^ They always open 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

Since it's a ~noon kickoff, they'll open around 10:30am

9/23/2005 1:53:12 PM

^Thanks, I don't want to get stuck in line like I did for the VT game.

9/23/2005 2:04:05 PM

Have a question about ticket printing.

When I print my ticket using IE, the ticket and barcode are both huge. The ticket, for whatever reason, doesn't fit properly on the page, so the barcode on the right of the ticket is cut off.

When I print it using Firefox, the entire ticket fits on the page, but it is noticeably smaller than the IE printed version.

Is there any prefered printout version I should be using, or should either work just fine?

9/24/2005 2:33:47 AM

both will be fine at the gate, but the firefox (which is what I use) version is preferred...no clue why it does that on some IE comps and some it doesn't...I've told them, and they claim to have fixed it...obviously not

9/24/2005 2:36:01 AM

For the EKU game, the ticket fit width-wise on the page, but for some reason not this time.

Oh well. So long as they let me in, I don't care

9/24/2005 2:38:05 AM

I have opera and I just use Save this page with Images. It saves it to a folder and saves the ticket image, WITH logo, and big barcode. Just delete the filename with 'with' in it and then there's no problem. It'll only print the ticket and the big barcode.

9/24/2005 8:08:54 AM

Alright, I've waited a few weeks, figured all of the kinks would end up getting worked out of the system at this point. My friends weren't in a rush to get to the E Kentucky game, so I got to the stadium about 10 minutes after kickoff, and waited about 10 minutes to get in. Not thrilled, but I figured that since it was the first week where all tickets were actually being scanned, it would take a little longer.

I was determined to be in my seat by kickoff for the Carolina game, so I got to Gate 12 at 11:30. We've been told to get there a bit earlier, so I figured 30 minutes would be PLENTY of time. It took a full 30 minutes for me to get in. I'm trying to be understanding of the new situation, but that's just NOT COOL. In the last 6 years that I've been here, I've never had more than a 5 minute wait to get in. I'm not saying that scanners should be purchased and installed at every gate. I just can't picture other fans finding it acceptable to wait 30 minutes to get into a game, so I don't think that students should have to wait 30 minutes to get into a game either.

Is there any way that we could even get more scanners installed just at those 2 gates? The person letting me into the game took about 10 seconds to scan my ticket and check my ID. If there are 4 people scanning, that says that 24 get in through that gate a minute. That works out to a rate of 1440 people per hour, which is HORRIFIC. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have somebody look into this.

9/25/2005 12:32:25 PM

I don't know that it takes 10 sec to scan every ticket. Only took like 5 for me. Even then that would only be 2880 per hour per gate. So 5760 total scanned tickets in an hour. 2880 back to that for the other half hour that gates are open and you should be able to get 8640 tickets scanned in the hour and a half that the gates are open. Add This would probably be fine if the there was always the a constant flow through the gates and a uniform line. Then no one would be waiting overly long. But thats not how it goes. The flow is not uniform. Some people get there and essentially just walk in as there is no wait. But in general, the majority of the students seem to want to get there 30 min prior to kickoff. So you are right, the system cannot handle 5000 people in 30 min. Would have a hard time even getting 4000 people in 30 min.

The problem is then confounded by people that think they are better than everyone else and don't have to wait in line. So you might have someone get there 30-45 min before the game that should get in just fine, but people keep cutting in front of them and they essentially stand in the same place in the line for the majority of that time.

I don't know how gate 10 was for this game as I was at gate 12, but 12 is a giant clusterfuck. You have people coming from 3 directions, 2 different lines, and then traffic trying to drive through the lines and the masses of people that are walking to various places.

9/25/2005 1:31:01 PM

between the atrocious play of our football team and the shitty new system, I wouldn't be surprised to see a half empty student section. That will fly really well with the players and coaches when their home field advantage is no more (not that they can actually use it to their advantage anymore).

9/25/2005 1:36:17 PM

^ Agreed. As sad as it is to even say, the best thing that could happen is that 10% of the fans show up for the televised Clemson game. THAT would send a message.

Plus, we could all just turn on ESPN 1 minute prior to the game and not worry about waiting in line to get it

But seriously, 30 minutes before isn't enough time. I know, I know...you want more time to tailgate, but blame the shootings and our directors for giving us only 4 total hours before kickoff to party. I come way early, like 80 mins. before kickoff and get in within 5 or so minutes. But then again I don't drink and I have been TRYING to support the team even through their warmups. But I'm 'bout to say bump that too..

9/25/2005 1:43:23 PM

Personally I think that if you would rather wait and drink for a little while longer then it's your own damn stupidity. You SHOULD miss kickoff. We were monitoring gate 12 and there was only occasional groups of people going through the gates from 10:30 to about 11:20 or so. Then everyone decided to come at the same time. I mean what do you expect?

9/25/2005 1:47:36 PM

the system isn't really that shitty. It is like anything else that is new, it just takes time to work out all the kinks. Which is exactly what athletics is trying to do. Plus you have to give a little time for everyone to get accustomed to it. It will be fine by the end of the season. And by next season it will just be the norm and no one will think anything of it.

9/25/2005 1:51:31 PM

^ Gate 12 was a clusterfuck for many reasons. What do I expect? How about starting with some line monitors to cut down on people cutting in front. I talked to a group that cut in front of us and shamed them into backing off. 30 minutes before kickoff that line was already a mess.

I like the system up until the part of actually getting into the stadium. That is a complete clusterfuck thus far. How much are we paying for this shit again?

9/25/2005 1:55:31 PM

Does anyone have a link to the place where you can appeal points?

I'm listed as having 1 point for some reason; no idea why.

9/25/2005 1:57:25 PM

Appeal here http://students.ncsu.edu/tickets/

9/25/2005 2:02:29 PM

There were only 2 of us at that gate and it was hell trying to control the whole line. Just let us know next time if we don't see something. We are wearing red polo shirts with white stripes on the collar and and the block S patch on front left.

[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:03 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 2:03:14 PM

^^^http://tickets.ncsu.edu

^^^^They do have some line monitors. But like the rest of the system, that is a work in progress. One problem is that we need more. Another problem is that many of the students are rather drunken and don't listen. Also, because you have the people walking around the stadium through the line, it is very hard to tell who is cutting and who isn't. I did my best to stop it. But thousands >>>>> 2

[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:05 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 2:05:04 PM

30 mins to get into the game is fucking retarded. I feel sorry for you guys. NC State is so full of dumbasses from top to bottom.

Even the guy running the video board during the pregame yesterday was fucking retarded

9/25/2005 2:05:43 PM

people only have to wait 30 min to get in cause they are more worried about getting drunk than the game itself. So what is the difference to them if they are there for kickoff. If they had gotten there even 40 min before, they could have practically walked straight in. Only stopping to get their ticket scanned.

there was a guy behind me in the game. 3rd row, section 7. he was talking to his buddy that was in front of me and his buddy was saying somethign about the game and the guy was like "I'm drunk, I don't give a damn about the game, and I'm gonna get fucked up after the game whether we win or lose." There are many other dumb fucks like him that are there causing the line to take forever, taking up seats that could go to someone that actually cares about the game, and just being a piece of shit in general.

9/25/2005 2:10:35 PM

^^^ good point. We need more people to come about 35-40min before kickoff, not the whole time from when the gates open. Not sure how bad the lines will be for the rest of the season with the way things are going though.

[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:12 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 2:10:51 PM

Are we going to put up some barriers aside from the final 20' from the gate? That'd hope some I'd think.

Got to have more monitors, and take the tickets of those folks caught cutting. Hell, take their tickets for the rest of the season for all I care. That shit is unexcusable.

30-45 minutes to get into the game is fucking rediculous. No one was going through gate 11 30 minutes before the game. Why isn't that open to students as well?

Again, we're paying through the ass for a system that is fucked up. This is shit that should have already been dealt with during the summer.

Props to lahyde for dealing with the complaints though. There's been plenty to complain about.

9/25/2005 2:15:14 PM

^but like at gate 12, you can't really make the barriers go out any farther because there are cars that have to drive through that area.

And I completely agree that cutting is unexcusable, and we are working on it.

Most of the problems are not things that could have been dealt with over the summer. They are things that just come up and you have to address them as they come up. I am sure there will be at least a couple more things that need to be fixed, but eventually it should all work smoothly.

9/25/2005 2:19:55 PM

The gates would be a good idea. but as hondaguy said, there are cars that come through there. That gate is really a death trap for people trying to get in. I just knew someone was gonna get hit yesterday. That was the worst possible choice to have for a student gate. From what I was told, to open another gate would mean buying more scanners and such and you'd have to have more trained staff to do it. And I'd love to just take someone's ticket for repeatedly trying to skip, but it's just that we don't have the authority to do that and I don't really want to be responsible for WW3 at the gates. now if we could get a cop or someone who has the authority to do it, then I'd be all for it.


[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:23 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 2:20:09 PM

What's sacred about gate 12? I agree that you can't do it there, but why are we using that gate in the first place? Shift the student gates next to the student section and away from active driving areas.

9/25/2005 2:24:22 PM

^
Athletics, Public Safety, and Event staff chose that gate...based on dedicated purposes of other gates, etc....I don't completely understand it, but it won't be changing...

Quote :

"I just can't picture other fans finding it acceptable to wait 30 minutes to get into a game"

the others gates have just as long of waits at times

Quote :

"How much are we paying for this shit again?"

nothing...at least "we" aren't paying anything

now...to address the other issues
I'm going to hire some more cops to stand w/ our student reps out there, and give them the right to take tickets for cutting in line (assuming there's no legal issue before the next game that comes up)

we'll have 3 reps per gate, instead of just 2...

they'll have different shirts on next time that says something to the effect of "Student Ticket STAFF"

can't add more gates, it's a mute issue...we have to install access points for the scanners, and wire the stadium....within the next 2 years every gate will be wired, and all tickets (not just students) will be scanned...it's just a money/logistics issue right now

carolina happened the way it did (and btw, it was much better than expected) because of it being a noon game and people not waking up that early, and thus crowding the gates in the last 30 min...as they said already, the gates went very well before that...we have aerial shots to prove it


[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:34 PM. Reason : .]

9/25/2005 2:33:42 PM

I'm sure this has already been mentioned...but why are we not at the same gates as last year?

9/25/2005 2:36:50 PM

last year we weren't at any specific gates. We could go in any gate. Notice how your ticket now has to be scanned? The equipment to scan those tickets costs money. They didn't have enough to outfit every gate this year. It is planned for the future. Just use your head woulda ya?

[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 2:45 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 2:44:24 PM

^^^ I'm glad there will be more cops because at the end there was just madness. I tried to get people for cutting but they would come up in like groups of 20. If there could be a little longer barrier at gate 10 that would REALLY help!! But a shirt with staff would help too bc they kept asking do you work here, and I was like yeah actually I do..

9/25/2005 3:15:17 PM

Here's the thing: I'm not much for tailgating. I don't drink, so I'm not standing around getting plastered before a game. I think that getting to the gate 30 minutes ahead of time should be acceptable - it always has been in the past!!! I have NEVER waited more than 5-10 minutes to get into a game in the 6 years and 25 or so games I've been to, and there have been plenty of times when I showed up half an hour before a game. I just don't feel like showing up to the stadium an hour early and then just sitting around for the game.

Lahyde, I know that you're more of a messenger in all of this, and that you don't have 100% control over everything that's going on. I'm not happy with the system as a whole right now, but it's certainly not directed at you or any individual person. I think it's been awesome how much you've been contributing to this thread and other places, and I appreciate all of your work.

9/25/2005 7:56:39 PM

yeah, thanks

I asked SG tonight to put their money where their mouth is...basically, pony up the cash, and we'll see about putting another gate in

but gate 6, where most students want to enter, has always had a 30 min wait before the gate until this year...so you've been lucky (or smart enough to go to another gate) in the past

9/25/2005 8:36:01 PM

make another gate

but don't tell anybody

9/25/2005 8:37:52 PM

yeah, but now athletics has kinda put themselves in a bind. If they were to add another gate it would have to be like gate 1 or 2. Otherwise, if it is a closer gate then I see all the students going to that one gate. Which is y I am kinda supprised there have been so many people at 12 in comparison to 10. Although 12 was quite empty for quite a while.

And since said gate would have to be somewhat like 12 is set up. You should suggest that they get a big banner to put above the parts of the gate. Because with 12, some people are stupid and they looked at the sign and saw "students" and the arrow under students pointed to the left, when they should go to the right. So there was some confusion there.

9/25/2005 10:11:21 PM

yeah, that sign is confusing

and gates 1 and 2 are out of the question, because they're vaughn towers gates

it looks like athletics might be adding gate 10B to the next game...so we'll see

9/25/2005 10:15:00 PM

I thought we already have all of gate 10... not to mention the old people were pretty mad about that bc they had to walk father than anticipated and then they had drunken students blocking the next gate over.

9/25/2005 10:20:34 PM

With the outcome of the last game, I highly doubt you'll need to worry much about crowded gates for awhile.

9/25/2005 10:25:40 PM

eh, they'll get over it...the big donors go to the vaughn towers now anyway

and no, we only have 10A right now....there's an equally large section called 10B...if they open that, there won't ever be a line

9/25/2005 10:25:50 PM

but right now, 10B isn't open for anything is it?

oh, and we gotta do something different at gate 12. There isn't really a good direction to make a line. At first you had people trying to drive through there right in front of the gate. Then as it got closer to kickoff and the amount of people picked up, there was too much crossing through the line. Which made it damn near impossible to get people to go to the end of the line

[Edited on September 25, 2005 at 11:07 PM. Reason : ]

9/25/2005 11:04:20 PM

10B is currently recruits

and we'll work on 12...we have to weeks to get things fixed

9/25/2005 11:09:12 PM

yeah, i realize that. Just want to make sure that someone with more power than me is thinking about it.

Maybe something like tell the people that park there that they have to be there 30 minutes before the gates open and have some sort of removable system that could be set up right before the gate opens. Maybe polls that are removable and sit in a sleave. And maybe make the line form back at the curb until the gate opens. Prolly better ideas out there though.

9/25/2005 11:17:56 PM

Hondaguy...thats not what I meant. I was just wondering...why make 2 gates on the far side. WHy not use the gate from last year...they had about the same amount of people checking tickets as those scanning.

9/26/2005 12:10:13 PM

we can't use gate 6 (the one most students used last year) because it would cause far too much confusion for everyone else....they had to pick the two gates nearest each other that weren't strongly used in the past

9/26/2005 12:54:16 PM

hondaguy was just having a pms moment up there. I'm not exactly sure what you mean. you could basically go in any of them last year but from what I saw most students normally went through the main gate at the front(6) or gate 7. I seriously doubt they'd make 6 a student gate since thats where most of the general public decide to come in. If anything they'll probably add 10b but I don't really see them adding any other places. Gate 10 isn't a bad choice. If you're too lazy to walk there, then you shouldn't be going. I mean you're gonna be standing up the entire game anyways.

Gate 12 was just a bad decision all around though cause these idiots around raleigh can't drive as it is and when you put 100's of students in their path something bad is bound to happen. I haven't been around for the last minute rushes in the first 2 games but monitoring gate 12 about a half hour before kickoff was, as dave described, a clusterfuck. We actually needed about 4 people to monitor then, I'm not even sure if 3 would have been enough. i was trying to walk down the line but saw people trying to skip or either go into the public gate so I had to come back to straighten all that out. heck finding dave just before kickoff was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. I never did see where the end of the line was. It had backed straight up from the gate and went right on the 2nd road in the parking lot. We tried to run the people parallel to the stadium but the cars coming through made that a major hazard. But with the outcome of this game I don't really foresee the future games being too much of a problem since most of the crowd are fairweather fans which is a shame.

[Edited on September 26, 2005 at 12:56 PM. Reason : well lee answered the gate 6 part.]

9/26/2005 12:55:33 PM

I'm seriously thinking about staying out there at the gates for the next game...

we actually have 15 people that cops confiscated their tickets for either copying to get people in, trying to sell them, or causing problems in line that have lost their ticket privaledges

9/26/2005 12:58:57 PM

I wasn't saying I was lazy. I was just wondering why they changed the location. Sorry I asked. I had no problem with gate 10, except for the people jumping in line.

9/26/2005 1:05:02 PM

sorry, I wasn't calling you lazy. That was just a blanket statement. It wasn't intended to be directed at you.

And I'm glad to see that they are setting an example of people trying to cheat the system. it's a shame that we are college students and have the maturity level of first graders.

[Edited on September 26, 2005 at 1:16 PM. Reason : ]

9/26/2005 1:15:14 PM

^so true. waiting in line is like something we learned in kindergarten. At gate 10 it was horrible because the even staff was stationed about five feet from the end of the gate (that was where they were checking all of the ladies bags and letting the guys through). That worked well when the line was moving smoothly, but when we got the droves about 30 mins before game time, it became a mess.

9/26/2005 2:40:15 PM

yeah, thats just it . . . some people were never tought proper manners way back then. and look how they are now . they are even worse when they get drunk.

although some of it is also that people wait in the back and then see people cutting in front of them, so then they go up to the front and cut too. I think one or two games of pretty strict enforcement, to let people know we mean business, would be enough

9/26/2005 2:53:59 PM

everything went fine with me and my friends getting in this game. The only complaints I can have about this past saturday was the game's outcome and the douchebags cops that were EVERY where giving people drinking tickets at 10 in the AM.

9/26/2005 4:19:25 PM

At least the Football team is helping you out.

9/26/2005 4:21:03 PM

^^good, they need to give out some more. There are waaaaaaaaaay too many dumbasses that are drunk off their rocker and could care less about the game.

9/26/2005 7:11:33 PM