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I have to give Denio's credit in that they're up front about their policy regarding photography on their property, as they have signs posted at each entrance advising patrons that NO photography is allowed. Years ago, I quizzed a manager as why they have such an arcane policy concerning photography, and she gave me the standard "I don't know, sir" ... completely unacceptable as far as I'm concerned. Normally, I avoid places where photographers are considered worse than serial killers, yet when it comes to Denio's, it's a fun place to spend a few hours, as the beer is cold, there are many beautiful women to watch, and the hot dogs are generic, but good. So I just can't seem to stay away from Denios, despite their draconian policy on photography.
Photo: Looking west on "Main Street" at Denio's Farmer's Market and Swap Meet. The substantial building in the middle of the photo houses Denio's Dogs, which is open to "Main Street," visable just to the left of the guy wearing the yellow shirt. Late Sunday morning, July 26, 2009, found me wandering around Denio's, drinking beer (I walk to and from Denio's; no drinking and driving on my part...) checking out the fine wares for sale, and admiring the many beautiful women present on this warm Sunday morning, dressed in the shorts and halter tops. As lunch time approached, and after about four 20-oz beers, I decided it was time for a couple of hot dogs. The hot dogs served at Denio's are nothing special, as with the exception of Western Barbecue, all hot dogs are pre-packaged in a plastic bag, and the person at the counter merely tosses them into a handy microwave oven, presses a pre-programmed button, and in a minute or so, your hot dogs are ready to enjoy. The dogs themselves are nothing special, as they're the little 2-1/2 dogs, lacking a pedigree of any variety, and they're served on a bun of unknown origin.
Photo: Friendly Ericka waits on a couple of customers at the counter. Denio's Dogs is located in the geographical center of Denio's Farmer's Market and Swap Meet, on the south side of the main east-west aisle, which I call "Main Street." Of all the many eateries located at Denio's, it's one of the larger ones, and it serves all of the fine fare that you come to Denio's for, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken strips, fries, churros, and much more. Two ladies work the counter, dispensing their fine cuisine to hungry patrons. I bellied up to the counter and ordered two hot dogs from the friendly counter girl, Ericka. True to form, she grabbed a pre-made plastic bag with my two hot dogs, popped them in the microwave oven, and gladly took my $3.00. The other girl was neither friendly nor hostile; as she went about her chores. More on her later... I took my dogs to the condiment bar and dressed them with mustard, sweet relish, diced onions, and pickled jalapeņo slices. Like I always do, I took a photo with my cell phone camera of my fully-dressed hot dogs before biting into them. Predictably, my hot dogs were generic, but good. I'm no Joey Chestnut, the king of hot consumption, but I wolfed my dogs down in only a couple of minutes.
Photo: I snap another forbidden photo of a customer at the counter, being waited on by Ericka, and a smiling "Miss Manners" at the extreme right of the photo. A thought came to me: Why not do an article on Denio's Dogs? But then a caveat came into my mind: NO photography is permitted at Denios! But to a person, such as myself, who loves "street photography," there's nothing better than getting photos where you're not permitted to shoot photos. It sort of reminds me of "forbidden fruit." I figured that I'd try the "dumb" approach, and just whip out my cell phone camera, and act like Klem Kadiddlehopper, and take a few photos, so I could illustrate this article. Ericka didn't seem to mind, and none of the other patrons seemed to mind, but the other girl working the counter, I'll refer to as "Miss Manners," suddenly got a sour look on her face, especially after I took a photo of her refilling the relish at the condiment bar. At that time, I should of made my exit, but in the enthusiastic moment of the day, I just had to snap a few more photos. Unbeknownst to me, Miss Manners whipped out her little VHF handheld radio, and called her supervisor, Jody, to report me taking forbidden photos.
Photo: My two delicious hot dogs, dressed just the way I like 'em. Note the plastic bag that the dogs are sitting on, as Denio's Dogs doesn't provide any paper plates. Just as I put my cell phone away, Jody motored up in her little gasoline golf cart, and Miss Manners pointed at me. I knew that I'd been had, so I just stood in place with a smile on my face. So Jody comes up to me and asks, "Are you taking photos of my employees?" I didn't lie to her as I sideswiped the issue by saying, "Do I look like someone who would do that?" Then she informed me that Denio's has a policy where no photos are allowed, and I replied nonchalantly, "That so?" I think she was taken aback at my neutral expression, my self confidence, and the smile on my face. I believe that I was able to get Jody out of her comfort zone, by my don't-give-a-damn demeanor. Anyway, I thought that I'd pushed my luck far enough, so I simply wished her a pleasant day, and walked away.
Photo: I believe this photo led to my Waterloo, as Miss Manners doesn't look very happy as she refills the relish bin. Jody, the supervisor, arrived shortly after this photo was taken. OK, I was in the wrong to take photos, as Denio's is private property, and they have the right to dictate the rules. But as a lover of hot dogs, an Internet junkie, and a photo journalist, I couldn't resist the challenge to do the nasty, and to push the envelope. Push the envelope I did, as they did have the right to detain me, and force me to erase the photos that I'd taken. Will I visit Denio's again? You bet, as I go there a couple of times a month. Will I continue to enjoy hot dogs at Denio's? Definitely! Will I take forbidden photos? Probably, as there are a few hot dog places that I still haven't covered. Denio's should look on the bright side, as by publishing this article on the World Wide Web, I'm giving them free advertising. Update: Sunday, October 4, 2009: I was hiking around Denio's, minding my own business, when I saw "Miss Manners," walking around the crowded grounds, with clipboard in her hand. We made eye contact; I should have taken heed, but I went on my way in search of the perfect bunch of cilantro, and I watched her go on her way, with clipboard in hand, onto her fifteen minutes of fame. Now I have to admit that I'm not the "typical" Denio's customer, as I cruise the grounds outfitted with a belt around my waist that contains my ever-present cell phone, which doubles as a camera, hence these photos, my GPS, a water bottle, and my always-there ham radio VHF transceiver. Unlike most of the visitors, I don't ohhh and awwwe over the merchandise, as I tend to walk the grounds, soak in the beautiful weather, and just get a bit of exercise. To many folks, this adds up to a weird, unnatural, a-typical, Denio's visitor: ME! So on Sunday, October 4, 2009, as I was "doing my thing," I was approached by two of Roseville's PD finest police officers, who informed me that they were responding to a "suspicious person" call, reported by a Denio's employee. I asked them what I was doing that was so suspicious, and they said that I was taking photos, which are strictly forbidden at Denio's. I told them that I didn't even have a camera, but I had been hiking around the place, unlike most of the customer, and had been in the process of texting my life during the last half hour, which required me to hold my phone much like I was actually taking photos. I admitted to the officers that I had taken photos in August, but since I'd been royally chewed out my "Miss Manners," I had abstained from the process. I offered my cell phone to them to check, which they did and confirmed that I hadn't taken any photos during my visit. In all fairness to the boys in blue, they were only responding to a call and only doing their jobs, and they did treat me very impartially. I realize that there is certain protocol that must be followed, as they don't know me from Adam. After that particular indignity that I sufferd, as skinny Denio's gestapo-wannabe dude got out his digital camera, as the two boys in blue grilled me, in handcuffs, in front of the world of Denio's. Mortifying? Yes! Then, the two blue belly boys informed me that they were being kind enough to allow me to leave, as my cell phone didn't yield any photos of today's visit. That was the end of my encounter with the finest boys that Roseville has to offer, dressed in blue. OK, as far as I'm concerned, I will NEVER VISIT the sacred grounds of Denio's again, due to their draconian policy concerning photos, and their obviously myopic style of management. Dear Denio's, we've spent THOUSANDS of dollars on your hallowed ground over the last ten years, but we will never visit your little utopia again. Visitors to this web site, please heed the warning. DON'T TAKE PHOTOS AT DENIO'S, or you'll resist the wrath of Roseville's finest boys and girls, dressed in blue. Denio's
Dogs Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...
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