Taking Bags In

[paulchapo]

Posted this last month.....

Was thinking of a new topic group - ‘Man Bags’ - but dumping it in here instead. After the long wait to get into the stadium today - one of the security bods told me my man bag - which is a small messenger bag was ‘too big’ as it needs to be A4 sized. I politely told him that I’ve been bringing it to the stadium since it opened and I refused to leave the queue. Common sense prevailed and he put a pathetic little tag on it and let me through. But he then told me the club are going to ban all bags - of any size - from next month. Now - I know this isn’t as important as why we don’t have a striker - or why we were pants today - but I travel home and away (and have done for the past 40 years) from London. I need my man bag to hold my iPad, headphones, charger and glasses case - so I can survive the 5 hours on the train to each home game. So now it appears I won’t be able to do that - now I could always downsize the iPad and get smaller headphones - irritating - but doable - but what about 87 year old Dorris who sits in front of me and brings her thermos and a cushion for the seat - and what about all the tourists buying shite from the shop - it’s as if the club is trying to make everything so difficult for us - it’s petty and deeply annoying and is of such irrelevance that City Matters won’t even organise a protest for us man bag users…anyway fellow bag carriers - you’ve been warned!!! And I feel oddly better now that’s off my chest….

Going to bring up my man bag on Saturday - and if they get arsy - I am adopting Insulate Britain's strategy and will block the turnstiles till they let me in - not felt so passionately about an issue since I joined the Swales Out protests - maybe time for a cup of tea...

In the old days we'd have done something as simple as chosen a game to do a mass bag protest. Every fucker takes a bag larger than A4. Faced with thousands of bags and the hated lockers full, what do the club do? Everyone kicking off, kick off delayed, mass media reports of chaos at the Etihad due to City's bag policy. If they won't listen sometimes you have to force them to listen

 

[Thedyingfly]

I think all stewards have a number on display on their jackets, so if you have a problem with a Steward take the number and pass this onto the club with the complaint.

All stewards wear a lanyard showing their name and a photo, ask to see this.
It is also their clocking in card so they will definitely have it with them even if it's concealed.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

Turn the bag inside out, no brand name. Or take the stuff out, fold the carrier bag up, fit it into a pocket, once inside put the stuff back in

Yeah cheers mate, going to do that next time.

 

[berryblue]

I use a carrier bag and as I approach security I remove my flask, your allowed a small one, scarf and headphones round my neck, choccy biccies in my pocket. Sorted.

 

[mdj0520]

Just realized I'm going to have my laptop bag with me today as I've gone into the office, where as I normally work from home. Thought I'd planned it well - finish work, have 3 hours to kill with a few beers in town, but then I remembered about the new fucking bag rule.

My question is, what will the queue for bag drop be like to collect my bag after the match? I normally rush to Asburys for the train after the match. How likely am I to miss my train?

Fucking city.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

For those coming up by train, Piccadilly has a left bags section, on one of the platforms (forget which number, but it's perfectly visible). As somebody who often flies in and trains in from the airport, or trains in from down south, I've often had to leave my backpack there (it's not big, but it couldn't pass for A4). It's a drag (and actually works out quite pricey) especially if your train is leaving in about ten to fifteen minutes by the time you can get back to Piccadilly (I nearly always walk it, and I'm a brisk walker, because I've calculated that the time I've walked the full length of the stadium, fighting against the tide heading for Ashton New Road, and waited for two or three trams before being able to get on, it actually takes a good thirty five to forty minutes to get back to the station). Because if you've got three or four people in front of you and they're faffing around, you can actually run the risk of missing your train.
What irritates me the most, I think, is that you pay a flat rate for an initial three hours. It then goes up quite steeply. It's almost impossible to leave the bag, walk to the stadium, watch the full match – call it 1h50 minimum with added-on time – and walk back to Piccadilly within those allotted three hours. Unless you're an early leaver, which I simply don't countenance. I always end up paying the supplement.
The bag policy, I think fairly obviously, was introduced in the wake of urban bombings, and at the time it seemed to make some sense. As such, I suspect it's a rule that's applied at every single PL ground. But it's pretty crazy, because somebody who was really determined to sow destruction would simply have their bomb strapped to their body. It's a grisly thought, but there it is.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

My Dad tried taking in a plastic Tesco carrier bag to the last home game. He had his glasses case and a City scarf in there. The steward told him because it was a branded bag he couldn't bring it in

Eh? What the fuck was the reasoning there? They were afraid that he'd be picked up by the cameras advertising for Tesco?!

 

[Blue Til Death]

I thought you were asking about yer oxfords there for a minute, sacrilege taking them fuckers in …!

 

[frothy]

Great point and well made, but a tenner a bag?

That would pay for one hours wage

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

If it makes anyone feel better, when frisked at the weekend, I informed the honourable person that I had an issue with a trapped nerve in my rotator cuff, he isn’t scoffing now (:

His penis envy extension doing the scanning, proceeded to ever so slightly brush this impacted area and alas, the elbow came crashing down at such velocity he shall be forever known as Nelson, and I don’t mean Horatio (: