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berkes | on: London's Free Roof Terraces
Capacity may indeed be a reason for requiring advance bookings.

But it doesn't explain the ridiculous security (scanning gates, had to take off my hat and belt, insulin pump was inspected), the prohibition of "professional" photography equipment, prohibition of own food and drinks (again, diabetes, I want to carry some lemonade and a bar for emergency), etc etc.

Is it to counter terrorism? To boost consuming at the establishments? Or is it a lame excuse thats in reality just a higher bar to entry?

mr_toad | parent | next
> Is it to counter terrorism?

They’re worried that if there was an incident they might get sued for having inadequate security.

I’ve spent a lot of time going to places with security like this (airports, museums etc) and getting a belt with plastic buckles (you can get them at outdoor clothing stores) saves a lot of hassle.

fontain | parent | next
Have you visited The View from The Shard? A very expensive visit, with exactly the same security checks as Sky Garden. Security in tall buildings is high (even if that security is mostly theatre).

"Certain items cannot be brought into The View from The Shard including large bags and backpacks, over the size of 22 x 15 x 8 inches (55 x 38 x 20 cm) or other large equipment."

"We ask guests to walk through metal detectors, which use a low-frequency electromagnetic field to look for metal items."

https://www.theviewfromtheshard.com/frequently-asked-questio...

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ivory54321 | root | parent | next
This is also true for visitors to the offices located in the shard, it's very annoying to unload a overnight bag when trying to visit an office. I always wondered what the purpose was as regular employees skip the security queue
b112 | root | parent
If you graph obesity and excess security, especially these "metal detectors", there is correlation, thus we should all sue.
cucumber3732842 | parent
>Is it to counter terrorism? To boost consuming at the establishments? Or is it a lame excuse thats in reality just a higher bar to entry?

Incentives align among all three.