At-Game Recap: May 11 vs. Reds--Exit Stampede Gets Kudos

What's fair is fair. We at SoSG have been pretty critical of the Dodger Stadium parking debacle once it started, from both the execution of the plan to the deliberate spin campaign designed to stifle criticism. And when the situation had improved by late April, we took note.

The Friday May 11 Dodgers-Reds game was all in all pretty boring; Russell Martin scored the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning, and from then on it was just 0's on the scoreboard and K's on the strikeout meter, thanks to a marvelous performance by Randy Wolf and another weak offensive performance from the Dodgers (remember, this preceded Sunday afternoon's 10-run outburst). But everyone stuck around the stadium anyway, in anticipation of the fireworks show after the game.

We took our time watching the whole fireworks show from the damp outfield grass of the stadium, and then meandered over to Lot 1 (Sunset Gate) to exit the stadium grounds. And once we were in our car, it was admittedly fairly easy getting out of there. Wow. This was a pleasant surprise.

Some caveats. First, entrance to the lot was still difficult (coming through the Sunset gate, up the hill and cutting over to the left), and delayed our entrance 10-15 minutes longer than it would have taken last year. Second, I had parked heading outward toward the exit, only about three cars off the aisle, so my car was ready to go. But third and most importantly, the phalanx of parking attendants with flashlights directing traffic in what appeared to be a reasonable and logical way definitely helped me get out of the lot and down onto Sunset quickly. They let cars take turns, held up pedestrians appropriately, and facilitated a smooth exit from the lot. This was despite a fairly large crowd all getting let out at once, post-show, and still things moved in an orderly fashion.

It's clear that it is very advantageous having dozens of parking attendants in the lot and managing the flow. This added benefit is definitely an appreciated addition to the parking system. Would I have paid an extra $5 for this privilege, I'm not sure. But I'll admit that, at least this evening, it didn't work too badly.

And maybe everyone was in a good mood coming off a Dodgers victory.

INSIGNIFICANTIA:

• 2 wins the hat shuffle.
• Coca-Cola winner chooses correctly.
• White wins the car race (and is now dominating the games which we've attended).
• 4 beers consumed. No Dodger Dogs; I did get a Lousiana Hot Link but didn't count that as a dog, to be fair. Split some garlic fries, too.