A Dodger Stadium parking cluster%$*& story from Opening Day
Maybe it's just bad karma thrown my way, after avoiding the mess of Saturday night and Dodger Stadium shuttle fiasco.
But the bottom line: I didn't make it into the stadium for today's Opening Day. I tried. Parking was the hurdle.
I didn't arrive as early as usual, but pulling off the Harbor Freeway, onto Sunset and turning up onto Elysian Park at about 11 a.m., it seemed reasonable time to get parked and into the park to see the opening ceremonies.
Once past the security gate, the media has a dark blue line painted on the pavement to follow up to Lot P, behind home plate at the very top of the park. Today, a gate blocked the usual path of the blue line, so cars were diverted left, instead of right, through the center strip of traffic flow. That meant traveling the entire route around the stadium instead of the shortest path, getting mixed into the other preferred parking pass people and GA parking people.
Going around the loop in stop-and-go flow, I finally arriving to Lot P, where two security parking guys were turning cars away. I noticed the lot had plenty of spaces available, even some where fans parked and were collecting their things to head into the stadium.
When I got to the front of the line, the attendant looked at my media pass.
"You're not on the list," he said, checking his sheet of paper.
"There's a list?" I asked.
"Yes, just today. We have no room for you today. The rest of the season, OK. Just today."
"And there's no room?" I asked. "So where do I park to go to work today?"
"You have to down to Lot 10," he said pointing down in some general direction.
OK, whatever. Guess I was supposed to tell someone that I'd be coming out.
Back into the mess of traffic, everything was flowing down and away from the stadium. I couldn't spot any entrance to a Lot 10. I saw a Lot 12, where limos and busses were lined up. Where was Lot 10?
As I tried to veer left, it became apparent that's not where traffic was supposed to go, because of orange cones and parking attendants waving me to the right.
Funneled back into the flow, I was now pointed toward the exit.
And out of the stadium.
The one small lane going out, while six other lanes were coming back in.
This makes a lot of sense.
I guess I could circle back on Sunset and get back in line. So that's what I decided I was supposed to do. At least for 20 minutes while the traffic just stopped.
On KABC-AM 790, the team's new flagship station, at least one could pass the time listening to a Dodger pregame show.
Not.
Instead, it was some host talking to guests about group sex acts. Great stuff for the family in the car to hear waiting to arrive. By noon, the Sean Hannity show was starting. Even better to hear someone spewing venomous politics.
The frustration came to a head, and I decided it wasn't going to happen. I turned around, went home and pulled up a chair to watch on TV.
I apologize to the city for adding pollutants to the air in my car for a wasted trip, on top of all that idling in line in the parking lot. Maybe someday I'll be on the list, and I'll be able to report more here about things other than parking problems.
Not to complain about what happened. I have entitlement to being there. It was ultimately my fault. I didn't arrive early enough to avoid the mess. The other 50,000 seemed to get in, as far as I could tell from the TV set. And maybe they found Lot 10 OK.
Or did they?
Comments
Hey, hof. Here's the Hartford Courant's Red Sox writer's take on the Coliseum shuttle/traffic disaster. Think blue and turn blue while holding your breath wating for shuttle and parking.
http://blogs.courant.com/redsox/2008/03/dodger-fans-wai.html
Posted by: Chick-Chick | March 31, 2008 5:14 PM
Had you found Lot 10 and taken the shuttle to the media gate, enjoyed the game from the press box (where there was no seat for you anyway) and took the elevator to the top of the park expecting a shuttle bus you would've been sorely disappointed to learn you'd be walking back to your car. It happens every opening day - I skipped it this year and worked the Clippers game instead.
Posted by: Big John | April 1, 2008 12:12 AM