This is an excellent thread and discussion to have. (And it's nice to see Barry contributing as well.)
I have been noticing issues both inside and outside the stadium all year and, frankly, for the past several years.
A few point about the OP: The concession lines are beyond a joke. Ignore for the moment those of you wondering why people don't eat at the tailgate and just watch the game. While I personally agree and avoid eating in sports stadiums unless it is convenient, tasty and economical, that is NOT the point. Why does it have to be so inconvenient, expensive and downright difficult at the Beav? For example, guests of mine wanted soft drinks during Auburn. I jumped through the railing and went to the concourse behind EBU-ECU. The lines mid-2Q were mind blowing and jamming the concourse. I ran down the ramps, figuring it might be better at ground level it was, and I only missed about 3-4 minutes of game action and it took about 15 minutes real time behind EA-EB to get four drinks and run back to EBU.
I agree with posters who complain about people standing, but there are many points during a game where standing is appropriate and, indeed, should be done. I'm one of those people who like to stand and scream for the defense. I try to encourage noise on defense. But I'm also respectful ( I think). I don't want to negatively impact someone else's enjoyment of the game. Yesterday, for example, in EFU, there was a group of fans in rows 38-40 who stood the entire game. They were not directly in front of my party, but anything south of the 30 yard line necessitated me standing as well. I tried not to stand all the way, but rather leaned over the railing so that people behind me could see as well. Ushers could seal with this, but they don't, and it's hard to blame them. People can be belligerent and violent when you call them on poor behavior. I've seen it with our ushers, who we usually recognize, but not always. (And don't get me started on the "official" security forces. But that's a different topic for a different thread, perhaps.) Suffice it to say that there are people who decide to watch the game or even a couple plays while standing in the walkway, completely ignorant of those behind them or the signs saying not to do this, then they will argue with the ushers before begrudgingly moving along.
The restroom situation varies greatly depending on your seat location and game situation. Where I am, Row 41 on the railing above the walkway, I can easily slip through the railing, go left through the portal 20 feet away, walk 50-60 feet and be in the restroom. I've done this inside of two minutes easily by timing it right and not missing a play. But someone in Row 60-80 on either side does not have that choice. First, you have to get up and crawl to the aisle, then down the steps. If you don't want to miss game time, then before kickoff and halftime are your choices. That choice also applies to those who are no wanting to impact people around them. For the most part, people are polite and take into account when attending games. However, not everyone does this, and politeness is declining, IMO.
The parking lots aren't that different. I love tailgating, but some of these people and spreads are clearly violating the rules and blocking ingress/egress. In lot 44 (old blue), I arrived for the Auburn game and there were people setting up chairs and tables in the ingress/egress path/road just to the right past the blue RV lot. And again, the lot attendants are not paid or experienced enough and just weekly temps cashing a check. They are trained in, and they don't care, the policies and have no reason or incentive to address problems. And they shouldn't, there should be actual university authorities policing this issue.
(Sorry this is so long, but I care deeply about the fan experience at PSU) One final thought for now: I was walking up Porter Road yesterday about 11:45 heading to the gate. There was a line of cars EXITING the lot near Medlar Field and being directed across Porter to the old RED lot and being handed parking passes as they crossed Porter by the university guard on the road. Again, they were crossing straight across Porter to the paved lot south of the stadium. Does anyone know why this was happening? TIA, and WE ARE...
