236501 Mon Jul 02 12:33:47 -0700 2001 7 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1253840 A visit to the new Keyspan Park in Coney Island yielded a few nuggets. They offered Nathan's hot dogs at $4.00 each. Potato knishes($2.75) were better than the Gabila's offered elsewhere. There is a kosher food stand also. One disquieting note: Security guards at the park entrance checked visitors bags/knapsacks for food contraband and any food or drink (including bottled water on a 90 degree day)) was confiscated, returnable upon exit. Any ACLU'ers out there know about our rights here, both search and seizure? Mon Jul 02 12:33:47 -0700 2001 0 samplesale 1 1253847 So glad someone posted about this. For such a nice park (great view of the water, Cyclone, F&Q trains), the concessions really left a bad taste in my mouth (pardon pun). Hot dogs were no good and were expensive. Small bottled water $2.75. And I had to beg the cop to let me bring my water bottle in (I arrived on bike and looked like I needed it; she let me). The Keyspan park should look to the Bridgeport Bluefish's Ball Park for guidance -- they have reasonably priced soda, beer, hotdogs, etc.. Which really helps to complete the warm, fan and family-oriented experience. I hate the feeling of being gouged. Speaking of indignance in the face of a giant corporate entity, I have been on hold with MCI Wireless for 35 minutes now and expect to be on hold for many more. Arghh. But my call is important to them though -- they said. Brendan Mon Jul 02 16:18:56 -0700 2001 1253840 0 Brendan Taylor 2 1253866 Is getting gouged there any surprise? Ask the junk vendors on Surf. Ave who were thrown out by the city-- just to make things more pleasant for Rudy's jock-sniffing baseball creeps, not to include chowhounds in that unpleasant company-- after however many decades what it's like to get to "gouged." This isn't to deny the problem but it sorta pales, don't you think? But hey, it's ALL of our tax $$$ at work. Anteater Tue Jul 03 13:07:17 -0700 2001 1253847 0 Anteater 3 1253874 I'm not going to that mallpark ... protesting the corporate takeover of one of New York's classic neighborhoods. Ballpark food in general is worse than Midtown Manhattan--absurdly high prices, and absurdly low quality. I never have a problem smuggling grub into Yankee Stadium, but I am checked nearly every game. (Heaven forbid they confiscate food transported from the nearby Feeding Tree or Charles Southern Chicken!) The guards always tell me it's a security issue, that they fear we'll throw cans or bottles at other fans ... or at Giuliani, if he had the guts to show his face in the upper deck! As a side note, I read recently that because attendance has sagged at Pittsburgh's brand-spanking-new PNC Park, they are now disallowing any drink containers larger than cardboard juice packs. Also banning sandwiches and bags of chips, etc., from being brought into the park. Back-handed way of boosting revenue, since the city sees no portion of that money. Not only are cities mugging their residents with corporate-welfare stadiums, but these trickle-down economics are seriously affecting gametime chowing! Tue Jul 03 18:39:50 -0700 2001 1253866 0 citykid 4 1253889 I noticed no bag-checking at Shea on Tuesday night. (Also no scoring on the part of the home team.) Empanadas from El Chivito D'Oro III on 37th Ave. (both the spinach and the chicken,) despite being shut up in a bag for close to hour, tasted pretty darn good, accompanied by a stadium beer (a pedestrian, domestic brew, not worth singling out by name. But not Coors.) Thu Jul 05 13:54:52 -0700 2001 1253874 0 Helen 1 1253869 The 4th Amendment protects us from unreasonable search and seizure - by the government. Ballpark rent-a-cops don't qualify. One difference - unlike police searches, with these security guards you have the option not to submit to the search and just walk away (of course it might mean relinquishing your chance to see the game, but that's another story.) That's generally not the case when the police want to search you - they don't tend to give you a choice whether to submit to their exercise of state power over your person. But to bring this discussion back to a food-related note - I think it's rotten that they won't let you bring your own food. (Wondering if that's the rule at Shea these days - I'm going tonight - haven't been there for a few years. I was hoping to pack in some empanadas. Maybe I'll have to have them sewn into the lining of my clothes.) My conspiracy theory - a certain former Met, now associated with the Brooklyn team, wants to open an outpost of his namesake chain in the park, and needs a captive audience. All-you-can-eat clam strips, anyone? It could happen!! Link: http://memory.loc.gov/const/bor.html Tue Jul 03 14:45:40 -0700 2001 1253840 0 Helen 2 1253871 If I refuse to accede to a search when entering a private ballpark, do they have the legal right to refuse me entry? Suppose it's a publicly owned facility? At Keyspan, there were no public safety or security issues. Indeed a security guard a different ballpark once asked to search my bag because "we don't want fans bringing any bottles in"- The vendors at Keyspan sold bottles of beer . All bags at the US Open tennis are searched, though I'm not sure why. Many people bring their own food with them. (US Open food prices are another thread). Tue Jul 03 15:36:42 -0700 2001 1253869 0 samplesale 1 1253917 I was at Keyspan Park on Friday and my bag was not checked. I brought food hoping it would not be confiscated and lucked out. Can anyone explain why some people are checked and others not? Mon Jul 16 08:04:13 -0700 2001 1253840 0 caren