Bears fans thrown for a loss by strict new bag policy
The Chicago Bears weren’t the only losers Thursday night. So were many fans.
Despite efforts to educate those heading to Soldier Field, purse-toting and backpack-carrying fans found out the hard way about the new NFL policy restricting carry-in containers to a 1-gallon plastic bag or clear team-branded bag. At the gate.
That left fans with two choices: Ditch the bag entirely or store it outside Soldier Field.
When Ally Rehak of St. Charles attempted to enter the gate, the security guard told her she could check her purse at a locker station, but those directions lacked some details.
“He said it was just around the corner,” said Rehak, who was a bit surprised to learn the lockers were in the parking lot at 18th Street, about a half-mile away. “This is totally inconvenient.”
“This is just not realistic,” said her husband, Steve Rehak. “Unless they figure this out, I don’t know if I would come back.”
The Bears have a contract for the lockers with Chicago-based Entertainment Lockers. The 2-year-old firm provides lockers for music festivals, including Lollapalooza, Pitchfork and North Coast, and has agreements with the Philadelphia Eagles and the BMW Championship PGA tournament next month in Lake Forest.
“Due to all the issues after the first game, the Chicago Bears recognized people who took Metra or the CTA didn’t have options,” company founder Brian Gross said. “We have a two-game agreement, and it should be extended.”
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Banned bags can be checked into one of 600 lockers for $10, cash only. Users must sign a waiver and submit to a thorough bag search by an off-duty police officer. The lockers are guarded throughout the game, and bag pickup is self-service. Gross hopes to hammer out a deal to move the lockers closer to the field in time for the season opener.
The NFL announced the changes to its security policies in June, with a line of instructive video segments at nfl.com/allclear that launched in July. Television spots are running on the NFL Network, and each team is holding press conferences to inform fans. Of the 32 football clubs, 16 have opted to provide some sort of storage facility.
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Originally published in the Chicago Sun-Times August 30, 2013