The San Francisco 49ers are speaking out and defending a new rematch policy that hasn’t gone down well with fans.
The new policy, called direct parking, will allow parking attendants to direct cars to the next available parking space. The team said it hopes the new policy will help “reduce congestion, improve safety, improve access, save time and improve traffic flow.” Since the announcement, more than 3,100 people have signed a Change.org petition saying the policy would make it harder for teams to park next to each other and that its enforcement is a sign of poor communication between the Niners and fans. .
“It ruins everything. It’s definitely going to detract from the experience, because the tradition of football is also inevitable,” said Niner Empire’s Joe Leonor, who started the petition.
Despite the doubts, the team said the deployment was about security. “Safety is our first priority,” the team told NBC Bay Area in a statement. “…And while we want to make sure all guests can enjoy themselves, guidelines to protect the safety of all guests and staff are in place.”
On the team’s website, the Niners acknowledged fans’ concerns and advised fans to “time your arrival or meet your group in a designated area near the stadium and trailer. Unfortunately, if you do not arrive at the same time, we will not be able to fulfill this request. Rey Pena, a tailgater, said he hopes the team will reconsider the policy because it’s a way for fans, friends and family to come together.
“We are proud of our branch,” he said. “We show up for hours at a tailgate just to wait in line and get that seat so that when our loved ones show up, despite the traffic, they can join us.” Mark Castanon, another tailgate fan, said that change the way fans can tailgate kills their enthusiasm.
“Tailgate is a way to come together as a family. Believers are a family. And I have a lot of family members here at those tailgates,” said Castanon. “That’s what we’re waiting for.” Of course, we love the game. Sure, we’ll love the team and the game, but…we’re ready to let them out the back door.