World Cup Qualifying - Tickets - Canada vs Panama - BMO Field - Oct. 13th

[JamboAl]

I don’t know every single detail of what happened but we tried to tell everyone that could do it, to be there way earlier than they would ever expect to be at a match in Canada.  That being said, will try and summarize the issues:

1. Gates did not open at 6 as stated (more like 620)

2. Inadequate staffing

3. Security struggled with the many folks from outside of Ontario who had different proof of vaccination.  Couple of folks from SK who had proof were refused at first because Security didn’t recognize that proof.  That took almost 4 mins and held up the line.  Never mind that the PDF Ontario residents got was tiny and had to be zoomed in and out in a phone.

4. Is the airport security-lite process really necessary?  People had to remove items from their pockets and wait for the line ahead to clear before they could go through the metal detector.

I was shocked at how civilized and calm people were outside waiting to come in - very Canadian.  Not sure who’s to blame but think that could be spread around.   Lessons must be learned so there’s no repeat in Edmonton.

[Snowcrash]

41 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

I was shocked at how civilized and calm people were outside waiting to come in - very Canadian.  Not sure who’s to blame but think that could be spread around.   Lessons must be learned so there’s no repeat in Edmonton.

Not soccer related but we Canadians are remarkably patient and tolerant in long lineups. Back in August, I was in a line of about a couple hundred people inside Pearson at an Air Canada ticket counter after our original flight got cancelled.  We were rebooked for the next day but the people in line wanted to fly out the same day. Anyway, about 3 hours into the lineup, at 5pm, two of the three ticket agents got up and left because their shift was over.  There was still about 50 people in line and most of us just shrugged or laughed.  A couple of people got really upset and started yelling at the lone ticket agent remaining but others in line told them to relax.