Fox 4 News in Kansas City is reporting that the Chiefs are taking away one of the key benefits of some of their stadium and parking lot workers.
The ability to watch the game when their work is finished.
According the Fox 4 article, workers have been told that when they are finished they are to clock out and beat it. The worker quoted in the story has been a stadium worker for 13 years.
The question in all this is, why? What could the Chiefs possibly gain by sending these workers home without letting them see the game?
One thing to consider is if the Chiefs reserve seats for these employees. If it was a matter of making a few extra bucks, while I wouldn’t necessarily agree with it, I could at least understand the reasoning for the move. The only problem is that I highly, highly doubt the workers get seats. They likely hand out in the concourse and watch from there…or they might snag an empty seat if there are any available. Heavens knows there were plenty of those ludicrously expensive yellow seats on the club level last season.
This is just a bad move all over for the Chiefs. It is bad for them from a PR standpoint but I think it could also impact the stadium experience at Arrowhead. Let’s face it, taking tickets or standing in the middle of a parkinglot directing traffic in the elements is a crap job. I am sure the pay isn’t spectacular. Folks certainly making a living off working one day a week, for four hours.
No, they probably do it because they love the Chiefs and so they can see the game.
Parking lot attendants and ticket takers are responsible for the fans safety at the stadium. They can keep an eye out for anyone trying to smuggle anything dangerous into the stadium at the ticket gate and they are there int he parking lot to make sure the cars get parked in an orderly and safe manner.
With all the kids running around the parking lot (and the slightly inebriated adults)running around the parking lot, I really don’t want apathetic, under-appreciated employees directing the traffic.
The stadium workers are part of the game day experience. Most, if not all of them, are Chiefs fans just like us. Booting them out of the stadium after their shift is despicable.
Look for the Chiefs to reverse this decision…or expect terrible service at Arrowhead this season.