OT - Lost, Crying In Rentschler Field Parking Lot

[Carl Spackler]

Soccer fans.

 

[Bonehead]

I thought this was going to be an article about Cummings after the Temple game...

LOL!

Literally - people are looking at me!

 

[Husky25]

"Next to the guy with the UConn flag"
"He is wearing a blue tee shirt with number 6 on it"

There's an American flag and a UConn flag flying over a blue tent, right next to a white tent. The guy next to us is grilling up Burgers and Red Hots.

Can't miss it.

 

[John]

Been going to games since the Rent opened, and still occassionally will need to stop and think on the way out where the car is. I've noticed this seems to happen with 4pm games where we go in during daylight and come out in dark. I have definitely had that spun-around sensation. Now I know the layout pretty darn well, so I can imagine the issues a first timer might have. Totally agree with the suggestion that signs are needed. Colors, letters, numbers, pictures, dosent matter, just make them big and put them in logical locations.

 

[John]

And one more thing, I can't put my finger on specifics, but I've noted that the attendants are much more disengaged this year. It doesn't matter to me, but it probably leads to events like are detailed in the Courant piece.

 

[pepband99]

Pansy Faux Eurotrash Soccer people.

FIFY.

 

[Husky25]

In fairness, I don't have a panic button either. I had an aftermarket remote car starter installed and it does not cover the panic button. My key rink is bulky enough as it is, I'm not carrying two fobs. What good is it anyway, if everyone coming out of Gate A all hit their panic buttons?

What I do have is the common sense to note the general vicinity of where I am and how many rows back from the front of the lot, and/or how far down the run way I am. The game didn't start right at 7:00 either. My wife reminded me of the game I turned it on around 5 after and they were still doing the National Anthem.

 

[John]

ok, now I've read the article. Not to disparage someone else's parenting skills, but I suspect the kid was panicing becuase he was feeding off the Dad's stress. I can't imagine a kid flipping out like that over finding a car unless the dad was also flipping out. Clearly the kid (and perhaps father) should not be at sporting events in bigger stadiums.

 

[noeynox]

The horror of not finding your car for a whole 20 minutes. Wow. I could sympathize with the kid, having kids that age myself, but come on dude, you wastedca great opportunity to teach your kid that there are much worse things in life.

 

[Caronimo]

This guy is a joke. Fire him from the courant immediately...

Why hasn't Jacobs trashed the football program of late? Still waiting for his article. Maybe he got in trouble.

 

[John]

The horror of not finding your car for a whole 20 minutes. Wow. I could sympathize with the kid, having kids that age myself, but come on dude, you wastedca great opportunity to teach your kid that there are much worse things in life.

I'm betting the kid was feeding off the dad's stress. My kids are a little older than the kid in the story, but I remember at that age a lot of situations can be difused by how the parent presents it to the child. He could have turned it into a 'find the car' adventure, even though the dad might have been fuming/stressed-out inside.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The guy admitted he was a sports writer in the past. he's used to parking right next to the doors to the press boxes and cushioned, glass enclosed seats, proverbially. He had to park with the heathens and lost his way for a whole 20 minutes. John, is absolutely right, the kid wouldn't have been upset at all, if the dad wasn't upset - and if the kid was that upset on his own, it's probably because of something else, probably like a 5 year old that is up way past bed time, outdoors, and exposed to all kinds of loud, large, environment and is on overload freaking out.

What a joke of an op-ed.

U.S.A. soccer fans. Pathetic.

In Europe, or Brazil, people die in the stands. this jack wagon can't find his car for 20 minutes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Are you serious?

For the opportunity to see the countrys 20th ranked defense in person of course!!

Sadly, the offense scores more for the opposing team than for itself, thus ensuring a loss even if the D pitches a shutout.

 

[Husky25]

Who else missed (until just now) that Mr. Eagan left West Hartford at 5:20 on a Friday? Yeah chief, it tends to take an hour to get from one side of Hartford to the other during rush hour, let alone on a holiday weekend. You live in West Hartford, you should know that you'd be better off taking surface streets. That's not Rentschler's fault that's operator error.

 

[freescooter]

Really, this guy is a wuss...imagine if he went to someplace like Fenway and had to get through real crowds and real people...And a kid who wants to leave so he won't be stuck in traffic? Seriously? Yipes. Either this kid is some kind of stressed out child or his parent is projecting his own fears onto his kid.

 

[Dooley]

If there is one thing that Connecticut people excel at it is complaining. Never going back to the Rent because you hit a little traffic? A grown man can't remember where he parked his car? He's probably just sore that he didn't catch a free t-shirt.

Complete and utter nonsense. But you watch, a bunch of dolts will read this article and decide that what this moron experienced will be exactly what they would experience if they ever went to the Rent...and stay away.

 

[whaler11]

Obviously he's a clown, but the administration of the parking lots is an absolute joke.

I can't even imagine how corrupt LAZ is. They are certainly inept.

The more light shone on the parking situation is a good thing.

 

[John]

if the guy who wrote the Courant piece ever checks in here, this is what we teach kids in Scouts about what to do when lost in the woods. It works equally well in parking lots.

http://boyslife.org/outdoors/1200/trail-tips-lost-in-the-woods/comment-page-1/

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I feel like I'm doing a 180 (not really, still hard to believe he couldn't find his car) but the lot naming schemes need to be better.

"Which lot are you in?"
"Gray Lot"
"Oh me too! Which gray lot?"
"Ummm... The good gray lot?"
"What are you near?"
"The stadium."
"Did you drive down a gravel road or paved road?"
"You are across the street and a fence divides us, I'll just see you inside."

"I'm parked between one guy wearing a Yankees Sweatshirt and a bunch of guys wearing Boston Caps, I think they may be Red Sox Fans"

That really happened to me once. I had someone meet us because they were too lazy to join up with us before getting to the Rent. That is the description they provided me to help lead them to us. I handed the phone to my wife and went back to grilling the chicken.

That said, the person who wrote that article should be stripped of their right to vote and beaten with a stick until the pain goes away.

 

[Husky25]

The guy admitted he was a sports writer in the past. he's used to parking right next to the doors to the press boxes and cushioned, glass enclosed seats, proverbially. He had to park with the heathens and lost his way for a whole 20 minutes. John, is absolutely right, the kid wouldn't have been upset at all, if the dad wasn't upset - and if the kid was that upset on his own, it's probably because of something else, probably like a 5 year old that is up way past bed time, outdoors, and exposed to all kinds of loud, large, environment and is on overload freaking out.

What a joke of an op-ed.

U.S.A. soccer fans. Pathetic.

In Europe, or Brazil, people die in the stands. this jack wagon can't find his car for 20 minutes.

ok, now I've read the article. Not to disparage someone else's parenting skills, but I suspect the kid was panicing becuase he was feeding off the Dad's stress. I can't imagine a kid flipping out like that over finding a car unless the dad was also flipping out. Clearly the kid (and perhaps father) should not be at sporting events in bigger stadiums.

The horror of not finding your car for a whole 20 minutes. Wow. I could sympathize with the kid, having kids that age myself, but come on dude, you wastedca great opportunity to teach your kid that there are much worse things in life.

It is quite possible that [Mr. Eagan] doth protest too much as well as tossing his 5 year old kid under the bus...

I'd be willing to bet that it wasn't Henry asking Dad to leave. I'm a new parent myself, and while I also do not want to disparage anyone else's parenting, my 30,000 foot view is that this is 100% on the dad. In football and baseball, it is different. Your team is down 3 with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th vs. Mariano Rivera (First of all, you stay anyway. This is a Red Sox fan telling you to enjoy a watching a first ballot hall of famer) or Down by 25 with 8 minutes left without the ball (again, you stay. It's only 8 minutes), I can somewhat understand. However this is soccer involving the USMNT who graces Central CT with their presence once every other year in a 1-0 game. The stands were packed, the Hartford chapter of The American Outlaws were in full throat, and it was Donovan's final international game. The energy must have been incredible. I remember my first time going to Fenway Park. (1985; Royals 3 - Red Sox 2) Hoping against hope (aka Dan Quissenberry) that it would go to extra innings just so we could stay longer.

I say all of that to say this: What does a 5 year old care about traffic?

And what time did the game end? 9:00? (9:30 at the latest) My 2 y.o. son went to bed last night at 9:00 because he had to finish watching Calliou (and he has my wife wrapped around his little finger). Is it that far passed the kid's bedtime? Even if it is, it wasn't a school night. Even if it is, here's what you do. Bring the kid's PJ's and change in the car. I'll guarantee he's asleep by the time you get to Silver Lane.

Henry can also than Dad for calling him out in public too. Kids are creative as it is when they tease one another. Mr. Eagan made it just a little too easy to pick on Henry.

 

[Husky25]

If there is one thing that Connecticut people excel at it is complaining. Never going back to the Rent because you hit a little traffic? A grown man can't remember where he parked his car? He's probably just sore that he didn't catch a free t-shirt.

Complete and utter nonsense. But you watch, a bunch of dolts will read this article and decide that what this moron experienced will be exactly what they would experience if they ever went to the Rent...and stay away.

Most of us agree that this like removing a staple with ahydraulic grapple. But if the right people read it, they may just decide that he's right. On the other hand. Eagan did not discover electricity. How many times has someone here said:

1) The group of people (especially that crotchety old gashole in the white windbreaker and golf cart) who LAZ assigns to the Rent should be replaced with employees with proper training and sunnier dispositions.
2) Reinstitute the runway shuttle
3) put up better signage.

??

I guess if a light chicken wing hold doesn't make them cry Uncle, pull the arm out of the socket.

 

[ZooCougar]

This sucks that an article like this gets so much play from the Courant. Does the Courant not want bigtime events to come to Hartford?

The traffic situation really was noticed by many. They were discussing the game on Sirius XM FC today. Cars were still trying to get in when the game started according to the host. I think some of it is bad management and some of it is just a great many fans unfamiliar with navigating the Rent. I just hope that this doesn't knock us out of the rotation because hosting these games is a nice feather in the state's cap.

 

[Carl Spackler]

This sucks that an article like this gets so much play from the Courant. Does the Courant not want bigtime events to come to Hartford?

The traffic situation really was noticed by many. They were discussing the game on Sirius XM FC today. Cars were still trying to get in when the game started according to the host. I think some of it is bad management and some of it is just a great many fans unfamiliar with navigating the Rent. I just hope that this doesn't knock us out of the rotation because hosting these games is a nice feather in the state's cap.

This I agree with. A useful piece of journalism would have focused on this. The Courant is a rag. No one that's ever frequented Rentschler is going to talk about the parking that makes sense and is well managed - it's not. The system sucks. I've been there for so many years, that I know my specific lanes and paths I need to take, and it's fine, and I'm not taking orders from any parking attendant other than a state cop. There is little to no direction about anything that makes sense. My guess would be the vast majority of people that went to that game Friday night had no idea, that there was an entrance from Silver Lane, and they all went straight across into the main drive - and were looped all the way around, and didn't know the pathways were the drive around the stadium splits, and comes back to gether, etc. The people that designed the parking plan around Rentschler weren't very good at their jobs, and the people that manage it, are worse.

The problem UCONN has, is that we don't own the facility, and don't manage it.

 

[ZooCougar]

This I agree with. A useful piece of journalism would have focused on this. The Courant is a rag. No one that's ever frequented Rentschler is going to talk about the parking that makes sense and is well managed - it's not. The system sucks. I've been there for so many years, that I know my specific lanes and paths I need to take, and it's fine, and I'm not taking orders from any parking attendant other than a state cop. There is little to no direction about anything that makes sense. My guess would be the vast majority of people that went to that game Friday night had no idea, that there was an entrance from Silver Lane, and they all went straight across into the main drive - and were looped all the way around, and didn't know the pathways were the drive around the stadium splits, and comes back to gether, etc. The people that designed the parking plan around Rentschler weren't very good at their jobs, and the people that manage it, are worse.

The problem UCONN has, is that we don't own the facility, and don't manage it.

I agree, It could as simple as the Rent management making the faulty assumption that everybody would just act and traffic would flow just like the football crowd.

 

[Husky25]

This I agree with. A useful piece of journalism would have focused on this. The Courant is a rag. No one that's ever frequented Rentschler is going to talk about the parking that makes sense and is well managed - it's not. The system sucks. I've been there for so many years, that I know my specific lanes and paths I need to take, and it's fine, and I'm not taking orders from any parking attendant other than a state cop. There is little to no direction about anything that makes sense. My guess would be the vast majority of people that went to that game Friday night had no idea, that there was an entrance from Silver Lane, and they all went straight across into the main drive - and were looped all the way around, and didn't know the pathways were the drive around the stadium splits, and comes back to gether, etc. The people that designed the parking plan around Rentschler weren't very good at their jobs, and the people that manage it, are worse.

The problem UCONN has, is that we don't own the facility, and don't manage it.

I don't pay any attention to them anymore either. Last game, the guy was literally standing where he wanted me to park. I was pretty sure he was going to back up, but what if my foot slipped? I'm not looking at you. You see me not look at you, get your 130 lbs. bag of bones out of the way of the 4Runner with a curb weight eclipsing 2 tons!!!