If you’re attending the Seattle Seahawks game this Saturday, or any game at Lumen Field going forward, be aware that there’s a 16-camera system in place that can photograph any of the more than 68,000 fans in attendance.
KIRO host Spike O’Neill and KIRO guest host Angela Poe Russell were torn over whether the new camera system would be an invasion of privacy for fans. Angela was worried about having an unflattering picture in another fan’s photo, while Spike likened the experience to some mementos on amusement rides.
“With this new system, everybody can get a photo of themselves in the stadium. Honestly, when I read it, it freaked me out,” Angela said. “Sixteen cameras and they can capture every single person in HD. What I’m worried about is that it can’t be a close-up. Let’s say you’re sitting two seats from me, you go download your photo, and I just happen to be picking my nose in it?”
“Next thing you know, you’re at a Coldplay concert with your boss, and your life is over,” Spike responded. “I’d mentioned the lore that I’ve been on TV numerous times at Seahawks games, we sat right in the end zone, under the goal posts, some of the biggest moments in Seahawks history. A friend of mine who caught on national TV decided to feature me at the game during a very unhappy moment with the team. So they come back from commercial, and that’s the face America sees for the Seahawks’ fan base.”
Spike questioned whether the cameras at Lumen Field are similar to those at Disney’s Splash Mountain, where riders can purchase a commemorative photo at the end of the ride, with several other riders pictured in each photo.
“You go to Disney, go to Splash Mountain. You can buy a commemorative photo at the end, right?” Spike asked. “Are you worried about being in somebody else’s photo on Splash Mountain?”
“Those photos though, I’ve just got my hands up, you know,” Angela responded.
“That’s the same thing you do at a Seahawks game,” Spike retorted.
“I’m there for three hours, okay. A lot can go down in three hours that I don’t want someone to see, either unflattering shots, or who you’re with, but to your point, mind your P’s and Q’s,” Angela said.
“I’ll tell you what, though, if trouble breaks out at the stadium, they can use these cameras to figure out who was where, and if the guy next to me threw a punch and then disappeared into the crowd,” Spike said.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
