The Preamble
Here’s something I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of until I experienced it, but y’all, going to a BTS concert involves standing in some long-a$$ lines. Plural. As in, you’ll probably have to do it more than once for various things. Merch. Food. Getting to your seat. Restroom (unless you get to use the men’s room, in which case you’ll waltz in and out of the facilities while all the ladies in the adjacent line stare you down with equal parts jealousy, rage, understanding, and acceptance – it’s a weird mix of emotions partially driven by an overwhelming need to pee). By the end of it all, you’re like whoa, that was a full 8-hour workday of standing in line. Thousands of people. Just standing in lines. By choice. And the whole lot of them would choose to do it all over again given the chance.
You might think it’s wild. And it is – I questioned my sanity multiple times throughout the process. But yeah, what can I say, I’d still do it again. Even if it meant randomly losing feeling in my left pinky toe for another week. Allegedly. The point is, I sat on the ground a lot. A curb here, a rock there, parking lot pavement here, dusty pea gravel there. It was fine. But I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t sometimes wish I had some sort of chair. Enter the clear backpack that doubles as a seat…
The Pitch
Thank you, sirs, for your time and attention.
Speaking of time and attention, I’d like to invite you to consider another scenario that requires both of those things: attending one of your concerts. I know, I know. You’re thinking to yourselves, “You think that requires YOUR time and attention? Do you know how many hours we spend preparing for those things? The fine details our minds have to capture and hold for an untold amount of time? And how our bones ache right straight down to the marrow after every rehearsal? After every show? And how we then get up and do it again, sometimes the very next day? So you want to talk to us about time and attention? Okay <insert eye roll>…go on.”
Well yes, as a matter of fact I do. Because the very hard work you just outlined in the pretend conversation I’m having with my made-up thoughts of your thoughts – the time, energy and effort you put into creating that onstage magic – only deserves the best in return. When people show up for you, they want to SHOW UP for you. And if that means standing in one line to get into another line to line up for a line that leads to the entrance line that takes you to the inside line that feeds you to the aisle line that finally gets you to your seat, so be it.
Speaking of seats, let’s talk about sitting. Specifically, let’s talk about intermittently sitting on the ground throughout the line waiting process. Now, there’s nothing wrong with making that kind of solid connection between yourself and the earth; it can be grounding (literally and figuratively). And, people are resourceful and make do with what they have. Perhaps they’ve thought ahead and brought a blanket for picnic-style waiting. Perhaps they’ll just sit on whatever extra accessory they have handy – jacket, purse, backpack, recently purchased merch (if that’s not considered blasphemous? Is it? I don’t know. I’ll spin around three times and throw salt over my shoulder, just in case).
But, what if there were something like a clear, stadium-approved, Mr. Gadget-style multipurpose backpack that was both a receptacle for your belongings AND a little seat?
Once again, I know what you’re thinking: “Why can’t you just use any ol’ clear backpack as a seat? Just put in on the ground and sit on it.”
And to that I say, “You could, but that introduces a secondary set of problems created as a consequence of how you’ve solved the initial problem (See Figure 1). And also, you could, but then I wouldn’t have anything to talk to you about today.”
From a detailed mechanics/engineering standpoint, here’s how it would work. Just kidding. I don’t know about all that – contrary to popular (and by “popular” I mean “nobody’s”) belief, I am not Leonardo DaVinci. But allow this prototype mock-up to serve as the constructional foundation for this item (see Figure 2).
As you can see, the benefits of this multifunctional item are manifold:
- A thing that holds all your things
- A place to sit
- No dirty pants
- Less tired feet
- Utility beyond a concert setting (think traveling, hiking, trips to the beach, waiting in line at the DMV, attending hypothetical BTS dog training competitions, etc.)
‘Rona willing, concert tours will resume in full force before we know it. And, it looks like March 2022 is still a go for Seoul. With clean pants and well-rested feet, people will be ready to show up and show out for you more than ever before. They’ll be ready to stand in lines on lines on lines, ARMY bombs in hand. Rather, ARMY bombs in a clear backpack that doubles as a seat.
Once again, I thank you for the time and attention you’ve given this SITuation.
LOL! Still not completely sure this would prevent items from being smushed inside that clear bag, but I like the multipurpose idea. Also, I’m not sitting on my ARMY bomb. I’ve got to protect that precious piece of merch! Keep workshopping; maybe a solid yet lightweight frame that protects the bag’s contents? And a note for the BTS merch people (because they are for sure reading this :|)—more blankets available next time please!!
Fair point about smushing other things – the back part of the backpack would have a light, but stiff enough surface so that you’d have a sort of solid seat when you turn the bag over to sit on it. Hopefully, that would also protect bag contents. And, with the bag feet, it would create space between the ground and the bag contents…hopefully.