Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Another Reason Not To Listen To The "How May I Help You" People - Fans Given False Information About Postponement, Refused Re-Entry

For those who missed it, there was quite a scene outside of the new Yankee Stadium last night. Some people made the terrible mistake of listening to the "How May I Help You" people regarding the game being postponed and they paid the ultimate price - not being allowed back into the stadium. As we mentioned in a previous post, the "How May I Help You" people are useless, and should not be trusted for any information of value, especially whether or not a game has been postponed. Like the game that they were prevented from attending, this story does not have a happy ending.

The NY Daily News has a great report of the ugly scene, and even has a photograph. The Yankees (in typical Yankee fashion) did not properly inform their employees, but people are also to blame for trusting the word of security guards and the "How May I Help You" people, instead of waiting for an official announcement of the postponement. The Yankees then added to the frustration by allowing some people back in, then closing the gates for re-entry, and then opening them once again. Combine poorly trained employees, with a complete breakdown of communication, throw in some frustrated fans who had been drinking for hours, and you have the recipe for a near-riot.

Everyone is a little bit wrong here. The Yankees are wrong for having an antiquated re-entry policy and poorly trained employees. The poorly trained employees are wrong for dispersing false information to fans. The fans are the victims here, especially those duped by the "How May I Help You" people. However, they are still wrong for leaving the stadium before seeing an official announcement from the team on the high-definition scoreboard, and then for assaulting police officers outside of the stadium. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

If any of those affected by this situation are reading this post today, we are going to provide you with a pro-tip for next time. The Yankees don't officially allow re-entry, but if you go to Gate 6 via the Great Hall, you can wait in line to enter the Hard Rock Cafe, which is open to the public. Since it is open to the public, the Yankees have to stamp your ticket on the way in, allowing you re-entry to the stadium once you are done with your meal. We haven't personally tried this, but we see no reason why you wouldn't be able to utilize this loophole to leave the stadium completely, and then for re-enter. Sure, the line is likely to be a bit longer to exit via the Hard Rock Cafe, but isn't it a better option than rioting outside of the Stadium when they don't let you back in?

Note: We have updated our "New Yankee Stadium Tips" page with information about the "How May I Help You" people, and also about re-entry. Check it out.
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