OT - Lost, Crying In Rentschler Field Parking Lot

[Jimmy Serrano]

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.

Sissy faux Eurotrash soccer weenies.

 

[Carl Spackler]

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.

I bet that's exactly what happened.

 

[Husky25]

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.

I haven't been to the Meadows since Pearl Jam in the mid-00's, but there is no traffic direction after a concert...or at Greatwoods, or Patriot's games. There is no traffic direction after The Belmont Stakes either. You want to see traffic? That place holds 120,000 people during Triple Crown treat years (probably 30-50,000 vehicles). There's one exit and it that dumps you right on to the CIE...oh, and no tailgating. Rentschler has three exits and accommodates what? 20,000 vehicles? Tops?

 

[ZooCougar]

I haven't been to the Meadows since Pearl Jam in the mid-00's, but there is no traffic direction after a concert...or at Greatwoods, or Patriot's games. There is no traffic direction after The Belmont Stakes either. You want to see traffic? That place holds 120,000 people during Triple Crown treat years (probably 30-50,000 vehicles). There's one exit and it that dumps you right on to the CIE...oh, and no tailgating. Rentschler has three exits and accommodates what? 20,000 vehicles? Tops?

No I got it. Believe me. I just think that our football fans over the years are bit more self organizing as opposed to the soccer fans who rarely if ever have to come out. The traffic circulation is really bad in general.

 

[StoweD210]

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

This reminds me of the personal ads that used to appear in the Daily Campus:

"To the cute brunette I said 'Hi' to near the Library yesterday. You were wearing jeans and a UConn sweatshirt..."

 

[ZooCougar]

Sissy faux Eurotrash soccer weenies.

1992 called and they want you back. Also, Frank Deford wants to be facebook friends with you.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

1992 called and they want you back. Also, Frank Deford wants to be facebook friends with you.

I see you're still cranky your Royals got rained out last night.

 

[ZooCougar]

I see you're still cranky your Royals got rained out last night.

What are the Royals?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

What are the Royals?

FC Royale?

 

[ZooCougar]

FC Royale?

Both teams are in the playoffs. Great time for sports in this city.

 

[Waquoit]

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.

Why would they? It's not like they haven't had soccer games there before.

 

[ZooCougar]

Why would they? It's not like they haven't had soccer games there before.

Different fans perhaps. Didn't this game get the highest attendance of any USMNT game that we have had here. Friday night game, perhaps a perfect storm of confusion.

 

[tiger8mush]

Tailgate 4 hrs before the game, and 2 hrs after the game. BAM! traffic problem solved

 

[Husky25]

Tailgate 4 hrs before the game, and 2 hrs after the game. BAM! traffic problem solved

I love your enthusiasm, but tailgating is not allowed after a night game, lest we forget the crotchety old man in the white windbreaker (Could be East Hartford's Finest at that point. The crotchety old dude has to be in bed by the time Dancing with the Stars comes on).

 

[freescooter]

Sissy faux Eurotrash soccer weenies.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That article is ridiculous. I have gotten lost exactly once, and only because I walked down the wrong runway the first year the Rent opened.

 

[Kgun7]

Alright ... somebody's got to say it: With idiotic articles like this ... is it any wonder why Eagan is a former sports reporter for the Courant. What did you expect? A personal escort directly to your car?

As John said earlier: As a grown adult ... assume the role of the parent in the situation. Don't feed into your child's panic ... divert his attention with educational and thought provoking games, and create a fun, learning experience.

Kids are resilient because kids don't care that it took 20 minutes to find your car ............ unless YOU care that it took 20 minutes to find your car.

 

[Kgun7]

... and there is not a 5 year old on earth that thinks of traffic while leaving a major sporting event!!!

 

[ScottBonz]

Valet parking is the answer...

Serious side - the parking company is atrocious - they have a bunch of teenagers standing around basically doing nothing except being in the way.

I think you missed the part where they waved the flags with one hand and texted with the other hand. That's some serious skill right there.

On a side note, the guy who put me into the final spot was the most enthusiastic person I've ever seen. He was directing people like a guy out on the run way. Jumping around, smiling. It was absolutely hilarious.

 

[ScottBonz]

I love your enthusiasm, but tailgating is not allowed after a night game, lest we forget the crotchety old man in the white windbreaker (Could be East Hartford's Finest at that point. The crotchety old dude has to be in bed by the time Dancing with the Stars comes on).

We stayed about 1.5 hours afterwards last night and nobody hassled me. I'd like to say its because it was to improve fan experience but it is probably because there were like 5 attendants in the whole place. One guy came by and just told me they were going to turn the lights off, didn't actually say I had to go.

 

[Fishy]

You guys are sensitive - the parking situation for those soccer games is a s--- show.

They need to hire more people and then give those people a clue.

Comment of the thread had to be the one where someone suggested that the writer make dodging automobile traffic in the pitch black with a toddler in tow into an educational and thought-provoking experience. Oh, my lord.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

The parking at the Rent is no worse, and certainly a lot better than many of the places I have been to see events. What struck me was the way the author used his kid in the column, just throught it was poor form.

 

[J187Money]

The parking at the Rent is no worse, and certainly a lot better than many of the places I have been to see events. What struck me was the way the author used his kid in the column, just throught it was poor form.

Try the meadowlands when they were bussing people during constructions. I don't remember crying. .

 

[John]

You guys are sensitive - the parking situation for those soccer games is a s--- show.

They need to hire more people and then give those people a clue.

Comment of the thread had to be the one where someone suggested that the writer make dodging automobile traffic in the pitch black with a toddler in tow into an educational and thought-provoking experience. Oh, my lord.

What was said is that the father probably contributed mightily to the kid's agitation OH MY GOD WHERE'S THE CAR!!!???!!! and could have diffused the situation by diverting the kid's attention a little bit and turning it into a sort of Where's Waldo with the car.

And no one is racing around the Rent parking lot creating peril for pedestrians unless they want to scrape off their entire suspension system in one of those craters in the parking fields.

 

[BNich]

Maybe the comments are on point, but maybe the guy writing the column has a point too. As was stated earlier on this board (sorry I don't remember by whom), this makes an impression on first-timers who likely will not become future UConn Football fans because of LAZ parking. Which sucks for UConn and is a fixable problem from the state's end, or at least it should be.

I will say this, I was able to visit CT for the first time since I moved to Florida and got to take in the Boise St game. Where we parked for the game, compared to the last time I was there, was totally different and seemed way out of the way compared to the old parking situation. With that said, I felt getting out after the game was much faster and easier than previous years. No trouble finding our car either.