TD Garden announces baffling new bag policy, and fans hate it.

The Bruins, in trying to move into the future, are accidentally holding up their fans.

The world of processing about 17,000 people every other night is a tough one; and people have been trying to figure out how to make sure that everybody who shows up is on the level, while also making said process quick, easy, and less of a hassle for everybody.

TD Garden and it’s owners, Delaware North, have decided to make a big change regarding that particular aspect of the game experience.

…and have pissed off a portion of the fanbase and several of those beyond in the process.

What did they do exactly?

Delaware North and TD Garden announced on Tuesday that they have partnered with Waltham-based security company Evolv Technology to replace the metal detectors that grace the front entrances and side stairwells of TD Garden, presumably using the Evolv Express system proudly displayed on the company’s website. Presumably the idea is to use these new sensors to rapidly slash down the amount of people milling about in lines that make getting to the game a potential chore and get them into the building quicker; though when it comes to AI’s use in security, there’s always the run risk of potential problems due to an immature database…or any number of personal biases coded into the models themselves.

But that is beyond the scope of this particular article. The actual part of this that matters, is what they announced yesterday; that these new security measures would be implemented going forward, and there would be an update to the bag policy.

TD Garden Twitter Account

The bag policy has been updated significantly; namely trying to eliminate bags entirely.

The policy now cuts the acceptable size of bag down to 6”x4”x1.5”; about the size of a Wrist Clutch. You’re allowed to get bags at the Proshop, though those are subjected to search, but everything else is no longer allowed.

Now personally reading through Evolv’s website I thought for certain that this AI was powerful enough to distinguish where weapons could be carried on the body and in bags, especially in the advertisement they show you in a “how it works” section where a woman clearly holding a large bag gets tagged for having a holster, but I suppose it’s still a very new model that needs to mature.

Now, that said; there will be a new service from the Mobile Locker Company that will be set up exactly 2 hours before and after the game on Legends Way for those who bring bags that can’t fit that particular size. Exceptions are made for diaper bags and medical kits, though what constitutes an acceptable kit for that is not laid out in the policy.

Why does this matter?

Go ask your wife/mother/sister. Any woman in your life.

No seriously. Get up from wherever you’re reading this. Ask just how much of their purse they need or might need on a regular basis that can be crammed into a little wrist clutch. I’m sure the answer will be either an impressive display of organization or an admission that it would be a tight fit at best.

Better yet, go ask the people who were at last night’s game; according to Ty Anderson, apparently the rollout has gone…less than smoothly.

So yeah; the basic reason behind why you should care is that it either forces a good half of the people who show up to games to massively restructure what they’re bringing to the game, force daytrippers and working folk to have to either pay up for a locker or reconsider a game altogether.

Even if a clear bag is the same level of dumb, it’s still a better patch than what’s being done here. I also forsee a black market of proshop bags/merch that can easily hide things like tampons/pads/other feminine products that will flourish until the policy is either amended or shelved for a better one.

Just another day with the sporting world trying it’s hardest to succeed in spite of itself, I’m afraid. Fans just want to enjoy the games they paid for, and don’t need to be both nickel and dimed out of every last drop of free cash available, and definitely don’t need to be micromanaged because of a bag.