ANSWER: You should not have had your bags searched, says stadium general manager Edwin Hayashi.
"Our policy is not to search or order people to open their bags, but to ask in a nice way what they have in their bags," he said. "If they refuse, we cannot order them to open their bags."
The stadium hopes that over time, people will begin to respond to the policy of not bringing in outside food and/or coolers. The main concern, especially at UH games, is with safety, he said. Cans of beer or soda are potential "weapons" if thrown on the field or from the top levels of the stadium, he said.
Hayashi also said a concessionaire pays for exclusive rights to sell food in the stadium. He acknowledged past complaints about the food, but "this year, we are trying to upgrade the quality and quantity." There is a wider variety of food, including plate lunches, fried noodles and andagi, and sushi also may be added to the menu, he said.
Hayashi took this opportunity to plug the stadium, saying UH football fans now can come early to games, buy food and watch live entertainment at the north and south ends of the stadium. There also will be a half-hour program on UH players shown on the Jumbotron electronic sign, he said.
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