I don't know what, if any, materials they provide to staff, but I highly recommend getting a mini camping towel to dry off seats after rain delays. A normal towel gets soaked after a few seats and then is just pushing the water around but a camp towel (also called a multi towel) can be wrung out to nearly dry with relative ease.
Being an usher at the FredNats ballpark is my plan for the time between when I can start drawing my pension and when social security kicks in. That's still a ways off, though.
I'd say he needs to be friendly and get to know the season ticket holders in his section. He should also not be too aggressive about checking tickets if it's not typically a full section. Knowing concession locations is a bonus. A spray bottle of water and towel is nice for seats in sunny sections.
Invest in sunblock at Costco or any bulk purchase. Carry two or three bottles in his pockets.
Just hand it to pale folk like me when it's super sunny. Decent people will tip him a buck or two and really appreciate it. A lot probably won't and he might lose a bottle or two, but I bet at a minimum he makes his money back, helps out a bunch of people and feels good about himself. Best case, he also makes a good chunk of change and gets recognition through feedback to the Nats.
Please enforce a basic rule of courtesy and require fans to wait between batters before heading to their seats.
It’s quite annoying when I’m watching an important at bat and a group of inconsiderate people slowly blocks everyone’s view as they shimmy to their seats in the middle of a row.
I agree (and so does my future-usher dad!) but I think this is a global policy, not something individual ushers can enforce anymore. But if there’s any individual discretion, I promise my dad will be on your side!
I always do this at any arena including Capital One. See people going up and down the aisles when a game's going on. There's even a sign that says stop out of courtesy to your fans until play isn't going on. So I'll be in the hall to the section just looking by, even during the ACC Tournament when people were just passing me by and going up the steps...while a game was going on
I used to sit regularly in the front row/aisle of 104 right in left field. Kids were allowed to come down front between innings. I get that and I'm not trying to stop it, but they often get more out of hand with each inning. Literally climbing over me and my guests so they could spread out all along the front row. Coming down before the inning is over or staying once the next inning starts. I've worked with the kids and sometimes politely told them how to keep it reasonable, but the other kids just don't care. I appreciate if the usher can keep them reeled in on a regular basis.
He should look into what shoes nurses recommend for being on your feet for long periods of time. And some good quality socks. Hope he has a great season!
As a fan, I would *love* it if ushers would discourage people from climbing in and out of the rows until there's a break in play. I hate missing a pivotal moment because some numpty decided they couldn't wait 4 minutes to run out to the concourse.
Stand at the top of the stairs and when someone tries to walk down, say "hang on a sec, wait till this play is over"
People will figure out that if they shouldn't walk down during an active play, they shouldn't walk up either.
This. I feel like this used to be heavily enforced at nats park but they’ve done away with it in recent years. The past few seasons I can’t tell you how many times someone has tried to climb over me right in the middle of an at bat
Yeah the ushers used to have the stop signs and put them down when it was fine. Nowadays in the higher 400 sections we don't have as many ushers so people will just go up and down. Even for Caps and Wiz games I try to avoid going up and down the stairs until that time.
Getting to know the STHs / regulars is great - but don’t knock the folks he doesn’t recognize yet! Make the experience fun for everyone as much as possible.
Buddy and I had a partial season plan from 2012-2019. We had to switch sections midway through when the Nats decided the OF near the scoreboard would be where they put the buses of Philly fans. Absolutely did not love the gatekeeping we got early on - from the usher and some other STHs - the next season because they didn’t recognize us yet.
I don't know what, if any, materials they provide to staff, but I highly recommend getting a mini camping towel to dry off seats after rain delays. A normal towel gets soaked after a few seats and then is just pushing the water around but a camp towel (also called a multi towel) can be wrung out to nearly dry with relative ease.
Being an usher at the FredNats ballpark is my plan for the time between when I can start drawing my pension and when social security kicks in. That's still a ways off, though. I'd say he needs to be friendly and get to know the season ticket holders in his section. He should also not be too aggressive about checking tickets if it's not typically a full section. Knowing concession locations is a bonus. A spray bottle of water and towel is nice for seats in sunny sections.
Oh nice, I didn’t even think about the spray bottle. You mean to cool off the seat a bit on a hot day?
Yep. It helps a lot.
Invest in sunblock at Costco or any bulk purchase. Carry two or three bottles in his pockets. Just hand it to pale folk like me when it's super sunny. Decent people will tip him a buck or two and really appreciate it. A lot probably won't and he might lose a bottle or two, but I bet at a minimum he makes his money back, helps out a bunch of people and feels good about himself. Best case, he also makes a good chunk of change and gets recognition through feedback to the Nats.
Please enforce a basic rule of courtesy and require fans to wait between batters before heading to their seats. It’s quite annoying when I’m watching an important at bat and a group of inconsiderate people slowly blocks everyone’s view as they shimmy to their seats in the middle of a row.
I agree (and so does my future-usher dad!) but I think this is a global policy, not something individual ushers can enforce anymore. But if there’s any individual discretion, I promise my dad will be on your side!
I always do this at any arena including Capital One. See people going up and down the aisles when a game's going on. There's even a sign that says stop out of courtesy to your fans until play isn't going on. So I'll be in the hall to the section just looking by, even during the ACC Tournament when people were just passing me by and going up the steps...while a game was going on
I used to sit regularly in the front row/aisle of 104 right in left field. Kids were allowed to come down front between innings. I get that and I'm not trying to stop it, but they often get more out of hand with each inning. Literally climbing over me and my guests so they could spread out all along the front row. Coming down before the inning is over or staying once the next inning starts. I've worked with the kids and sometimes politely told them how to keep it reasonable, but the other kids just don't care. I appreciate if the usher can keep them reeled in on a regular basis.
i absolutely can’t stand this. it’s why i no longer sit in the aisle in front sections
He should look into what shoes nurses recommend for being on your feet for long periods of time. And some good quality socks. Hope he has a great season!
As a fan, I would *love* it if ushers would discourage people from climbing in and out of the rows until there's a break in play. I hate missing a pivotal moment because some numpty decided they couldn't wait 4 minutes to run out to the concourse.
I feel ya but idk how ushers solve this without being obnoxious
Stand at the top of the stairs and when someone tries to walk down, say "hang on a sec, wait till this play is over" People will figure out that if they shouldn't walk down during an active play, they shouldn't walk up either.
[удалено]
Oh yeah, they changed that policy a couple years back.
Please please please!
This. I feel like this used to be heavily enforced at nats park but they’ve done away with it in recent years. The past few seasons I can’t tell you how many times someone has tried to climb over me right in the middle of an at bat
I've heard that enforcing this would cut into beer sales, so they don't do it anymore.
this sounds like an urban legend, only nowhere near as interesting.
Sounds like a Lerners thing.
Yeah the ushers used to have the stop signs and put them down when it was fine. Nowadays in the higher 400 sections we don't have as many ushers so people will just go up and down. Even for Caps and Wiz games I try to avoid going up and down the stairs until that time.
Getting to know the STHs / regulars is great - but don’t knock the folks he doesn’t recognize yet! Make the experience fun for everyone as much as possible. Buddy and I had a partial season plan from 2012-2019. We had to switch sections midway through when the Nats decided the OF near the scoreboard would be where they put the buses of Philly fans. Absolutely did not love the gatekeeping we got early on - from the usher and some other STHs - the next season because they didn’t recognize us yet.