Brewers new bag policy

[KeithStone53151]

They could have double the screeners and screening machines. They could do a TSA precheck style of speedy walk through for designated people.

 

This seems like a great way to add $3 per ticket to the cost of attending a game. I'll admit the TSA precheck thing isn't a bad idea, but might be tough to enforce. Would be a nice perk for SSH.

 

They could send transport carts out to the parking lot and screen people there and then drive them in.

 

This seems like a great way to add $6 per ticket to the cost of attending a game...and is frankly just a silly suggestion.

 

Stop acting like this is some ridiculous inconvenience. It's a mild inconvience at most, and much preferred to the alternatives you've suggested that would certainly increase the cost of attending games.

 

And again...everybody continues to gloss over the improved security portion of reasoning for this policy

[RightFieldCoder]

Improved security of having large mobs of people grouped together outside the stadium? This just improves the security from MLB losing a lawsuit. Real security would be to have sobriety tests to enter and not selling alcohol.

[owbc]

The policy is completely reasonable. But MLB doesn’t care much about the fans, otherwise they would be concerned that attendance is down 6,000 fans/game in the Manfred era and over half the fans that do come are not invested enough to stay until the end of the game.

 

So it is perfectly reasonable for there to be some distrust of any new policy.

[bucks2281]

I think there’s been a general downturn in attendance at live events in the US over the past 5 years or so, not just baseball

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I'll also add, the reason the Brewers have had issues getting fans into games is 100000% the fault of the fans. It's not even debatable.

 

Of course it's debatable.

 

They can't get people through the doors fast enough because they don't have resources committed to doing so.

 

They could have double the screeners and screening machines. They could do a TSA precheck style of speedy walk through for designated people.

 

They could send transport carts out to the parking lot and screen people there and then drive them in.

 

But instead, they're using their leverage as a hot ticket in town to force fans to make alterations without exception.

 

They run the stadium operations in a way that makes sense to them, and if we don't like it, too bad.

 

They screwed up entrance to the Ed Sheeran concert last year, too. There have been times when it has taken more than an hour to get from my house in Brookfield to my seat inside the stadium, less than 8 miles away.

 

You can give the company a pass and blame their customers if you want to. But I never thought being a fan of a team meant that I had to silently accept every inconvenience they impose on us.

 

This isn't really true for the same reason people think if everyone follows traffic laws to a T there will never be jams. It's false, and they still happen regardless. The Brewers can resource all day and night but if half the capacity shows up in a 15-minute span beginning 5 minutes before first pitch there is going to be a log jam at the gate. It doesn't matter how many guys they have checking stuff.

 

IMO they have plenty of staff and metal detectors per entrance. At a certain point your returns diminish on spending money for that kind of thing. It's not like they can just pack each entrance with 300 ticket attendants and then you'll breeze on through. I'm only saying this because I've seen you mention it a few times in this thread now and I don't really get it. They're still being more than reasonable with the fans here.

[JimH5]

They could have double the screeners and screening machines. They could do a TSA precheck style of speedy walk through for designated people.

 

This seems like a great way to add $3 per ticket to the cost of attending a game. I'll admit the TSA precheck thing isn't a bad idea, but might be tough to enforce. Would be a nice perk for SSH.

 

They could send transport carts out to the parking lot and screen people there and then drive them in.

 

This seems like a great way to add $6 per ticket to the cost of attending a game...and is frankly just a silly suggestion.

 

Stop acting like this is some ridiculous inconvenience. It's a mild inconvience at most, and much preferred to the alternatives you've suggested that would certainly increase the cost of attending games.

 

And again...everybody continues to gloss over the improved security portion of reasoning for this policy

 

My problem with this policy is that it comes in the form of an edict that paying customers must follow to solve the problem that could be solved by increased staffing by the team.

 

To expedite the screening process, the Brewers are putting 100 percent of the onus on fans (mostly women and families) and 0 percent on themselves. They could fix it, but instead, we have to fix it. And there's no guarantee that it's going to work, either.

[wallus]

This thread reminds me of the changing Miller Park to American Family Insurance thread.

[JimH5]

I'll also add, the reason the Brewers have had issues getting fans into games is 100000% the fault of the fans. It's not even debatable.

 

Of course it's debatable.

 

They can't get people through the doors fast enough because they don't have resources committed to doing so.

 

They could have double the screeners and screening machines. They could do a TSA precheck style of speedy walk through for designated people.

 

They could send transport carts out to the parking lot and screen people there and then drive them in.

 

But instead, they're using their leverage as a hot ticket in town to force fans to make alterations without exception.

 

They run the stadium operations in a way that makes sense to them, and if we don't like it, too bad.

 

They screwed up entrance to the Ed Sheeran concert last year, too. There have been times when it has taken more than an hour to get from my house in Brookfield to my seat inside the stadium, less than 8 miles away.

 

You can give the company a pass and blame their customers if you want to. But I never thought being a fan of a team meant that I had to silently accept every inconvenience they impose on us.

 

This isn't really true for the same reason people think if everyone follows traffic laws to a T there will never be jams. It's false, and they still happen regardless. The Brewers can resource all day and night but if half the capacity shows up in a 15-minute span beginning 5 minutes before first pitch there is going to be a log jam at the gate. It doesn't matter how many guys they have checking stuff.

 

IMO they have plenty of staff and metal detectors per entrance. At a certain point your returns diminish on spending money for that kind of thing. It's not like they can just pack each entrance with 300 ticket attendants and then you'll breeze on through. I'm only saying this because I've seen you mention it a few times in this thread now and I don't really get it. They're still being more than reasonable with the fans here.

 

What if a grocery store said that their lines were too long, and it was the customers fault, and so during their busy times, you had to limit what you could take through the checkout line?

 

Wouldn't you suggest that they could add more cashiers?

 

I recognize that I'm digging in my heels on this one, and it's not the most important thing in the world, but their solution to their problem seems to be the laziest one possible.

[pacopete4]

This thread reminds me of the changing Miller Park to American Family Insurance thread.

 

Perfect connection.

[tomwopat]

They could have double the screeners and screening machines. They could do a TSA precheck style of speedy walk through for designated people.

 

This seems like a great way to add $3 per ticket to the cost of attending a game. I'll admit the TSA precheck thing isn't a bad idea, but might be tough to enforce. Would be a nice perk for SSH.

 

At Yankee Stadium and CitiField they have the Clear lines for expedited entry. $179/year and I don't think it affects the bag policy.

 

They could send transport carts out to the parking lot and screen people there and then drive them in.

 

This seems like a great way to add $6 per ticket to the cost of attending a game...and is frankly just a silly suggestion.

 

Stop acting like this is some ridiculous inconvenience. It's a mild inconvience at most, and much preferred to the alternatives you've suggested that would certainly increase the cost of attending games.

 

And again...everybody continues to gloss over the improved security portion of reasoning for this policy

 

I can't speak for how inconveniencing this for you, but I can certainly see how it's be rather inconveniencing for some people, in particular those who have families, come directly from work, or go to lots of games.

 

Everyone is glossing over the improved security because there's little to no data or evidence to show measures like this improve security.

[pitchleague]

tomwopat, how does using a CLEAR line for expedited entry help with security. I COMPLETELY understand the expedited part as it is extremely fast and secure. But how does that guarantee that some fan in the CLEAR line doesn't have a weapon or whatever stuffed in their sock?

 

Looking at some websites from stadiums makes it unclear (no pun intended) if you still go through a metal detector or anything.

 

Just looking for clarification. Perhaps I just did not find the proper information from team websites of how this works.

[MrTPlush]

Lol there is no added security.

[owbc]

CLEAR is the exact same security as regular but you get to skip the line. It used to be free, not sure if it still is. The expensive version is for airports.

[mtrebs]

I wonder if the Miller Lite giveaway backpack cooler from a few years ago will be allowed in. I’m guessing not, and it was an awesome giveaway.

 

You mean the one in the picture if you click the link?

 

Not exactly.

[stoutdude04]

That is a sweet bag.

[mtrebs]

That is a sweet bag.

 

Yeah, it’s probably one of the best giveaways they have ever done, in my opinion. I’d have thought it was intended, among other things, to bring in appropriate beverages to games at Miller Park. It does have multiple zippered areas, so I’m guessing it won’t be allowed.

[hawing]

The cooler backpack pictured above was literally a prize handed to the winner of a pregame "identify the Brewer" contest on Tuesday night. SO and I looked at each other and said WELL DON'T EVER BRING IT BACK TO THE PARK.

 

I will need to agree to disagree with earlier posts that suggest that my concern is ridiculous. Everyone has their individual annoyances in life. With the Brewers I have remarkably few, which perhaps makes my beef with the increasingly picky and slow inspection of legal personal property stand out.

 

I'll share our experience entering the park Tuesday night. We made good time on the drive and arrived at the 3B gate at 5:05. The "early entry" SSH line was set to open there at 5:10. The line was modest (we've definitely seen it longer at that location on SSH nights) and of course we didn't expect any movement in the line until 5:10...but by 5:20 we had moved about ten feet. In the end, it took us about 20 minutes (2/3 of the "early entry" period) to get in the park. Oddly, the bag inspection itself was short for both me and the SO once we reached the line.

 

Perhaps more notable was that the 3B gate is set up with six metal detectors. The two "express" detectors for people without bags were not open, though seven ballpark employees were standing at those detectors, talking to each other. Even the SSHs without bags were stuck waiting in the glacial line for bag checks. Why? SSHs are supposedly the Brewers' most valued fans. (The validity of that is a whole 'nother kettle of fish, I realize.)

 

Had there been no one at the unused detectors, we would have figured "okay, they're short staffed tonight, things happen." But seeing more than a half dozen employees standing around while we and others waited...did not make for good optics.

We're rarely at the SSH early entry line that early, but our SSH seat neighbors on Tuesday said they've seen that exact staffing pattern before.

 

For an organization which prides itself on providing a quality fan experience, the Brewers are lacking in the fan entry department right now, which is right where you'd think they'd want to make a good first impression.

[jerichoholicninja]

Do the Brewers have any say in security personnel, procedures, etc. or is this something that is sourced out to another company like just about everything else at the stadium?

[MrTPlush]

Do the Brewers have any say in security personnel, procedures, etc. or is this something that is sourced out to another company like just about everything else at the stadium?

 

I actually think the Brewers hire the screeners...could be wrong...but I thought they did. It typically comes up in their job postings which omits the food service/parking lot jobs they don't hire themselves.

[KeithStone53151]

Do the Brewers have any say in security personnel, procedures, etc. or is this something that is sourced out to another company like just about everything else at the stadium?

 

I actually think the Brewers hire the screeners...could be wrong...but I thought they did. It typically comes up in their job postings which omits the food service/parking lot jobs they don't hire themselves.

 

I highly suspect MLB has significant say in the procedures. I also highly suspect MLB hires people to "test" security measures at all the ballparks. Maybe trying to sneak in toy guns or something and report on it...and maybe the ballparks were grading very low on those tests. Many others have said security is much more thorough checking bags this year than previous years.

[JimH5]

The cooler backpack pictured above was literally a prize handed to the winner of a pregame "identify the Brewer" contest on Tuesday night. SO and I looked at each other and said WELL DON'T EVER BRING IT BACK TO THE PARK.

 

I will need to agree to disagree with earlier posts that suggest that my concern is ridiculous. Everyone has their individual annoyances in life. With the Brewers I have remarkably few, which perhaps makes my beef with the increasingly picky and slow inspection of legal personal property stand out.

 

I'll share our experience entering the park Tuesday night. We made good time on the drive and arrived at the 3B gate at 5:05. The "early entry" SSH line was set to open there at 5:10. The line was modest (we've definitely seen it longer at that location on SSH nights) and of course we didn't expect any movement in the line until 5:10...but by 5:20 we had moved about ten feet. In the end, it took us about 20 minutes (2/3 of the "early entry" period) to get in the park. Oddly, the bag inspection itself was short for both me and the SO once we reached the line.

 

Perhaps more notable was that the 3B gate is set up with six metal detectors. The two "express" detectors for people without bags were not open, though seven ballpark employees were standing at those detectors, talking to each other. Even the SSHs without bags were stuck waiting in the glacial line for bag checks. Why? SSHs are supposedly the Brewers' most valued fans. (The validity of that is a whole 'nother kettle of fish, I realize.)

 

Had there been no one at the unused detectors, we would have figured "okay, they're short staffed tonight, things happen." But seeing more than a half dozen employees standing around while we and others waited...did not make for good optics.

We're rarely at the SSH early entry line that early, but our SSH seat neighbors on Tuesday said they've seen that exact staffing pattern before.

 

For an organization which prides itself on providing a quality fan experience, the Brewers are lacking in the fan entry department right now, which is right where you'd think they'd want to make a good first impression.

 

 

Thanks for your report on this. I know you're not nearly the complainer that I am.

 

Live baseball should be about the fan experience, and this is one of a few ways in which the experience is lacking.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The FAQ regarding the new policy has a section about giveaway backpacks. It basically does say straight from them that you'll be allowed to have them, or the ones you buy in the team store, but don't come back with them. A bit funny I guess, but not really any different from buying anything else there you can't walk back in with. Like a beer. It'd be gross and old, but I don't think getting a promo item after you walk in and being barred from coming back with is really all that unexpected or contradictory.

[xisxisxis]

I assume a good portion of the delay is having staff try to figure out what to look through from ~1,000 or more different bag designs. I would think they could be proactive by designing a small set of acceptable bags ("official bags") that could be brought into the game and sell them for near cost (not like the huge markups they put on everything else). Transition over a year to requiring only official bags. They could even run ticket and other specials where you buy stuff and get a free bag. Have vendors outside the gates selling the bags. If visiting team fans come to a game they just buy a bag outside the stadium. It would be great to force all the Cubbie fans to buy a Brewers logo bag to enter the game (they'd likely lose or throw away the bag after each game/series so the Brewers could make lots of money off repeat purchases).

[stoutdude04]

My wife and I took our 3 month old to the game Wednesday and had a baby bag with about 6 zippered pockets. I had them all opened and ready to be looked at. Took literally less than 10 seconds. Now, I realize there was nothing to be found, but my wife is going to be annoyed when we are lugging around a big tote bag next year. Or maybe we will just bring the stroller with the car seat instead of the body strap thingy.

[MrTPlush]

Official bags? Yikes, that will go over well.

 

“Hey want to bring a bag? Buy this one or don’t bring one at all!”

 

Yaaaaaaaaah, no.