Ridiculous Lines At The Gate

[DTenGil]

ok so ive had season tickets for the past two years, and have never had a bad experience at M&T, until today. Ok, I understand snow maybe slowing things down a little, but having to stand in a gate line for up to an hour to get into the stadium is absurd. The crowd was on the verge of trampling people, and stadium personnel did nothing. The worst part was, that after waiting for 40 min, we could see that the main gate had just given up on the worthless pat-downs and just let everyone in. At this point we were so far in the line we just waited it out, but our "security officials" did absolutely nothing, and no attempts were made to calm the shoving in the crowd. This was an extremely unsafe situation and the stadium authority is very lucky someone wasn't seriously hurt. To pay for season tickets, and then have to miss all but the LAST TWO MINUTES of the first quarter is frankly unacceptable.

[Moderator 2]

I walked right in--no lines.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='DTenGil' date='20 December 2009 - 09:09 PM' timestamp='1261361363' post='317497']
ok so ive had season tickets for the past two years, and have never had a bad experience at M&T, until today. Ok, I understand snow maybe slowing things down a little, but having to stand in a gate line for up to an hour to get into the stadium is absurd. The crowd was on the verge of trampling people, and stadium personnel did nothing. The worst part was, that after waiting for 40 min, we could see that the main gate had just given up on the worthless pat-downs and just let everyone in. At this point we were so far in the line we just waited it out, but our "security officials" did absolutely nothing, and no attempts were made to calm the shoving in the crowd. This was an extremely unsafe situation and the stadium authority is very lucky someone wasn't seriously hurt. To pay for season tickets, and then have to miss all but the LAST TWO MINUTES of the first quarter is frankly unacceptable.
[/quote]
Walked right in as well.....

[BrownsFan]

[quote name='1/28/01' date='20 December 2009 - 09:12 PM' timestamp='1261361558' post='317501']
Walked right in as well.....
[/quote]

I really have absolutely nothing to add to this discussion but had to comment that your avatar is great.

[theFRANCHISE]

I've never had to wait longer than 5 minutes in line to get in, but maybe that's also because I get to my seat an hour before kickoff.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='BrownsFan' date='20 December 2009 - 09:14 PM' timestamp='1261361672' post='317506']
I really have absolutely nothing to add to this discussion but had to comment that your avatar is great.
[/quote]
Thanks!!!

[PurpleChaos]

My gate had a lengthy wait as well but no unruly behavoir aside from a few cat calls

[BmoreLAT52]

I got to the Lions game around 12:45 and got in after about 10 minutes, was a long line but didnt move too slow. I was in section 502, was my first game since Ravens vs Seahawks in 97(I think, I know it was in Memorial)

[K-Dog]

walked right in an hour before kick off.
one guy in front of me.

[J-man]

The lines were average for me. Also the 4 o'clock thing had something to do with it also. People getting the timing off when they usually go. There were more people then I suspected there to be overall.

[H8R]

Well, it did take me a good 30 mins to get in today and I was at the gate at 2:35. It was pretty slow.

[PuRock]

Thew women lines were horrible to get in the gate. Right before Ravens walk they only had 4 women lanes and 16 men lines.

Men walked in quickly. But we had to wait like 15 minutes for the girls.

Bad Logistics.

[McBoller]

depends where you go in at. I waited in line for 40minutes at the Jags game last year. Everyone was funneling in from one side of Gate A and no one from the other side could get in.

[Moderator 2]

I have never gone in C before, there was no one in front of me and my son walked right in the mens side because we were dropped off because we did not tailgate, I usually go in the light rail side because that is where my seats are. My only complaint was the people directing traffic, they would not let my husband any where around the stadium to pick us up, so I ended up at BARC's for pickup, which is where we tailgate.

[PuRock]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='20 December 2009 - 10:24 PM' timestamp='1261365857' post='317584']
I have never gone in C before, there was no one in front of me and my son walked right in the mens side because we were dropped off because we did not tailgate, I usually go in the light rail side because that is where my seats are. My only complaint was the people directing traffic, they would not let my husband any where around the stadium to pick us up, so I ended up at BARC's for pickup, which is where we tailgate.
[/quote]

So you go in B. It seemed like they forget the womens signs at gate A. Seriously only 4 womens lines total at Gate A?

[Moderator 2]

[quote name='PuRock' date='20 December 2009 - 10:26 PM' timestamp='1261366016' post='317589']
So you go in B. It seemed like they forget the womens signs at gate A. Seriously only 4 womens lines total at Gate A?
[/quote]

That would be awful, this was the least of the searches I have ever been through--I think they looked at the parka, jeans over ski bibs and laughed I looked like that kid in a [i]Christmas Story[/i], I had to watch it with the soda because it would have taken a quarter to go to the bathroom!

[PuRock]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='20 December 2009 - 11:05 PM' timestamp='1261368329' post='317624']
That would be awful, this was the least of the searches I have ever been through--I think they looked at the parka, jeans over ski bibs and laughed I looked like that kid in a [i]Christmas Story[/i], I had to watch it with the soda because it would have taken a quarter to go to the bathroom!
[/quote]

I'm just happy to be back in warmth. Was sitting in a windy spot. I couldn't feel my toes, I used a winter hat as a second sock on one foot. Then on the other foot I put a handwarmer. I still couldn't feel my toes.

[Moderator 2]

Hubby bought me a full insole "hot hands" from WalMart Black Friday, they ROCK!! That with hiking boots and 1 pair of wool socks were amazing. My feet got cold going back to BARC's because my feet got drenched in a dirty slush puddle, so I cranked up the heat in the van lol. I also think not putting on my parka until we got dropped off helped not get overheated then cold. I had the big hot hands for your back and gave them to a cop, did not need them.

[Alexir]

The lines were pretty redic compared to usual. Man it was cold!

Anyone else mad about Birk getting the unsung hero award? lol i know its stupid and its just from a roost but that thing should have went to JJ

[PuRock]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='20 December 2009 - 11:18 PM' timestamp='1261369123' post='317639']
Hubby bought me a full insole "hot hands" from WalMart Black Friday, they ROCK!! That with hiking boots and 1 pair of wool socks were amazing. My feet got cold going back to BARC's because my feet got drenched in a dirty slush puddle, so I cranked up the heat in the van lol. I also think not putting on my parka until we got dropped off helped not get overheated then cold. I had the big hot hands for your back and gave them to a cop, did not need them.
[/quote]

I bought my fiancee a box of hot hands for Christmas, as she's always cold. I let her open up this gift early, because I thought it might come in handy today.

It seems like everybody in the stadium was rocking hot hands.

[Ravens549]

YES!
I hear you.
It was ridiculous last night!!!
We always start walking at the same time (45 minutes before kick off) and get to our seats right around the Star Spangled Banner. Last night we got in with 8 minutes left in the first quarter. Our wives did not make it in until the second quarter!!!!

I was concerned too. Everyone starting booing and pushing. M&T needs to step it up. That was simply unacceptable!!!

[Ravens549]

[quote name='K-Dog' date='20 December 2009 - 09:45 PM' timestamp='1261363531' post='317538']
walked right in an hour before kick off.
one guy in front of me.
[/quote]
What do you guys do an hour before kick off in the stadium?
Man, that cuts out too much tailgating time!

[Moderator 3]

I went in Gate A at about 3:30 and wait time was only about 2 minutes.

As to keeping warm, I had a Body Heat on my back, full-insole ToastiToes in my boots and Hot Hands in my gloves. The only part of me that got cold was my chin. I'm glad I'm not Bill Cowher.

[PuRock]

We should thank the Stadium and Aramark for giving us $2 hot dogs. That was a fantastic treat!

[big jake]

I've been going to ravens home games for 14 years now and up until they searched you upon entry to the game it has made waiting in line alot longer...if you make it to the game early you won't have much trouble getting in and situated but if you wait til about 10-20mins til the game starts, there are lines of up to 40-50 people outside in each row at the least.

[K-Dog]

[quote name='Ravens549' date='21 December 2009 - 11:08 AM' timestamp='1261411737' post='317908']
What do you guys do an hour before kick off in the stadium?
Man, that cuts out too much tailgating time!
[/quote]
well the tail gate we were visitng stated to close down. So we went in and heckeled bears fans

[ravensfan1996]

The line to get it Gate A was totally out of hand. Gate A is where a majority of people come in to the stadium but it was just unbelievable.

On Most games days we cut it close, stop tailgating about 30mins before gametime, walk up to Gate A, they have a line out to the road, but usually goes pretty smoothly and get there right about at intro's. This time they line just didnt move, it was like they were checking people to get on a airplane, finally they stopped checking and just let people thru, so what was the point then???

Ive been to about 8 other stadiums and M&T is the worst at 2 things. Getting in searches take too long, and bathroom lines are the worst. Every stadium i go to to get they pat your front and back once let you thru. M&T its take off the hat, arms out, pat down the arms, pat down the sides, pat the front and back...i mean come on.

The snow had nothing to do with the line at gate A..it was just poorly run, and yes they had 2 female lines at each end this time instead of split up ends and middle....i got in just in time to see the first play and my friends missed the first td, never took so long to get in.

p.s. yes i know if you get there early you get in faster, but hard to plan for what happened.

[Moderator 2]

Actually I just sorta remembered something, SAFE looked like they had a lot of no-shows especially female, we had no yellow jackets in our section what so ever, just blue and red. I had a chat with our usual guy about something that happen during the Lions game unrelated. I am sure that is a job where there is a ton of turn over