Rutgers Stadium Bag Check Fiasco

[GoRutgersGo]

So I go to the Wagner game and see the long line for the bag check, so I empty my clear Rutgers issued bag and stuff my pockets with the contents. This way no need to go through the check line since it's an empty bag.
As I go to enter stadium I'm stopped and told I have to go through the bag check line. I told the girl that it was an empty bag (obvious) but she said I still had to go through the bag check. I said why to check the air in the bag? I said this was ridiculous and start to the enterance and again she insisted I go throught the bag check line to have the empty bag checked. I told her fine and I'll just fold it up and put it in a pocket and she said I can't so that since I already tried to enter with the empty bag.
A ticket checker then appeared seeing to commotion and I told her the situation and she said to just go in no need to check an empty bag.
Glad she intervened.

 

[LeapinLou]

A lot of people are incapable of critical thinking. She was told not to let anybody in with a bag and she didn't have the capacity to interpret the logic behind those instructions. Kind of like when a replay booth official automatically calls targeting on Tyreem Powell because there was helmet crown to helmet contact. Having rules is fine. What becomes a problem is an inability to understand and apply the rules sensibly to a specific instance.

 

[kupuna133]

What's funny, I had nearly the opposite interaction at the Wagner game. Took my 9 year old daughter. She brought a clear bag with pom-poms in it. The attendant looked at the bag and waved us through. I get to the ticket taker and process my ticket and hers does not register. The attendant says no problem keep going. Only to look down at my phone and realize I handed her my phone with the Wawa rewards app as her ticket.

 

[Rutgers1976]

I loved how you could get free Jersey Mike's on the boardwalk on Saturday and you weren't allowed to bring them in..."no outsidee food"....even from a major sponsor?

 

[e5fdny]

I loved how you could get free Jersey Mike's on the boardwalk on Saturday and you weren't allowed to bring them in..."no outside food"....even from a major sponsor?

At one point they were just a kiosk item on the concourse and not at the concession stands.

Best deal inside: half a sub, drink and bag of chips for $9.

And the guy working the cart usually got a buck from every sale.

 

[RU76]

I had a small fanny pack that barely held a transistor radio and binoculars at Michigan State many years ago. Security stopped me from going in while others carried in green stadium seats with pockets that easily could hold my fanny pack. Ended up rolling my pack and stuffed into a pocket and entered through a different gate.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I loved how you could get free Jersey Mike's on the boardwalk on Saturday and you weren't allowed to bring them in..."no outsidee food"....even from a major sponsor?

Reminiscent of a few years back when they were giving away freebies outside the stadium to those walking in, but security wouldn't let people in with the freebies. Such brilliant Rutgers planning!

 

[RutgersNo1]

Was the girl who stopped you a student worker?

 

[ScarletDave]

Reminiscent of a few years back when they were giving away freebies outside the stadium to those walking in, but security wouldn't let people in with the freebies. Such brilliant Rutgers planning!

This happened last week. The last stand on the boardwalk before the stadium is a ballon stand for ballon animals. I was behind a guy in the bag check like and they told him sorry cant bring that into the stadium. He fought with the bag guy and said “why are they giving them our right outside the stadium if you cant bring them in??” .. had to throw it in the trash, poor kids

 

[letitrip2]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in. Th tech is now working and the lines move quickly. Just go to the games and enjoy the great game day experience that we have in Piscataway - stop complaining.

 

[RedTeam1994]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in. Th tech is now working and the lines move quickly. Just go to the games and enjoy the great game day experience that we have in Piscataway - stop complaining.

youre right.

but the balloon thing IS pretty stupid. If i was that dad I would be pissed as well - you give my kid a balloon right outside the stadium and then dont let the kid keep the balloon. thats pretty dumb - that could easily cause a little kid to have a melt down and the dad is left to deal with that. thats faaaaaar worse than the OP's story (the person was just doing theiir job as they understood it - and as he tells the story - the OP was oviously being a jerk about it).

 

[RuBird]

Many moons ago when they did the tailgate show in the Scarlet lot I answered a trivia question. Got it right. Marco b. Was on of the hosts. I got to catch a pass from him. Later I go to get into the stadium and am stopped because I have the football. I showed them where Marco signed it and said that there was no way I was walking back to the black lot. Girl got the supervisor. Had to tell the story a second time and they let me in as long as I did not throw it onto the field. I laughed and said I sit in row 39 and I am many years away from my better arm days. They have no worries.

 

[RutgersNo1]

If they really care about the security stuff, bring metal detectors.

 

[wheezer]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in. Th tech is now working and the lines move quickly. Just go to the games and enjoy the great game day experience that we have in Piscataway - stop complaining.

No
Some of these complaints are valid and demonstrate how things can go wrong

 

[DJ Spanky]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in.

Yay for you.

 

[MulletCork]

I brought my 2 young nephews to their first game on Saturday. So the boardwalk was a huge hit for them and they enjoyed it a ton. One of them got a free tiny football at one of the stands. I naturally forgot a clear bag like an amateur and wound up having a bunch of stuff that the kids acquired on the boardwalk between boardwalk games and all. Thankfully I "won" a free clear bag from the NJ lottery wheel and put all the stuff in there. When the guy checked the bag at the gate, of course he said I couldn't bring the little football in and they took it out of the bag. Meanwhile if I had just stuffed it in my jacket pocket it wouldn't have been an issue since no one even patted me down. Not a big deal, but just kind of dumb, like the balloon issue above. I get it, they didn't want the balls being thrown around, but it was ok inside the stadium for me to buy two Rutgers footballs for them. A great day all around though and my little nephews really enjoyed their first game and asked when they could go to another one.

 

[RUinOhio]

I don't understand the whole bag check thing if they aren't using metal detectors. or like Mullet says above me, stick stuff in pockets there is no pat down. Easy to smuggle anything in without using a bag. so why do they bother? IDK.... my sister had a small bag she just put it under her jacket to avoid the hassle, nothing against the rules in it.

 

[retired711]

I've been reading complaints like this for years. I'm sure many of you have contacted Hobbs. Is there any explanation from about why these problems can't be solved? I've heard it said that the university claims it's because of Department of Homeland Security rules, but that can't be true because venues like the Meadowlands have different policies. Is this just a problem of poor training?

 

[Scarlet16E]

Fwiw I don’t disagree that the whole thing is a pita. But they do have a locker truck where you can get a locker before you enter the stadium and thereby avoid the bag check for stuff you bought or were given at the boardwalk.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

People like to use power of others

 

[Rutgers1976]

Fwiw I don’t disagree that the whole thing is a pita. But they do have a locker truck where you can get a locker before you enter the stadium and thereby avoid the bag check for stuff you bought or were given at the boardwalk.

And that costs what---$10-15? In the colder weather you can smuggle pretty much anything into the stadium inside a coat or pocket. If they want to check for weapons, fine...stop people from throwing objects? What about those 16 oz. cans of beer, White Claw, etc. that are being sold inside? With all the tailgating, food trucks, etc., bringing some freebies or leftovers into the game might allow for more people to be in their seats by kickoff. Now THERE'S an idea.

 

[Mr_Twister]

I've been reading complaints like this for years. I'm sure many of you have contacted Hobbs. Is there any explanation from about why these problems can't be solved? I've heard it said that the university claims it's because of Department of Homeland Security rules, but that can't be true because venues like the Meadowlands have different policies. Is this just a problem of poor training?

Checking bags is hardly a career path. Assume the turnover is great, with 2 minutes of training.

 

[Scarlet16E]

And that costs what---$10-15? In the colder weather you can smuggle pretty much anything into the stadium inside a coat or pocket. If they want to check for weapons, fine...stop people from throwing objects? What about those 16 oz. cans of beer, White Claw, etc. that are being sold inside? With all the tailgating, food trucks, etc., bringing some freebies or leftovers into the game might allow for more people to be in their seats by kickoff. Now THERE'S an idea.

No idea what it costs. I thought it was free.

 

[willisneverrana43]

So I go to the Wagner game and see the long line for the bag check, so I empty my clear Rutgers issued bag and stuff my pockets with the contents. This way no need to go through the check line since it's an empty bag.
As I go to enter stadium I'm stopped and told I have to go through the bag check line. I told the girl that it was an empty bag (obvious) but she said I still had to go through the bag check. I said why to check the air in the bag? I said this was ridiculous and start to the enterance and again she insisted I go throught the bag check line to have the empty bag checked. I told her fine and I'll just fold it up and put it in a pocket and she said I can't so that since I already tried to enter with the empty bag.
A ticket checker then appeared seeing to commotion and I told her the situation and she said to just go in no need to check an empty bag.
Glad she intervened.

How did you even recover after that? Thanks for the heads up on this traumatic fiasco.

 

[ru66]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in. Th tech is now working and the lines move quickly. Just go to the games and enjoy the great game day experience that we have in Piscataway - stop complaining.

You're so right. I'm an old **** and still
don't complain about "kids " just doing their job and then to have to take abuse from some ahole. Geez just comply and go about your business.

 

[hoquat63]

Saw a least one kid with her balloon animal sitting near me so not every checker was making you ditch them

 

[retired711]

Checking bags is hardly a career path. Assume the turnover is great, with 2 minutes of training.

Of course it''s not a career path. Most jobs like that aren't. But most jobs, even once a week jobs, come with more than two minutes of training. Or at least they should.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Can this board be anymore whiney. I have been to every game and had absolutely no problem getting in. Th tech is now working and the lines move quickly. Just go to the games and enjoy the great game day experience that we have in Piscataway - stop complaining.

I read these complaints often on this board and can only imagine the reactions of these young workers having to deal with this whiney selection of adults every week. And, yes, I know that a limited number of attendees actually need to bring something in. But those are rarely the complainers. It's the other folks, those who act like it's a hotel and not a stadium, and who jam up the line with twinkies, water and balloon battles. They almost surely delay those who truly need a bag. I have no interest in the bag check line, because I ain't bringing a bag. I'm not moving into the stadium. I'll be gone in a few hours, and they sell food and drink and provide a bathroom. There's likely a fiasco here, but I'm not pointing at the young workers.

 

[koleszar]

Ah, so many forget the Great Ass Seat Cushion Caper. Where garage cans were piled mountain high with seat cushions and old men and women trekked back to their cars in disgust.

 

[DC8690]

I guess you were so traumatized it took you over 2 weeks to post. Its this simple- don’t bring a bag, wait on the bag line or put it in the locker.

 

[motorb54]

I'm still pissed at how stupid it was for them to make me throw out that 1 ounce bag of Planter's peanuts. "No outside food allowed" She actually made me empty my pockets.

Previous to that there was a family two rows in front of me that always had sub sandwiches. After the prohibition they were gone. Some rules are just stupid.

 

[dfr1966]

My green apple was confiscated once, it was in my shorts pocket. Their explanation...."you might smoke pot out of it".

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

This happened last week. The last stand on the boardwalk before the stadium is a ballon stand for ballon animals. I was behind a guy in the bag check like and they told him sorry cant bring that into the stadium. He fought with the bag guy and said “why are they giving them our right outside the stadium if you cant bring them in??” .. had to throw it in the trash, poor kids

despite what others say while whining about what other posters say.. that story does illustrate a real problem that should be addressed.

 

[e5fdny]

despite what others say while whining about what other posters say.. that story does illustrate a real problem that should be addressed.

Which I think when you just get down to it is consistency.

That’s all anyone should want out of this whole discussion.

 

[rurichdog]

Ah, so many forget the Great Ass Seat Cushion Caper. Where garage cans were piled mountain high with seat cushions and old men and women trekked back to their cars in disgust.

That episode taught me a valuable lesson: the automaton CSO's checking bags don't have radios or facial recognition, so if at first you don't succeed, try another gate.

 

[Knight Shift]

My green apple was confiscated once, it was in my shorts pocket. Their explanation...."you might smoke pot out of it".

Do you look like Seth Rogen or the 40 year old virgin?

 

[Knight Shift]

I'm still pissed at how stupid it was for them to make me throw out that 1 ounce bag of Planter's peanuts. "No outside food allowed" She actually made me empty my pockets.

Previous to that there was a family two rows in front of me that always had sub sandwiches. After the prohibition they were gone. Some rules are just stupid.

Have smuggled many items in cargo shorts pockets, tucked in waistband behind back. I got a 1 liter bottle of water in that way.

 

[ru66]

Which I think when you just get down to it is consistency.

That’s all anyone should want out of this whole discussion.

You can do that politely in the survey we get after every game or write a note to AD .

 

[Local Shill]

You can do that politely in the survey we get after every game or write a note to AD .

You think the AD hasn't been made aware many times that is department is lying through their teeth by claiming Homeland Security is the reason that guy can't bring a god damn apple into the game?

 

[yessir321]

kinda related but more a curiosity.

Camden Yards in Baltimore currently is the only stadium I know of that allows fans to bring outside food and drink inside the stadium as long as it’s unopened. Are there any others? Not talking about ‘sneaking things through’, talking walk straight up with sub, bag of unopened peanuts and a Diet Coke and it’s ‘Have a great time’