is both for your safety and the safety of others.
7) Pictures & Video :
By participating in the walk, you acknowledge that people will be around taking your picture and that your face and/or likeness will be posted all over the internet and elsewhere and that you’re cool with it. If you or anyone you know does take pictures or video, please contact us afterward, so that we can post it here! Zombies love to see themselves in action.
SPECIAL NOTE TO NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. Last year more than a few professional news organizations used pictures from Zombie-O-Rama that you downloaded from people's Facebook, Flickr or other sites. While we can debate the propriety of this endlessly, if you DO download pictures from the internet for use in your stories please at least credit the person who took the pictures. My editorial two cents, don't try to save money on a photographer by stealing other people's work.
In short, please follow all regular laws of the City of San Jose & State of California and please maintain a level of common courtesy. We want the public to have a positive view of Zombie-O-Rama and being good citizens will guarantee that the event will continue. If we see you breaking the law and/or violating these very simple guidelines, you will be asked to leave. If the offense is dangerous or threatening, you will be reported to the nearest law enforcement official (and they will be all over no doubt).
Not trying to kill anyone's buzz or ruin your good time, but we want you to have fun in the most safe & enjoyable manner possible without it being at anyone else's expense.
And remember to bring a canned food item to the crawl. Last year nearly 2,000 pounds of food was donated. Lets see a headline of ZOMBIES FEED PEOPLE and not ZOMBIES CAUSE TROUBLE.