Geeky New York baseball fans should leave their iPads at home before heading to Yankee Stadium. It turns out that the device that “goes anywhere” actually doesn’t. Yankees officials now include the iPad in their laptop ban, though they fail to mention this explicitly on their Web site.
Last weekend, my friend Brianna “Spacekatgal” Wu made headlines worldwide after security officials at Yankee Stadium turned her away from the Yankees-Red Sox game because she had her iPad with her. Undeterred, she got back in line and sneaked the iPad in anyway.
During the game, she posted about the incident on the IGN forums:
The security people told me [iPads were] not allowed and I was turned away at the gates. Why on earth would they have this policy? Terrorism concerns? I couldn’t get an answer. I snuck it in under my jacket. I bring it to Fenway all the time and they don’t care.
 Smaller than most laptops, the 9.5″ iPad looks like a larger version of the 4.5″ iPhone |
Yahoo! Sports soon picked up the story, as did CNN, Fox News and CNET. Even as I write this blog entry, I’m seeing new headlines about the matter pop up on Google News.
So far, Yankees officials haven’t said why iPads or laptops are banned, other than that they pose “safety and security” issues–at least, according to several vague reports. My best guess as to why the devices are really banned is that they might prove distracting to fans who want to watch the game. But having used the iPad, I don’t see how it, with its 9.5-inch screen, is all that much more distracting than a smartphone. In fact, unlike the 4.5-inch iPhone, the iPad can’t take pictures or place calls.
I scored an exclusive interview with Wu earlier today. Here’s what she had to say about the ban and the subsequent media frenzy:
Q: So exactly what happened when you got to the security gate at the stadium?
A: When I went through the gate, the security guard asked me “Is that an iPad?” I thought she was just another person curious about iPads, because they’re so new. I get this several times a day. I told her it was an iPad, and she told me it was not allowed in the stadium. I asked her, “Can you tell me why?” and she said it was because of the camera. I told her the iPad doesn’t have a camera, and she just kept saying, “It’s not allowed in.” I realized debating the point was useless.
She told me that there was a bar across the street, and I could rent a locker and put my stuff inside. Given the drunken fight I’d just witnessed on the street outside that bar, I didn’t want to do that. I decided to sneak it it. I exited the gate and put the iPad under my jacket in my husband’s backpack, and went into another gate.
I was pretty nervous about security inside the game confiscating it when I started posting about the event on the IGN board, but I quickly realized they didn’t care.
Q: Why do you think they didn’t want you to bring the iPad in with you?
A: I guess the iPad could be distracting, but no more so than I find all the drunken people at a baseball game. I’ve never seen someone pick a fight because they were using their smartphone.
I think it sucks. I’ve been to Fenway about 10 times, and it’s a really relaxed atmosphere. In contrast, the overbearing security at Yankee Stadium put me on edge a bit, and I’m not talking about the iPad policy. There were people guarding every section, inspecting tickets. It just seemed unnecessary and Big Brother-esque.
Q: This issue has stirred up quite the media circus. Do you think this will lead to Yankees officials rethinking their ban?
A: I really don’t know. I think the Yankees are the Microsoft of baseball, and aren’t especially receptive to public opinion. I doubt anything will change.
Q: Fair enough. But I can’t be the only one wondering this: Why would you even want to bring an iPad into a baseball game? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being there?
A: I got bored. When the Yankees play the Red Sox, it’s always a 4 hour game. I tune out in the middle.
It seems like at every game I’ve every been to, many other girls also bring things to keep themselves entertained. Kindles, a book, their smartphones. I think many people just want something to do during the lulls in the action.
Q: What kinds of things do you do to occupy yourself during these lulls?
A: I actually Facebook with my friends and tell them about the baseball games. I can usually count on a sarcastic comment or two from you, News-Geek.com, about my love for the Yankees. I sometimes post pictures from my phone. It’s just the way people my age operate, live-blogging the fun parts of our lives.
I read comic books, I read the news, I post on the IGN board, I Facebook. I have the 3G model, so there’s almost nothing I can’t do.
Q: Do you take your iPad with you everywhere you go?
A: I am never without my iPad. I also have a Macbook Air, and I carry it in my purse with me. I like to be connected, and I like to sneak in work wherever I can. Some girls carry bags with beauty products; I carry my computer.
Q: Don’t people at games or elsewhere ever get annoyed with you for distracting them with your iPad?
A:Quite the opposite. I constantly have strangers asking to use it, and asking questions. It’s a novelty, and there’s a lot of curiosity about it. One time, I had one stranger ask to demo it, and they immediately went to the Bank of America app to log into my bank account! It really freaked me out!
I’ve never had someone complain, though after reading so many hundreds of negative comments [following the incident at Yankee Stadium], I suspect some people might be rolling their eyes at me.
Q: Is there anywhere you wouldn’t take your iPad?
A: There is literally nowhere I wouldn’t bring my iPad. It’s 1.5 pounds, why be without it? It hasn’t left my side since I bought it, except when I run outside. I’d bring it to a wedding, a zombie outbreak, I’d even want to be buried with it.
Q: A wedding? Would you use it during the ceremony?
A: No, but I’d probably sneak off at some point and check my Facebook. 
Q: You have some pretty strong opinions about this stuff. Do you think the Yankees owe you an apology, or at least a better explanation for why they ban iPads and laptops?
A: No, of course not. We all put up with arbitrary rules all the time. That would be incredibly entitled of me, even through I think their policy is stupid.
Q: Do you think you’ll risk smuggling your iPad into Yankee Stadium again?
A: Probably not. Knowing the policy, I might just leave it at home and surf on my iPhone instead. I don’t want to be a jerk to the team I love so much.
People have to understand: We came all the way from Boston to see this game. We were on foot all day, touring the Natural History Museum. I had my iPad with me, of course. I had no idea about this policy. I bring the iPad to Fenway all the time and they don’t care. But knowing the rule, I wouldn’t want to break it again.
Q: Are you surprised by all the media coverage?
A: I am beyond surprised by the media coverage. People have e-mailed me stories from all over the world, and in 7 different languages so far. I’ve already seen over 50 stories that mention me by name. My sneaking the iPad in has been discussed on CNBC, and ESPN. I cannot believe it.
Maybe the coverage took off because of all of the juxtaposed social issues involved. The iPad is the new, trendy status symbol, and you’re pitting it against baseball, a slow-paced, traditional game. Mix that with the Yankees, who are both the most loved and the most hated team in baseball, and you have a story with a lot of interesting angles.
But the coverage is still very strange to me. I posted this to the IGN board, to a subsection we call the Mac GB, or “General Board.” We’re a small subset of the giant forum, and a close-knit group. I’m very fond of most of the people I post with. I’ve bought and sold Macs with them, we discuss Apple news every day, we play Steam games together, we solve each others tech problems and so on.
I feel like it’s not just me who’s gotten the attention, but all my Mac friends on the Mac GB as well.
Q: Now that this story has hit media worldwide, have you found that bloggers, reporters and commenters tend to support you in your defiance of the Yankees?
A: Judging from the comments, I think most people think I’m a stupid girl who doesn’t appreciate sports and should leave her iPad at home. There must be 1,000 comments saying “Just watch the game!” The response has been incredibly negative towards me. I have never been one to worry about upsetting other people, though. I’ve found all the negativity highly amusing.
I think MatLu, my friend on the IGN board, said it best: “There’s nothing more American than seeing a stupid rule and then proceeding to immediately break it. That’s how this great country started. Bri was just doing what comes naturally to all Americans, especially for Bostonians. It’s American instinct.“ ♦
Fascinating. So what do you guys think?
Rima Chaddha Mycynek is a writer, reporter, editor, photographer, videographer, former talk show host, and all-around journalism nerd. She currently teaches multimedia journalism at Boston University. [
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21 users responded in this post
Really unbelievable. When an entire country banned the iPad I was certain we would hear of some minor incidents around our neck of the woods at some point soon but it stayed quite for a while. I am not entirely shocked but really would expect a better explanation from the Yankees as to why something like this banned was imposed.
hahaha. They were talking about this yesterday on ESPNRadio too! I think there are only a few stadiums that allow the ipad. It’s a dumb rule especially since every locker in Yankee stadium has a laptop in it but bringing an ipad to a sporting event is questionable.
nice! that is pretty silly/random that they wouldn’t allow it in
I don’t think the real question is why are they banned, it’s why would you bring it with you? I can see if you’re going after work and you happen to have it with you, but even then, did you not realize you’re going to the game? Why not leave it at the office/home?
I think people just like to bitch for the sake of bitching.
They say it’s a distraction issue, that someone staring at the iPad won’t be paying enough attention to get out of the way of a rogue ball. That doesn’t address the fact that smartphones are allowed, but I suppose banning phones would get really messy and complicated.
I think the real reason might be liability. They don’t want a person to get hit and they don’t want their expensive piece of equipment to be hit either.
In any case, I’m with the commenter above. Why bring it with you? Is there not enough going on to entertain you?
Aren’t there signs and announcements that say getting hit is a possibility, so pay attention? I know they mention that at hockey games, and at the sensitive ends they have netting, both baseball and hockey.
What is wrong with America that we have to worry about people getting hit with something they’re putting themselves at risk for and then suing us. And not paying attention to something they paid to go to.
I wouldn’t bring a device like this to a ballpark for a different reason — it’s not likely to work very well after someone spills beer on it.
I mean, okay, I admit, I keep my iPod and my Kindle in my bag that I carry with me everywhere. I am not thinking to specifically remove it from my possession if I’m going to a sporting event, because I usually forget it’s there until I’m bored and looking for it.. But as for using it in-game? I don’t understand the appeal.
While so many are befuddled by the fact that she brought it to the game with her, I’m befuddled that this story has garnered WORLDWIDE attention.
Brianna mentioned that she has seen kindles at games. I wonder if the kindle or other ereaders are banned at Yankee Stadium. My husband carries his with them everywhere we go.
I think that there should be no issue of bringing the iPad to the game, but when the interviewee talks about “sneaking off to check facebook” during a wedding says a lot about how our attention span as a culture has shortened dramatically. Having been in a performing field, I would get REALLY insulted if I were performing, and looked out into the audience and saw someone poking away on their iPad. There is such a thing as courtesy, and I see it suffering at the hands of connectivity. The more that I think about it, If I were up on stage, and saw someone tapping their iPad, I’d probably stop, point them out, and express my outrage. But that’s just me…
Thanks for the comments, everyone!
Ron, I’m with you. First, I’m a chronic rule-follower, myself–not that that’s a bad thing. Plus, I just don’t trust drunken strangers around my new toys.
Zaranie: That’s an excellent question. I suspect that the Kindle is allowed in because it doesn’t connect with the outside world in the way that the iPad does. I think it’s not so much that the iPad is a threat, but that people don’t really “get it.” For example, the woman originally told Bri that she couldn’t bring it in because of its camera, though the iPad actually doesn’t have a camera (though my iPhone does).
Dane479: I get where you’re coming from. Even as a Red Sox fan, I can’t say that I never played with my phone while attending a game at Fenway. I think this speaks to our attention spans as a society. Those of us who are plugged in are used to instant information and constant stimulation.
That said, I’ve never used my phone during a concert or comedy performance except to take an photo or video of the action. (And even then, I only do it when it’s allowed.)
This person is quite the Mac enthusiast! I’m also crazy about Apple products, but her constant need to take the iPad everywhere is a bit much. I’m also a huge Facebook addict, but I prefer being social (in person.) I’m a big Red Sox fan and I admit I get very distracted sometimes and stop watching, but that’s only when I’m having a drink and having a conversation with someone.
What if you were coming from work and had it in a work bag?
The kindle does connect to the internet. But you are right, not in the same manner that the ipad can.
FinalVelocity: I don’t know. I suspect they’d make you stick it in a locker at the bar across the street like they did to Brianna Wu.
Zaranie: Yeah–I think it’s less about what the devices can do and more about the *perception* of what they can do.
Hey everybody.
@Dane479 – I actually have an excellent attention span. It comes from being a runner – you develop a fierce amount of focus to propel your body for hours at a time. But, I do like to be connected. I don’t think I’m substantially different that anyone else my age.
@The beer comments – I don’t drink. I don’t tend to hang out with drinkers. I’m not really worried about it. If it did break, it would be a flat $200 to have it fixed. I carry it in a water-resistant MacCase bag when I’m not using it.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’s a dumb girl for wanting to iPad at the game!
It doesn’t mean she has no attention span. It means that baseball can be boring even if we love it.
In response to cndnbcn85′s first comment
Or you could be on a day trip to New York from Boston, used it to keep yourself occupied on the four-hour bus ride, and of course have nowhere, but your body to put it for the game itself.
Or even just know that you’ll have some time to kill before the game so you had it to waste some time beforehand.
Ah, I didn’t even think about the bus ride thing.
But then, I’ll still retort with saying do you still really need it? People are getting too use to being so connected all the time and short attention spans. C’mon. You’re on a four hour bus ride? I’m sure you’re with someone, can’t make conversation?
It’s just one more item you’ll have to be carrying around all day. And if you’re staying the night and getting a room or something, I’m guessing you’re going there first.
I dunno, I just have issues with always having to have technological devices around. Cell phones aside I guess. I always have my iPhone with me, but at least it’s small and I know I can easily keep it on hand relatively hassle free.
Most of my trips to New York involves riding the bus alone and returning at the day’s or night’s end instead of staying somewhere. So 8 hours in one 24-hour time span and in a position where I don’t know if the light above my seat is going to work or not. Kinda a necessary thing if it’s dark and I have a book.
The time I went to a friend’s band’s show at Hank’s Saloon, I think I was still reading The Mahabharata of Vyasa. So I had to spend a few hours reading when I was waiting for the bus back to Boston at Port Authority.
BTW, most of my traveling, period, is done alone. Whether it’s on the T to get away from the suburbs or my first international trip to go meet UK friends in London, at Whitby Gothic Weekend, or Glasgow, the trip there normally doesn’t involve others since I’m traveling to go meet the others I care about. That’s a lot of traveling time.
@CBDNBC855
As long as we’re talking about bitching for the sake of bitching, what business is it of yours what I choose to do on a 5 hour train ride, or what I bring to a game?
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