Blue Thursday

$1.569

Tonight, Frank and I went to the Blues game. The game was abysmal, with only a few sparks of life from the hapless Blues. They had the best record in the league for much of the first part of the season, but have fallen off significantly since then, and just can’t seem to win a game. Tonight was no different.

What was a mess was my shooting some photos at the game. I checked the Blues and Saavis Center web sites. Everything there indicated that still cameras were allowed — like the other sports venues I’ve been to, they just didn’t want video. So I went, camera and long lens in bag, to Saavis.

I entered, opened my bag for inspection. No complaints.

I shot the whole first period. No complaints.

During the first intermission, “Jesse” from Security came by and asked if I had a shorter lens. I didn’t — didn’t think I’d need it. Now, at this point, I thought someone had complained that maybe I was in their way, although I couldn’t see how.

Jesse let me know that I would have to check my camera in with the Customer Relations folks, as “professional” cameras like mine weren’t allowed.

What it finally boiled down to was this. Despite a policy that allows still cameras, they seem to get nervous about long lenses. Jesse said that had I a shorter lens, I could’ve continuted to shoot with that, despite at another point in my ten minute conversation, him telling me that they shouldn’t have even let me in with my camera.

I haven’t decided how far to pursue this. It’s really not worth a big fight, but I know I was in the right, and they were just freaking out over something that on the big scale of things was chump change.