Posted on: Tuesday, October 2, 2001

Editorial
Security rules must be fair and sensible

It's a good bet that most — if not all — fans attending games at Aloha Stadium are interested in safety and security.

In this post-Sept. 11 world, we are more tolerant of bag searches, limitations and lines.

It appeared Saturday night at the UH Warriors home football opener that most in the stands tried to comply with the new rules.

To some degree, however, that was because both stadium personnel and fans were working at being good sports. Because not all of the rules made sense nor were all rules being applied evenly.

In some cases, bag searches were cursory. If heightened security requires knowing what people are carrying into the stadium, then look through bags. We hope that this security consciousness is not just a guise to keep fans from taking outside food and beer into the stands. Security personnel should be taking their jobs seriously and looking for anything that might be used to injure another.

The rule on no bags except small purses was confusing to fans and stadium personnel alike. Some people with backpacks were let in. Some were not. Some people got through the bag check only to be turned back by other officials once inside the stadium. Make the rules clear and then stick to them.

The same is true for umbrellas. If only small umbrellas are allowed, don't turn away some large brollies and let others in.

Fans were only allowed to enter the stands in the section they were seated in. People with tickets for Section L, for example, were turned away if they tried to enter through Section K. Of course, once inside, they would be free to walk all around. So the logic of that rule escapes us and mostly just irritated ticket- holders unnecessarily.

We all recognize we face more rules and limits as a result of terrorist fears. Let's just make sure the rules include a good dollop of common sense and are applied fairly.