One of our international clients will be traveling to New York City for their company’s annual meeting next month. While they are here, they want to experience an awesome team building event. They have a hula dancing bobble head they named hula girl that they bring around the world with them to all of their events and incorporate her into their games/events. They want to bring hula girl to NYC with them and integrate her into their scavenger hunt. They asked us if we knew of a public place that she would be kept safe in NYC while they are on their scavenger hunt so the teams could take a picture with her during that specific challenge. We said absolutely NOT… not if they wanted to bring hula girl to the next event! So, we decided to write up a list of 10 reasons why you should never leave your things unattended in NYC.
1. It may not look the same as it did when you left it.
The hula girl may have a nice smile across her face and a beautiful hawaiian hula skirt on when you start your scavenger hunt, but at the end of it, you may come back to find her face has been carved out and her hula dress was burned to a crisp. Okay.. fine, it might not be that intense. Maybe there’s just a sharpie mustache drawn on her face. Either way, she will not look like she did when you left her.
2. It could get trampled on.
Let’s face it, NYC is flooded with people. There are millions of people in the Big Apple on a daily basis. Your hula girl will get stomped on and walked all over, there’s no doubt about it.
3. It could fall down the sewer.
Once it goes down there, good luck getting it back. Would you even want it back at that point? I don’t think so.
4. It could be considered a “suspicious” item.
In this day and age, if someone purposely leaves an item anywhere in a crowded city and just knowingly walks away, chances are someone is going to notice and find it very suspicious. Cops may get involved and there could be a whole situation on your hands. It may not be a fun team building experience, but it would certainly be a memorable one.
5. It could get run over by a car.
With the constant hustle and bustle of the city, hula girl could be accidentally kicked into the middle of the street and squashed like a bug by a car. Tragic, I know.
6. It could become pigeon food.
Those birds in NYC are crazy and they will eat just about anything! Don’t think for one second your hula girl is safe from these animals. They will rip her to shreds!
7. It could get stuck under the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Hey, timing is everything and there are freak accidents everyday. Hula girl could really just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. #YouNeverKnow
8. It could get lost in a taxi or subway.
Unless you have a dog tag on hula girl or she comes with a license, if you leave her in a taxi or subway, you’re not getting her back. It’s as simple as that.
9. It could become a part of a street performance.
If you leave hula girl by herself and she is really as cool as we are picturing her to be, someone might just want her to be a part of their street performance. She will help them make extra money. She might be the best hula dancing bobble-head ever. Who wouldn’t want that kind of dancer in their flash-mob?
10. There’s a very good chance it will not be there when you come back to get it.
It’s plain and simple… If you leave your hula girl or any item for that matter in the city, it’s as good as gone. It’s a “finders keepers” world we are living in and your precious item will now be someone else’s precious item.
As you can see, it is never a good idea to leave your prized possessions in the city to use as a clue or challenge in your scavenger hunt. There would be a 0.001% chance it’ll be where you left it and how you left it when you return. So here is our suggestion: take a group photo with hula girl before or after your scavenger hunt so there will be nothing to worry about! The only other option would be to hire a security guard to keep watch of hula girl out in the middle of the city… but that’s a topic for another day. Happy Hunting!
