(Benny J. Stumbo)
HUMILIATING: Days after the Barclays Center said it would stop using walk-through detectors, a man is scanned yesterday on his way in for boxing tix. (
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The Barclays Center has been hailed as the pride of new and trendy Brooklyn — but it’s still treating its fans like a bunch of bums.
An airport-style metal detector was used at the arena again yesterday, this time to scan patrons hoping to score some of the 1,000 free tickets it was giving away for a boxing card tomorrow — and anyone else who entered the lobby.
On Saturday, arena officials vowed to drop their controversial use of the walk-through detectors “for the foreseeable future” — after The Post reported they were previously in place for Jay-Z’s concerts and the Harlem Globetrotters, while only metal wands were used for the crowd at Barbra Streisand’s shows.
The “foreseeable future’’ turned out to be five days.
Arena security yesterday required the largely Brooklynite crowd, which just wanted to get to the ticket windows, to remove metal objects from their pockets before stepping through the main-entrance detector.
“This is ridiculous,” said James Cataldo, 25, of Mill Basin. “What does this say about Brooklyn?
“I certainly don’t have to enter any metal detectors at Madison Square Garden to get Knicks tickets, so why should I in Brooklyn for Nets tickets? Not cool.”
James Valdez, 41, of Greenpoint, called the decision a “joke,” adding, “It’s bad enough what happened with Jay-Z, but I never heard of having to go through a metal detector just to get tickets.”
The Atlantic Yards Report blog posted a photo of the detector being used as the patrons lined up for the freebies.
Hours later, after all the free tickets were taken, a Post reporter watched the same detector being used on customers heading to the box office to order or pick up tickets to other events.
Around the corner, at an employee entrance on Dean Street, another metal detector remained, but the security guards were seen allowing workers inside without scanning them.
Joe DePlasco, an arena spokesman, said the two detectors “are being transitioned out by the end of the week.” He said both had remained in place after the arena’s many other detectors were removed Oct. 11.
Last night, the remaining two were finally removed in time for a Nets’ exhibition game.
While some fans and city officials blasted the Jay-Z/Streisand metal-detector switcheroo as a “double standard,” arena officials said it was done only to speed up entrance into the events.
Officials claimed they used the Streisand concerts to test out hand-held magnetometers and found they allowed for quicker access while maintaining safety and security.