Hey MLSE, before you expand BMO, do ya think you could...?

[Pookie]

... improve, ever so slightly on the blazing speed with which your ticket scanners are able to process entry?

I'm not saying abandon your security measures but c'mon. You've got 20,000 people and what, 4 points of entry? You are used to handling crowds of 20,000 at the ACC and I certain can't recall a time where I waited over 25 minutes to get into the ACC.

I'd also love it to take less than 30 minutes to buy a beer and empty the old one from the bladder. The empty seats at the start of the second half are pathetic.

On the buying front, you generally have a good idea that the people at the beer stands are going to purchase beers. I think we are both willing to make that assumption.

I'd gather that you also have a reasonable idea as the kind of beer that will typically be purchased.

Why then do we need a process in which an order is taken, a can is opened, poured and the transaction completed. Can you not have someone pre-pouring the most popular orders in advance of the half?

That way, you'd just hand them out and cut down your processing time in half.

That might help me be a little less cranky after having spent nearly 20 minutes lining up to use one of the 5 (?) men's washrooms that are available throughout the whole stadium. While your planning department may have figured that 8-10 urinals per washroom was a good idea, it's clearly not sufficient.

I'm scared guys. I'm scared that you are going to add 5,000 to 8,000 new faces and you can't seem to handle the 20,000 you already have.

Are we going to need to arrive 3 hours before game time to get our tickets scanned?

Will the use of the washrooms require some type of "rolling system" where they announce that "sections 121 and 221 may now use the facilities?"

Will a trip to the concessions require me to leave 10 minutes into the first half if I want to return in time for the second?

Help us, help you by doing something about our "game day experience."

[colman1860]

I wrote about similar stuff in my postgame blog - there's a bunch of stuff that needs to be improved about "gameday" at BMO. Check it out:

http://torontofc.theoffside.com/uncategorized/seattle-rains-on-reds-home-opener.html

[NateDoGG]

the first 15 mins of the 2nd half the east stand looked 90% empty

[Klinsmann]

I waited 20mins for my mac'n'cheese nuggets yesterday.
They were goooood!

[ExiledRed]

The crowding at the gate is appalling. We never experienced this for the majority of games in the last two seasons, so it cant be necessary, and it can be avoided.

[ElvistheEvilScotsman]

I'd like to see TFC give smart cards to season ticket holders so you can let yourself in. Teams in Europe have this system and what I like about is your card fits in your wallet so you'll never forget to bring your tickets (so long as you have your wallet).

[Ladies Love Julius James]

Yup half time was brutal took me forever to get back to my seat.

[Eastend]

The crowding at the gate is appalling. We never experienced this for the majority of games in the last two seasons, so it cant be necessary, and it can be avoided.

I have to disagree with you here....this happened at almost EVERY game last year. It is crazy. The gates need to be opened earlier, if they are worried about people starting to drink too early in BMO, don't open the concession right away, but atleast get the people in the door.

[Pookie]

I have to disagree with you here....this happened at almost EVERY game last year. It is crazy. The gates need to be opened earlier, if they are worried about people starting to drink too early in BMO, don't open the concession right away, but atleast get the people in the door.

It's a great point and something MLSE already does at the ACC.

Gates open an hour and a half before the game but you can't get to your seat until 1 hr before.

Fans are kept inside the doors in the concourse... which conveniently is located all around their store. So, while you wait, you shop.

Another suggestion would be to have a couple of "lanes." You set aside a lane for those bringing bags into the stadium that require searching and an "express" lane for those that aren't.

One scanner per entry is not doing the job. Has nothing to do with the people, they are generally quick at what they do. The system is set up to fail.

I'm sure there are other solutions.

[RedsYNWA]

Open Gate 2 why is it even there if you don't use it
Open the gates earlier you'll make more $, and less congestion

I have been to the World Cup & Euro games and never had to wait so long to get into the stadium as I did on Saturday

PS Weather sucked the wind killed all the atmosphere worst game EVER

[nfitz]

The crowding at the gate is appalling. We never experienced this for the majority of games in the last two seasons, so it cant be necessary, and it can be avoided.Where was the crowding? I got through Gate 1 in 5 minutes at 3:55 ... seemed pretty normal to me.

[dag]

Given the physical confines the stadium resides on, I don't see much room (literally!) for BMO Field to increase washroom capacity. While standing in line at half-time for the washroom where I am (109) one man said to me that the entire space is too narrow and confines. It's v-e-r-y difficult to navigate the area with so many people in so small a space.

[TFC_Toon]

Open Gate 2 why is it even there if you don't use it


I totally agree with this, it would be a huge help with the congestion, do we know why this gate is always closed? It was open for season 1 for a bit, then locked.

[druid]

Oh... and troughs.

Not that I'm a big fan but you're going to move about twice as many guys through than with urinals.

[Kickit09]

http://www.redpatchboys.ca/forums/picture.php?albumid=199&pictureid=1338

[Wagner]

I waited 20mins for my mac'n'cheese nuggets yesterday.
They were goooood!

Is it true that there is bacon in them??

[Wagner]

Who's making a "Bring Back the Trough" 2-stick for April 11??

[111_DrummerBoy]

It's a great point and something MLSE already does at the ACC.

Gates open an hour and a half before the game but you can't get to your seat until 1 hr before.

Fans are kept inside the doors in the concourse... which conveniently is located all around their store. So, while you wait, you shop.

Another suggestion would be to have a couple of "lanes." You set aside a lane for those bringing bags into the stadium that require searching and an "express" lane for those that aren't.

One scanner per entry is not doing the job. Has nothing to do with the people, they are generally quick at what they do. The system is set up to fail.

I'm sure there are other solutions.

The two lines for bags will never work. They search women's purses too. Stupid women! J/K :P


I totally agree with this, it would be a huge help with the congestion, do we know why this gate is always closed? It was open for season 1 for a bit, then locked.

I think they closed it so they can fit more consession stands in. Isn't it right across from a consession stand?

[Suds]

I'd also love it to take less than 30 minutes to buy a beer and empty the old one from the bladder. The empty seats at the start of the second half are pathetic.

...


Will a trip to the concessions require me to leave 10 minutes into the first half if I want to return in time for the second?

Help us, help you by doing something about our "game day experience."

Concession stands at BMO have been brutal from the start and there has been no improvement. You always see so many people just standing around doing nothing in the concession booths.

The lack of basic math skills of some of the beer sellers is just astonishing. I had a guy actually have to use a calculator to add the cost of two beers and figure out the change from a $20 ...

[ginkster88]

^^^

That's why I'll be supplementing my children's curriculum at home (ie. testing them and teaching them where necessary). No offense to any teachers/would-be teachers out there, but I know some teacher college candidates who I wouldn't trust with my child's education for one minute.

[Sonny Cheeba]

too many people wait at gate 3 to get in.... i got through gate 3b in 30 seconds at 3:50 yesterday.

one of the staff were walking around the back of the crowd at gate 3 telling people to go to 3b and nobody was moving. they really should have listened.

[Darlofletch]

The guy selling me my chip butty at the concessions right at the top of the stairs up to the west stand, by 127/227, it seriously looked like this was the first time he'd ever used a cash register. the world's slowest and most annoying queueing experience ever.

[PaulinosTFC]

Hey MLSE, how about a friggin' roof?! So we don't have to endure atrocious soccer like the game which was played yesterday...

[tim90]

how about gave out mediaguide to season ticket holder

[rocker]

Oh... and troughs.

please no.. I still have mental scars from my childhood of having to use Varsity's troughs.
i really don't like having other men shoulder to shoulder while I piss, as I try desperately to avoid my peripheral vision.

[Sonny Cheeba]

haven't we already had the piss trough discussion?

such a bad idea. who would push for such things? i don't want to have people pushing in where they think there's space. designated, individual pee spots aka urinals and toilets are just fine.

no need to go back in time as far as washrooms go.

[Brooker]

the future of BMO at halftime:

JGmrWGBS_8Y

but seriously... BMO field is a very frustrating place. from the insanely slow entrances, to the slowest beer stands i've experienced... to the washrooms.... it's so amature it isnt even funny. parking lot > bmo washrooms.

has anybody seen ANY progress?

[Vince Whirlwind]

Yesterday was easily the worst game day experience I've ever had at BMO or anywhere else, for that matter.

Each beer stand had 4 lines of 8-10 people deep. There are at least 6 taps (if not more?). In their wisdom, they had one - yes ONE - person pulling draughts while another did nothing else but make change. I got inside 15 minutes before the game and ended up getting to my seat 10 minutes after it started. Absolutely pathetic. All that and $12.00 to boot. I really felt taken advantage of as a consumer.

Compared to road games, where you can actually tailgate for real (e.g. have a few beers in the parking lot) the real "magic" at BMO is definitely created by the other fans and has zero to do with MLSE.

[boban]

...the real "magic" at BMO is definitely created by the other fans and has zero to do with MLSE.
10000% bang on.
You can go even further and say fans have more to do with the success of TFC than MLSE.

[Kevvv]

Since this is the BMO rant thread, I want paper towels back. Are they trying to move the line-up from the urinals to the blow dryers? Trying to re-introduce cholera to the Parkdale neighbourhood?

[nfitz]

Since this is the BMO rant thread, I want paper towels back. Are they trying to move the line-up from the urinals to the blow dryers? Trying to re-introduce cholera to the Parkdale neighbourhood?It did seem quite bizarre. There were 12 urinals and 6 toilets in the bathroom I was in. But only 6 sinks, and 2 hand-driers?

Does this meet public health standards? Perhaps a call to Toronto Public Health is in order ...