Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Dodger Stadium Parking Stories from Day Two

From TJ Simers' article today comes an unsurprising disappearance from Frank McCourt amidst public calls for accountability, as he throws his wife in front of the bus.

A SHORT time later, the Tipper Gore Lady grabbed the microphone in the press box and announced a car with a media pass was going to be towed. I'd have started with general admission, but at least they're trying to clear the lots faster.

It's the third inning, meanwhile, and no sign of the Parking Lot Attendant in his field-level seats. I wonder if he's stuck in traffic.

THE TIPPER Gore Lady said the Parking Lot Attendant would not speak about the parking problems at Dodger Stadium. She said she'd be "taking the bullet on this one." I guess I'm not the only one concerned about a sniper.

She said, with some pride, the Dodgers had squeezed 4,000 more cars into the parking lots on opening day than normal, so 4,000 times $15 a car, and what does the Parking Lot Attendant care about your traffic woes?

There's also a great anecdote about Dodger legend Vin Scully:

[From fan Jose Cristobal:] "As I sat in the morass that was the post-opening day Dodger Stadium parking lot, Vin Scully sat there too. As he crept along, one of the human beings hired with my extra $5 for parking realized it was Vin and offered him the chance to use a closed lane. But in a gesture that has defined his career, Vin chose to forgo the special treatment and sat among us regular folks. Now if only the Parking Lot Attendant and the Screaming Meanie could take a page out of Vin's book of class.

"I checked with Vin, who said with a laugh, 'I love traffic,' while continuing to take the high road. 'I'm no noble hero or anything like that; I wanted to go right and the closed lane wouldn't have helped.'

"I mentioned how upset fans seemed to be about the changes in parking, and Scully said, 'I assume they talked to a parking expert.'

"I thought the guy who owned the team was a parking expert. Now I wonder just what his expertise might be."

Scully, always with a rapier wit, even stuck in traffic. Love that guy.

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