Taji34
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I know this thread will be a sh*tshow but I had some thoughts about how Penn State handled folks getting into the game.
1. Each gate seemed equally busy. I don't know if this is because everyone was going to the gate that was listed on their ticket (which we do as well last time I checked?), but it is definitely something that doesn't always happen at TCF. How do we fix that? I don't know, but maybe having something that shows estimated wait times for each gate? Or just have a security person at each gate that directs people to other gates with shorter lines?
2. Magnetometers vs metal detectors. Beaver stadium had "magnetometers" vs metal detectors. Now I don't know if there is a actual difference between the two, but you didn't need to take anything out of your pockets, and most people were not stopped at all. I had a power bank in my pocket that did set it off because it had a lot more metal than a phone. But a quick explanation to the guard while taking it out of my pocket was all that was needed.
3. They had a LOT of ticket scanners. Also Penn State has ticket master handle their tickets, meaning they had the new ticket master scanners that scan either scan the ticket OR allow you to tap your phone if you had the ticket saved to your mobile wallet. They were also a LOT farther away from the detectors, so a slowdown at the ticket scanners did not immediately slow down people going through security. I think the combination of all three of these factors lead to people getting their tickets scanned a lot faster.
4. More defined security lanes. Most of the gates seemed to have very well defined lanes with the portable fencing. This lead to less bottlenecking right at security, and allowed folks to flow through the scanners faster.
What do I think TCF could do now that I've seen this?
1. Invest in these magnetometers that allow folks to not have to take everything out of their pockets.
2. Move the ticket scanners farther away from security and increase the number of them. Most entrances at TCF open directly into a staircase. We can put the ticket scanners right at the base of the stairs (and then one dedicated scanner at the elevators nearby for folks who need to use them), and move the detectors farther out from the entrance by at least feet. This could also allow us to place more detectors in a sort of blocky U shape pattern if desired.
3. Use more portable fences to direct fans more and move bottlenecks away from security and ticket scanning.
4. Think about changing ticket providers in the future. Ticketmaster has its faults, but those new ticket scanners are slick and I've used them 3 times in 3 separate events and they worked very smoothly each time. Contrary to TCF where sometimes the ticket scanner has trouble scanning the ticket on my phone and what should take 5 seconds turns into 30 seconds. Across 50,000 fans that adds up.
Other than the last item, these things are not hard to implement and would GREATLY improve the flow of fans during the peak of everyone entering.
1. Each gate seemed equally busy. I don't know if this is because everyone was going to the gate that was listed on their ticket (which we do as well last time I checked?), but it is definitely something that doesn't always happen at TCF. How do we fix that? I don't know, but maybe having something that shows estimated wait times for each gate? Or just have a security person at each gate that directs people to other gates with shorter lines?
2. Magnetometers vs metal detectors. Beaver stadium had "magnetometers" vs metal detectors. Now I don't know if there is a actual difference between the two, but you didn't need to take anything out of your pockets, and most people were not stopped at all. I had a power bank in my pocket that did set it off because it had a lot more metal than a phone. But a quick explanation to the guard while taking it out of my pocket was all that was needed.
3. They had a LOT of ticket scanners. Also Penn State has ticket master handle their tickets, meaning they had the new ticket master scanners that scan either scan the ticket OR allow you to tap your phone if you had the ticket saved to your mobile wallet. They were also a LOT farther away from the detectors, so a slowdown at the ticket scanners did not immediately slow down people going through security. I think the combination of all three of these factors lead to people getting their tickets scanned a lot faster.
4. More defined security lanes. Most of the gates seemed to have very well defined lanes with the portable fencing. This lead to less bottlenecking right at security, and allowed folks to flow through the scanners faster.
What do I think TCF could do now that I've seen this?
1. Invest in these magnetometers that allow folks to not have to take everything out of their pockets.
2. Move the ticket scanners farther away from security and increase the number of them. Most entrances at TCF open directly into a staircase. We can put the ticket scanners right at the base of the stairs (and then one dedicated scanner at the elevators nearby for folks who need to use them), and move the detectors farther out from the entrance by at least feet. This could also allow us to place more detectors in a sort of blocky U shape pattern if desired.
3. Use more portable fences to direct fans more and move bottlenecks away from security and ticket scanning.
4. Think about changing ticket providers in the future. Ticketmaster has its faults, but those new ticket scanners are slick and I've used them 3 times in 3 separate events and they worked very smoothly each time. Contrary to TCF where sometimes the ticket scanner has trouble scanning the ticket on my phone and what should take 5 seconds turns into 30 seconds. Across 50,000 fans that adds up.
Other than the last item, these things are not hard to implement and would GREATLY improve the flow of fans during the peak of everyone entering.
