Today, a guest post from Ryan. Ryan sent this to me last week but I didn’t get a chance to post, hence his use of “less than a month.”
It’s been less than a month since the Mets’ most recent game of Corporate Security Theater. The new bag policy, which has been exploited numerous times (and I’ve seen several backpacks get through the gates) has been nothing but problematic. Last night was the first time we’ve had significant rain during a game since the policy went into effect and created a whole new problem.
You see many backpacks at least have a tolerance for water, you can take it out in the rain. Drawstring bags most certainly cannot. Even a clear backpack lets a ton of water get through it. I know because last night enough water got through my close-zippered clear bag. How much water? Enough to pour it out of my bag. Enough to get everything in there, which thankfully wasn’t a whole lot, wet. Enough to break my pretty expensive Anker portable battery.
This backpack policy hasn’t proven to do anything it’s allegedly supposed to. I have still seen considerable lines at the stadium, even on non-giveaway days. They still spend just about as much time checking drawstring bags and clear backpacks as they would checking a normal dangerous weapon backpack.
And another point to mention, The Mets send out emails every week that there is a series that weekend, highlighting gate opening times and whatever the promotion is for each of those days.
On Memorial Day weekend, the first weekend of this policy, the Mets email highlighted this backpack policy. Not as general text, but under Saturday’s game highlights. What was the deal with that Saturday, you might ask? It was Star Wars bobblehead day! That’s right, the Mets only mentioned the backpack policy on the day they were giving out bobbleheads.
And, you might’ve guessed it, same thing in this week’s email. The backpack policy is only highlighted under Saturday, when the Mets give out Brandon Nimmo gnomes.
So the backpack policy is more than just to “keep us safe”. They don’t want us getting extra bobbleheads either, even if it’s at the expense of fan comfort (and personal belongings).
…
Thanks Ryan. Shannon here. Ryan included those screen grabs about the highlights he mentioned above.
Personally, I don’t like the backpack ban and it makes me less likely to attend a game even if you give me tickets. Maybe on a weekend I wouldn’t need to bring my bag, but during the week it’s a non-starter, and baseball isn’t interesting enough for me to deal with lockers.
As for Ryan’s stuff getting wet? That sucks. I actually have a sturdy waterproof backpack to avoid such things.
Here’s one of those rogue backpacks!
How is everyone else dealing with the ban?
