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When you absolutely gotta yell at the staff ...
Question:
This past Saturday the Bakersfield Condors held their annual “teddy bear” toss at the Rabobank Arena. Attendance was the fourth largest in team history. Hundreds of fans stood in long lines being searched prior to entering the arena. This included off-duty police officers, who are legally armed, and their families. The city manager, Alan Tandy, approached and walked right past the lines, spoke to a person at the door, and was allowed entry just before the game started. Granted, he is a season ticket holder, but so are many others who had to endure the long lines. Does he have some type of special privilege that the rest of us don’t have? — Brad Roark
Answer: City Manager Alan Tandy said there were some problems at the arena that week, including some subpar ice conditions. Tandy was upset with management, and went inside without standing in line to find the manager and essentially read him the riot act, since Tandy is the arena manager’s supervisor. Tandy said that after that, he was already inside the arena, and since he’s a season-ticket holder, decided to watch the game. Under normal circumstances, he said, he stands in line with the other paying customers. Rabobank Arena Manager Steve Womack agreed with Tandy’s version of events, and said Tandy always refuses special favors and waits in line with other customers. Was there a riot act involved? “He definitely gave me a piece of his mind,” Womack said. Womack added that he personally felt especially bad because it was Tandy’s birthday that weekend. “I tried to say happy birthday to him,” Womack said, “But he was yelling at me, so I decided to tell him later.” 25 comments from 8 users
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posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:22 PM
Why does everyone have to be searched now before entering a 3rd tier minor league hockey game? I can see why they'd search people going into a Snoop Dogg concert, but ECHL hockey? What a waste of money. Are the taxpayers paying for that or is the money coming from ticket sales?Are they afraid AlQaeda is going to nuke the Condors Game or something? No offense to the Condors, but they really aren't that good. posted by
mattloch
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:31 PM
They make everyone else stand in line before you yell at the Management, why shouldn't Tandy have to? I've been talking about those security lines in the blogs here for the past week or two, and I've been ignored by Condor and Rabobank staff. The low-rent thugs at the door have no instructions, no rules, and no qualms about their jobs. They'll make single mothers with a baby in their arms stand there and open every pocket of their diaper bags so that they can peek into the corners and make sure that the mom isn't there to start trouble. They'll pat down four year olds, because I guess they have a history of starting trouble in the arena. And if you ask about the procedures, or any rules that you should know about, half of them shrug and don't say a thing, while the other half will strip search you in front of the line to make an example of you. There is no reason for this increased security that I could determine, even going as far as searching the Homeland Security's website to see if the arena is listed as a potential target. I wrote to the Condor and arena staff weeks ago, and warned them that this town would only put up with these jackboot tactics for so long- hopefully this incident will cause a change in procedure and policy. I refuse to go back there until they fix things, and hopefully everyone else will avoid them as well. It's just too bad that things like the Teddy bear Toss will suffer from their stupidity and paranoia.
posted by
dgrealish
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:34 PM
OK, I typed a comment, correctly typed the spam filter text and hit submit comment and it disappeared. I beginning to wonder if while upgrading, the Californian installed what we used to call before Computers, a File 13. That's where we put all the Junk Mail............unopened.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:39 PM
I knew this blog would get you riled up.Here's a list of banned items at Rabobank Laser Pointers (Patrons who bring laser pointers will be automatically ejected). Noisemakers, whistles, or air horns of any type. Coolers, bottles, cans, containers, or other projectiles. Weapons or other potentially dangerous objects. Any Illegal substances. Seems to me they wouldn't have to search everyone. Are they simply looking for people bringing in food or is the threat of weapons or dangerous objects so great that every fan has to be inconvenienced? Are we not allowed to bring in kiddie snacks for little ones? I guess I won't be going to a game this year afterall. posted by
dgrealish
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:39 PM
I avoid this by taking in only what I need. My purse and cell phone aren't necessary and I can carry money and ID in my pocket. I realize when you have a baby it makes it more difficult, and I really don't have any answers there. I just figure I can make it easier on myself, and by doing that, it will make the line go a little faster. Face it, we always have to stand in line to complain. Maybe if you tell them you want to commend them for something, you'll get in quicker.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:45 PM
I guess sneaking in beers is out of the question then?I remember going to a Sharks game and stashing a whole 6 pack of bottles in my parka. It was pretty cold that night, but the beers were warm by the time we got to them. Darn goose down. posted by
TomW
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:45 PM
Great, I guess they'll be banning shoes any day now.
posted by
askthecalifornian
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:49 PM
dgrealish,We're looking into our spam filter eating posts. In fact, it just ate my last effort to let you know we're looking into it. -Chris George, AskTBC editor posted by
mattloch
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:51 PM
That's why I would suggest a CamelBak, Pete. I know about that list, but I don't consider a keychain Leatherman with a 1.5" blade a "weapon", any more than the keys they're attached to are either a "weapon" or a "projectile". I tried to talk to the security guard about it, but he was having none of it. And he couldn't point to the rule when I asked him, either. He didn't have to- his word was Law. The guy was Master-Blaster in his own mind.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:51 PM
Tom, they won't ban shoes, they'll just make you take them off.
posted by
mattloch
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:52 PM
Not banning them Tom, just making every single person who wants to see the game take them off and run them through an x-ray machine. I would suggest getting to the game at least three hours before your flight leaves, um, I mean the puck drops.
posted by
TomW
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:55 PM
I don't know, I can turn a shoe into a projectile pretty easily...
posted by
anonymous
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:55 PM
If you don't want P-R-O-F-I-L-I-N-G, everyone will have to be checked. AlQaeda is not the problem, it is the gang bangers.( I would think you would realize that.) Statistically sporting events have more violence than concerts. posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:56 PM
Mattloch, I have known people to blatently misuse that product in the past. Maybe I could invest in some bar-noculars posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 01:58 PM
anon, have you ever been to a hockey game? There's far more violence on the ice.Most gang bangers aren't even into hockey, except maybe for the jerseys. Maybe you're thinking about basketball. posted by
mattloch
on Dec 1, 2006 at 02:05 PM
I've seen those too, Pete. But that story is still one of my favorites of all time. Talk about blatant misuse..... Anon, why search people at all? I have never known of there to be a fight at a hockey game here. Ok, let me rephrase that; I've never known of there to be a fight in the stands at a hockey game here.
posted by
anonymous
on Dec 1, 2006 at 02:15 PM
That obviously shows how much you know about what goes on at hockey games from a safety and security standpoint. I have attended many hockey games over the years and have been witness to many physical altercations, not mention bloddy fights. So not quite sure what games you have attended. Matter of fact just last weekend there was a fight at the game.
posted by
anonymous
on Dec 1, 2006 at 02:29 PM
Or maybe it is because of the good job that security has done at the hockey games that you have not noticed these types of things taking place. Could that be a possibility?
posted by
mattloch
on Dec 1, 2006 at 02:44 PM
I'm sorry, we're talking about Bakersfield here, right? What changed from last year? Why this sudden change in security procedures? I went to quite a few games last year, and I don't remember seeing anything go down, ever. A few drunk guys have been asked to quiet up or leave by security, but that was because of their language around kids. I've never seen a fight at a Condors game, and never seen a security guard have to do anything more extreme than lean over and talk to a fan. Guess either I've been sitting in the wrong section, or I've been watching the games too intently. Anon, they sell sticks and solid rubber pucks at the souvenir stands for cripes sake. If they're that worried about security, how about not selling potential weapons as a first step?
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Dec 1, 2006 at 11:16 PM
Are they checking people for closed fists at the door? Excessive testosterone? Bad moods?As long as there is proper security inside the arena, most if not all problems with rowdy or violent fans can be taken care of inside. It's not like people all of a sudden start fighting. There's always something that leads up to it. To assume every fan is going to start fighting or bring weapons inside is not a great way to increase attendance. Peeking in diaper bags or purses is no big deal, but making someone open every pocket is just hassling them for no good reason. Did some incident other than planes running into buildings in NEW YORK in 2001 happen that I'm not aware of? posted by
anonymous
on Dec 4, 2006 at 08:40 PM
These are all interesting comments, but if you read the original letter the point is city manager Alan Tandy getting to bypass the lines and security to be let in before everyone else, not the policies of the door monitors. And does anyone REALLY buy his explanation? Think about it people, he decided to enter just before game time to "chew some butt" of one of his subordinites? And since he was already inside, he "decided" to watch the game? He has been around long enough to know that is not the way it's done. He didn't want to stand in line like everyone else!!!
posted by
anonymous
on Dec 5, 2006 at 01:43 AM
Why? 1. Because he could. 2. I believe his ego likes being seen chewing butt. posted by
anonymous
on Dec 5, 2006 at 01:46 AM
When you are 1 1/2 sheets to the wind, you don't always make good decisions. posted by
anonymous
on Dec 5, 2006 at 02:35 AM
Hum, it appears there are more informed citizens out there than expected. His explanation was so typical of someone in the public eye. He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and came up with an excuse he thought would explain his behavior. Sorry, but those who know him know better.
posted by
mrobison
on Dec 17, 2006 at 10:36 AM
I've seen him at a game, had to leave with my daughter because his foul mouth was so bad. He represents us, not me, no way. he has little respect for hiself or anyone else from what I have observed. He has not impressed me.
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