The Yankees confiscated suntan lotion at Yankee Stadium over the weekend, forcing fans to bake in 96-degree heat with no protection against dangerous UV rays. The reason for this decision: concern for the fans safety.
The Yanks either missed or ignored this statistic: there are 1 million new cases of skin cancer reported each year. And young children are particularly sensitive to harmful rays.
The Bombers’ offices initially claimed that confiscating suntan lotion was an anti-terrorism measure. Then, the New York Post reported the ludicrous, dangerous ban and the Yanks quickly altered their position. Now, 3-ounce containers of suntan lotion are permitted inside Yankee Stadium.
The speed at which the Yanks changed the policy is telling. You have to question the sincerity of the Yanks’ anti-terrorism rationale given the reversal. I know someone who runs security for a major U.S. corporation. If he firmly believed that allowing suntan lotion was unsafe in the terrorism sense, there is no amount of public opinion that would have gotten that protocol changed.
So if not terrorism, what was the motivation of the Yankees in putting the ban in place? The Yankees did sell 1-ounce tubes of lotion at the stadium for $5, according to the New York Post story. That same tube can be purchased from the supplier (Arizona Sun) online for a retail price of $2.30. Is a fan’s safety really worth $2.70 of profit margin?
Frankly, this weekend, Yankee Stadium was far from an All-Star park.
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