Arrive early: Increased Security for Flames games

[Tapestar]

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=735763

"Relative to our security, our organization convened an executive session immediately to review our security processes. We are in contact with Calgary Police Services on an ongoing basis, including today, regarding security measures, protocol and procedures. Our patrons are aware that we have recently enhanced security measures including magnetometers (metal detectors), bag checks and surveillance.
We are issuing an advisory to our patrons that security measures may take more time and fans are encouraged to come early and to leave bags, back packs, brief cases at home (travel light). The safety and security of our patrons is always our top priority."
Ken King
President & CEO
Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corporation

[Northendzone]

on demand body cavity searches?

[Caged Great]

So, more pointless searches.

[heep223]

There's a poster somewhere on CP that said he dropped his season tickets because of the introduction of the metal detectors. Just wow, I couldn't even fathom wth is going through that guy's head.

A little annoying? Sure. The intention is to increase public safety, if it means leaving 5 minutes earlier I really don't see the problem. I applaud them doing this.

[AcGold]

Problem in my mind is anyone with ill intent is not going to go through the metal detectors or allow themselves to be searched. If they want to increase security they'd have well armed guards with long range tasers and kevlar, just my opinion. May be 100% wrong.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Originally Posted by AcGold

Problem in my mind is anyone with ill intent is not going to go through the metal detectors or allow themselves to be searched. If they want to increase security they'd have well armed guards with long range tasers and kevlar, just my opinion. May be 100% wrong.

Exactly. Mowing down swarms of people making their way to the parking lot at the end of a game for example .. It sucks but all you're probably doing is making it harder for teenagers to sneak their booze in.

[N-E-B]

These safety measures have been in place in NHL rinks in the US for years. It's no big deal and seems like something silly to get worked up over.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

Exactly. Mowing down swarms of people making their way to the parking lot at the end of a game for example .. It sucks but all you're probably doing is making it harder for teenagers to sneak their booze in.

Yes, because the people responsible for 9/11 didn't go through security? I don't disagree with you that there are other things that could happen that do not require someone with ill intent to go through security, but upping security in this fashion acts far more as a deterant then one would think.

Yes you are correct, a very committed (hate to use that word) jackass will indeed find a way. But those folks are few and far between. There are a lot more less committed jackasses that if made easy, might take the opportunity to do something stupid. There are for more of these people, and as inconvenient as it might be, these simple checks that just take away the "easy" ways to make a splash are probably the best thing organizations can do to stop problems.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

So, more pointless searches.

Until one day something happens and everyone complains about why no searches were done.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

These safety measures have been in place in NHL rinks in the US for years. It's no big deal and seems like something silly to get worked up over.

It is a pain in the ass at NFL games. Takes 20-30 minutes (maybe less, but it seems like forever) to get in the gate because every single person needs to be scanned with a wand. You could wait less by going inside the stadium well before game time. However, tailgating is half the fun at NFL games, especially Arrowhead in KC. So you either miss the fun, but skip the line. Or have fun and wait in line.

That being said, it is a necessary evil nowdays.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

Exactly. Mowing down swarms of people making their way to the parking lot at the end of a game for example .. It sucks but all you're probably doing is making it harder for teenagers to sneak their booze in.

Fortunately there are usually police around the parking lot afterwards, reasonable force averse officers that turn the cheek to anything but violence from my experience. Law enforcement gets a bad rap because of a few rotten apples.

[cKy]

They should increase security when the Canucks are in town to keep out some of those 'fans'

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by cKy

They should increase security when the Canucks are in town to keep out some of those 'fans'

Not to keep anyone out, but there is definitely extra security staff at the Dome for Canucks games.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

Not to keep anyone out, but there is definitely extra security staff at the Dome for Canucks games.

They should definitely keep them out

[Dagger]

Pointless and stupid.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Don't get me wrong, I have zero issue with anything implemented to deter these ####heads. I've accepted patdowns and metal detectors at concerts for over a decade. I suppose I should retract my statement though as a random shooting outside of an arena, in the dark, is nowhere near the podium that raising hell inside during nationally televised live sport event would provide. Didn't mean to downplay the effectiveness of these measures, just agreeing with those who have pointed out that determined people who are over the edge likely wouldn't let that stop them.

[Fan in Exile]

Sorry but don't see any correlation between what happened yesterday and increasing security at a hockey game. As Hugh Jahrmes says above, if someone really wanted to kill a large number of people - just because I guess because there is nothing about a hockey crowd that correlates with anything political in contrast to Parliament Hill or a member of the armed forces - how do metal detectors prevent a gunman from gunning down people as they leave the arena, or as they wait in line to go through metal detectors?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by heep223

There's a poster somewhere on CP that said he dropped his season tickets because of the introduction of the metal detectors. Just wow, I couldn't even fathom wth is going through that guy's head.

A little annoying? Sure. The intention is to increase public safety, if it means leaving 5 minutes earlier I really don't see the problem. I applaud them doing this.

I would rather be blown up in a terrorist attack then wait through pointless security.

If a 20 year old dies in an attact they lose roughly 30 million Minutes of life. If each person in the dome loses 10 minutes of their life it costs 200,000 minutes of people lives to do the search. This means every 150 games with high security cost a person year of life. There are roughly 1200 games a year so this policy kills the equivalent of 6 people a year.

How many does it save.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Yes, because the people responsible for 9/11 didn't go through security? I don't disagree with you that there are other things that could happen that do not require someone with ill intent to go through security, but upping security in this fashion acts far more as a deterant then one would think.

Yes you are correct, a very committed (hate to use that word) jackass will indeed find a way. But those folks are few and far between. There are a lot more less committed jackasses that if made easy, might take the opportunity to do something stupid. There are for more of these people, and as inconvenient as it might be, these simple checks that just take away the "easy" ways to make a splash are probably the best thing organizations can do to stop problems.

When was the last time anything happened at the Saddledome beyond some drunk being an a-hole? It's not a risk. It's never been a risk. It didn't become a risk because someone did something evil 3000 kilometers away. This is ####ing Canada.

Obviously on a very small scale, but this is literally how terrorists win. Even on a tragedy the scale of 9/11. 3000 people died, and the US spent several trillion dollars on two wars they couldn't win, obliterated their own civil liberties and protections, created a culture of fear and mistrust among the most powerful nation on earth. Oh but they got bin Laden. Worth it.

9/11 was a horrible tragedy. It was also an outlier. Let's overreact to the thing that never ever happens, and in the name of it never ever happening again, let's completely renounce most of the things that were worth fighting for in the first place.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by GGG

I would rather be blown up in a terrorist attack then wait through pointless security.

If a 20 year old dies in an attact they lose roughly 30 million Minutes of life. If each person in the dome loses 10 minutes of their life it costs 200,000 minutes of people lives to do the search. This means every 150 games with high security cost a person year of life. There are roughly 1200 games a year so this policy kills the equivalent of 6 people a year.

How many does it save.

10 minutes waiting = 10 minute loss of life?

fact is, even with no security, its gonna take an allotted amount of time to have that many people enter through that few doors.