ADVERTISEMENT

Rutgers Greed: Not letting water bottles in

I think the reason for such tight security is because of recent shootings a high school football games. I agree that nobody should be allowed to bring a gun into the stadium, but a bottle of water? What harm is there in a bottle of water.
I'm guessing someone involved in stadium security watched a YouTube video about peroxide-based explosives and lost their motherloving mind.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RAHWAYBOB
Thread is sad but I think we're all fvcked this year. We have no AD and a school President where it's rumored he has one foot out the door. AD is on autopilot this year and they're not going to hire anyone worth a shit if the school President is leaving (JMO).
 
How about we stop treating everything as a terror threat?

The tailgates are just an easy a target as the game inside.. easier. And media coverage would be just as plentiful should a terrorist act occur out there.

Let's just stop this nonsense and live our lives, shall we? And roll back all the draconian stuff while we are at it. Looking at you Patriot Act and TSA and Homeland Security.
 
Thread is sad but I think we're all fvcked this year. We have no AD and a school President where it's rumored he has one foot out the door. AD is on autopilot this year and they're not going to hire anyone worth a shit if the school President is leaving (JMO).
And in what is probably the most anticipated year of football/MBB for Rutgers since 1976. It’s a damn bad year to be fvcked.
 
The worse thing was my 4 year old grand daughter had a balloon pony made for her at the Boardwalk, great! She had to throw it away when she got to the gate! It was put in a trash can with dozen of other balloon gifts from the Boardwalk. What are they thinking! There has to be a better answer.
This breaks my heart at the same time pisses me off to no end.

RU does not know what the other hand is doing. Gameday operations is in friggin' disarray.
 
For our own sake, we better familiarize ourselves with the stadium rules so that there are no surprises on game day.
I’m not sure I’ve been to a stadium ever that allows water in.

Certainly none in LA. Football, soccer, basketball, Rose Bowl, Colosseum, none of them.

Can you bring water where the Giants and Jets play? Doubt it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WhoRU?
It’s not that easy for everyone. My tailgate had close to 30 people yesterday. (The most in many years.) I announced as we were packing up that everyone should leaves bags, etc in the cars. Sometimes young woman need to bring hygiene products with them. I had two 25 year old females in my tailgate and they went to the bag line. One was told that her bag was a half inch too big and she had to buy a locker. Does RU provide free tampons in the woman’s bathroom?
In NJ? Might even be in the men’s bathroom.
 
I’m not sure I’ve been to a stadium ever that allows water in.

Certainly none in LA. Football, soccer, basketball, Rose Bowl, Colosseum, none of them.

Can you bring water where the Giants and Jets play? Doubt it.
Wrong and wrong. USC allows two (yes, two) bottles of water in per fan that are 17 ounces or less.


MetLife allows in water bottles that are 20 ounces are less. MetLife Stadium also allows in food as long as it's in a clear plastic bag.

https://www.metlifestadium.com/guest-services/guest-policies#:~:text=Carry-In Policy: Permitted Items&text=Reusable water bottles (both plastic,where bottles may be filled.

Just admit you really don't know what you're talking about.
 
Last edited:
I am not a big water person, but watching all of the people(many) not being able to bring in their water bottle when they go into the stadium, just reinforces how greedy and stupid Rutgers is. I know I am rehashing what has been written since they instituted the rule, but whoever at RU put that in, should be ashamed of themselves. Making people buy the bottles of water is just greed.

I sold paper products for a living and we also sold truckloads of water. I was able to sell a 36 pack of 16.9 oz. water to my customers for $1.69 total(36 bottles!!!!)

Claiming it is a security issue and a homeland issue is a bullshit excuse.

Sorry for the rant. People can bring food into Yankee Stadium, but nothing can be brought into SHI(T) Stadium.

Best of Luck,
Groz
I admit that I have been to most of the home games over the past 30 + years, Have people launching full water bottles been an issue because if it has, I have missed it both at the stadium and on this forum where issues are usually brought up.
 
GameDay operations guy :

MattC@ScarletKnights.com

I've taken to wearing a zip up jacket in with pockets inside & out. Stuff all my crap (phone, keys, credit card, charger, mini fan, & the folded up clear bag) into the pockets & go thru the bagless lane. Once I pass ticket check, bag comes out, crap comes out of my pockets I to the bag, jacket comes off & off I go.
Yes, mentioned that previously, did it this past game
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrsScrew
They didn't allow water bottles into the beer garden at the Block R party, we were told they wanted to sell water and that was the reason. Discouraging "designated drivers" from bringing their own water is not the way to go. Some people who wait on line for 30 minutes to get a water might change their mind and go for the $6 beer over the $3 water....this is what happened in my case.
 
Wrong and wrong. USC allows two (yes, two) bottles of water in per fan that are 17 ounces or less.


MetLife allows in water bottles that are 20 ounces are less. MetLife Stadium also allows in food as long as it's in a clear plastic bag.

https://www.metlifestadium.com/guest-services/guest-policies#:~:text=Carry-In Policy: Permitted Items&text=Reusable water bottles (both plastic,where bottles may be filled.

Just admit you really don't know what you're talking about.

Try to bring water in the USC game and let me know how that works out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Luvscarletknights
It's as simple as this.
Makes you wonder if they do what is often done in emergency services-critiques:

1. What went well?
2. Were the orders/directives clear?
3. What could be improved?
4. And for events like this only- what did you hear from customers?
 
To be fair, one is security and the other is entertainment. No real reason to collaborate.
 
Makes you wonder if they do what is often done in emergency services-critiques:

1. What went well?
2. Were the orders/directives clear?
3. What could be improved?
4. And for events like this only- what did you hear from customers?
The Army calls it an after-action review (AAR). Not meant to assign blame, but to quickly agree on what went well, what needs improvement, and how to quickly adapt/respond for the next time. Pretty simple process that can be embedded into the culture of any organization. Something tells me it’s missing within the RU AD.
 
The Army calls it an after-action review (AAR). Not meant to assign blame, but to quickly agree on what went well, what needs improvement, and how to quickly adapt/respond for the next time. Pretty simple process that can be embedded into the culture of any organization. Something tells me it’s missing within the RU AD.
You last sentence could be rephrased:
"Something tells me the RU AD is missing." 🥸

But totally agree. I'm a big fan of ex-Navy Seal Jocko Willink's leadership philosophy, which is "Extreme Owership"- "a mind-set of not making excuses and not blaming anyone or anything else when problems occur."

Problems will always occur. The mark of first class organizations and leaders is taking ownership for problems and fixing them.
 
Have a good time. It's still fun if you don't let the petty crap eat you alive. But the complaints are reasonable. A freaking 7" wallet. . . . . .
My 1 ounce bag of Planter's peanuts was confiscated.
My daughter got turned away also for her "clutch". "Dump the contents in the clear bag and throw away your clutch" is not a reasonable answer. If the clutch fits in the clear bag you shouldn't have to hide it in your pants!

The worse thing was my 4 year old grand daughter had a balloon pony made for her at the Boardwalk, great! She had to throw it away when she got to the gate! It was put in a trash can with dozen of other balloon gifts from the Boardwalk. What are they thinking! There has to be a better answer.
Yes, there is, Fire MattC.
How can anyone in a position of power who cares at all read this thread and not be completely embarrassed by what’s happening?
See item two response. Fire MattC.
 
Try to bring water in the USC game and let me know how that works out.
So the official stadium policy says this: "Bottles (glass) and cans of any kind are prohibited inside the Coliseum. Factory sealed bottles of water, 17 oz. or less, are allowed and limited to 2 bottles per person." But you want people to test it and let you know how it works out??? That's an auto Cali fail right there.

Reaction Lol GIF by MOODMAN
 
I can't believe this is a topic. Just follow the rules. It's water. . . .
People complaining that they cant bring in an unopened water bottle and are forced to pay $6 for a bottle every single game, especially when numerous other facilities allow it, have a legit gripe. Hell, most places let you bring in an empty bottle to fill up inside. Even that would be a huge step up.
 
People complaining that they cant bring in an unopened water bottle and are forced to pay $6 for a bottle every single game, especially when numerous other facilities allow it, have a legit gripe. Hell, most places let you bring in an empty bottle to fill up inside. Even that would be a huge step up.
Where did you find $6 bottles?They were $8 in my section. Hahahaha
 
He was instantly receptive to the email I sent at 7:05 yesterday AM letting him know that there were at least 20 cars in the front row of the blue lot that were employees & not fans that are paying $141/game to park there. He sent a mass email/text out to everyone letting them know it was not to happen...and it was stopped.

That's good to hear. Nothing is more unjust than workers parking at work.
 
Security did a great job taking the water bottle from my 8 year old! He was frozen after getting scolded and really caught me off guard.

Just a dumb rule (water bottle) with poor enforcement.
 
They didn't allow water bottles into the beer garden at the Block R party, we were told they wanted to sell water and that was the reason. Discouraging "designated drivers" from bringing their own water is not the way to go. Some people who wait on line for 30 minutes to get a water might change their mind and go for the $6 beer over the $3 water....this is what happened in my case.
This is even crazier than not allowing bottles into the stadium - what if you had just bought it along the boardwalk?
 
This thread is a fantastic example of (some) men not understanding women's needs.

There is absolutely no reason anything that fits inside the clear bag should be barred from the stadium. Women's wallets often are sized to fit a phone, tampons/pads, etc because the majority of women's clothing has no pockets. If there are pockets, they are often useless and don't actually hold anything. If you can bring "clear plastic bags no larger than one gallon or 12 x 12 x 6 inches" (including the R bag many of us bought from Rutgers), security should not be emptying bags and demanding a wallet that clearly fits in said bag be brought back to the car.

Could we hide a bag? Maybe, but most bags have a metal clasp or something, so we risk the metal detectors going off, and then it's back to square one.

The new bag policy is absolutely insane. Two bag entrances where fans of the home and away team are both forced to wait for 45-60 minutes (when we are playing Akron and Howard!) just create fewer fans. Add the uneven enforcement where some people are getting told their wallet isn't a wallet while others are allowed in with huge stuffed animals and it's a disaster. I saw some families told that their kids had to toss the balloons from the boardwalk while others were able to walk through the non-bag line with huge stuffed animals. I have no issue with kids bringing in toys, but don't allow huge stuffed animals and then tell other fans their stadium-compliant bag has to be essentially empty after they've waited in line for an hour.

I do not understand why Rutgers couldn't continue allowing bags at all entrances. They usually had bag and non-bag lines at each gate, and while the bag lines sometimes got annoying when people brought non-compliant bags, it moved much faster and didn't force people to enter at a gate nowhere near their seats.

All this policy is doing is making it less likely families and female fans attend games. I already know people who usually buy tickets for a game or two and have said, "no thanks" after learning about the bag-only lines. It's not worth the hassle when you can attend almost any other event and bring in a clear bag at any gate. Coupled with the ridiculous no water/no outside food rules and it's much easier to stay home and watch on TV. You could go to Metlife and bring in water, sandwiches, and your clear bag or you could go to SHI and have to wait at least 45 minutes on the bag line to maybe be told your wallet is actually a clutch in the eyes of some security guy and you can't bring in water or food. It's an easy choice.

Don't complain no one is attending games and then say, "The rules are the rules." The rules are antiquated and turn fans off.
 
Last edited:
All this policy is doing is making it less likely families and female fans attend games. I already know people who usually buy tickets for a game or two and have said, "no thanks" after learning about the bag-only lines. It's not worth the hassle when you can attend almost any other event and bring in a clear bag at any gate. Coupled with the ridiculous no water/no outside food rules and it's much easier to stay home and watch on TV. You could go to Metlife and bring in water, sandwiches, and your clear bag or you could go to SHI and have to wait at least 45 minutes on the bag line to maybe be told your wallet is actually a clutch in the eyes of some security guy and you can't bring in water or food. It's an easy choice.

Don't complain no one is attending games and then say, "The rules are the rules." The rules are antiquated and turn fans off.
Their arrogance is exceeded only by their ignorance.
 
But ticket sales are up.
That does not make any of the issues right. This ridiculous wallet issue is a new wrinkle. The water bottle policy is BS greed and will drive customers away. Waiting for them to eliminate a chunk of the Yellow Lot for the fieldhouse that could go elsewhere. Keep pissing on your customers and they will get pissed off and leave in droves. Know two long time tailgate groups that threw in the towel with increased fees to park in Scarlet and Yellow. Rutgers will reap what it sows.
 
Water policy is not new. Updates to the bag policy is new. But people will adjust. If you can avoid the bags, do so. If not, bag line.
 
Water policy is not new. Updates to the bag policy is new. But people will adjust. If you can avoid the bags, do so. If not, bag line.
That's a tone deaf response coming from a man. Reread what @RUDouglass wrote. The idiotic firm running the security line should be lined up and given different marching orders and fired if they fail to comply. Discretion is applied all the time by law enforcement officers and reasonable accommodations are allowed. A 7" wallet that has had the contents emptied into a clear plastic bag poses ZERO threat to anyone. So no, Rutgers should adjust and be flexible and reasonable, else fans will not come back.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT