On a peaceful afternoon about 18 months ago (November 2, 2009 to be exact) I bought three tickets to the U2 360 tour. At least one of these tickets was to be my brother in law's Christmas present, and my sister and I were particularly thrilled because they were pretty decent seats, and we hadn't seen U2 in years. So more than $800 lighter, I put the concert in the back of my mind as it was a months away.
Make that years.
To be fair, no one could have predicted Bono's injury, and the resultant need to reschedule the concert for the next year. Where this becomes hauntingly relevant though is when you consider that this means that Live Nation and the Oakland Coliseum had an extra year to plan.
Last week I received my email reminding me of the concert and noting that if possible, I should consider taking BART to the show as it drops you off right there. Since I was coming from work in downtown SF, this made eminent sense, although my sister and her husband didn't have this option as they were coming from Menlo Park, where their babysitter was taking her turn with the kids that night. They planned to leave MP at 7, as they were not terribly concerned about opening act, and I planned on meeting them around 8.
As scheduled, I took the 7:47 train to the venue and arrived shortly after 8. Lenny was still on - I heard maybe 4 songs. I checked with my sister and she noted that traffic was bad, but generally anticipated being able to meet up around 9. What I did not anticipate, however, was the fact that they would not show up until 10:15, well after Bono and co took the stage at 9:30. Why?
The simple answer is a total disregard for planning or consideration. As they recounted to me, parking in the main lot was completely decimated. They where stuck in the freeway ramp for over an hour and a half, and then, once they made it near the main lot, were told that they had to go to overflow parking (which they were also told was free- lie) except there was no one to explain where that was. It then took them 15 minutes to determine where the overflow parking was, which turned out to be over the freeway and at least a mile away from the venue. All that to get charged the full 40 dollars for parking which appeared to be nothing less than an abandoned feed lot, pitted and rutted with no discernible lines and choked with overgrowth. After a hike, which took no less than 20 minutes at top speed, they finally showed up on the tenth song, halfway through the main set. All this for the discounted rate of $842.25.
I understand that some will say that they should have left earlier, that they should have taken BART. These things may be true, but they don't change the fundamental facts:
1. The promoters and the venue know exactly how many tickets they sold and they should be prepared for the eventuality that they need at least half that number for parking. Clearly you knew that that was a risk as there was overflow parking which could not have been put into place as the event unfolded last night. Would it have been so hard to inform your patrons of the distance and likely time involved in the reminder blast? Moreover, given that I noticed a number of event trucks parked on the main lot, you should have taken into account the fact that those spots were eliminated for concertgoers. When people are opting to abandon their cars on the side of the road because they don't know where else to go, and when they are making the decision to give up on the show completely after being in the car for 4+ hours, there is clearly a problem.
2. The venue is designed for parking for two major venues - the Coliseum and the Oracle arena. How is it that the main lot does not have capacity for merely one of the venues?
3. Why is overflow parking the same rate as the main lot? There should have been a discounted rate for the mile hike. C'mon guys, even the airport is aware of that rule.
4. It is completely unacceptable that there was insufficient/inadequate traffic regulation between the overfill and the main lot such that it was unsafe. What is the purpose of having cops around for at a large event if they are not ensuring safe passage?
5. BART is simply not an option for everyone. You may not be able to find a reasonable station to begin with, and the fact of the matter is that I find it ridiculous that the station is not going to stay open past 12:20 when the show itself ran until 11:55. The station is not equipped to deal with that many people squeezed in for 20 minutes. Frankly because of the lack of accommodation for the lateness of the show, people may chose to opt out of BART in favor of driving, leading to the problems listed above. It's just a perfect storm.
6. Some may say this is not U2's fault or anyone else's fault except for people who chose to come later or not plan to be at the venue 4 hours in advance. I simply disagree. Part of the reason we pay for all of the crazy surcharges and facilities fees is for the expectation that the venue have a plan for basic contingencies - like making sure that people who paid for tickets can park at the venue of the show they are attending. If this was beyond Live Nation, the Oakland Coliseum and the City of Oakland, then they certainly shouldn't be pocketing all the fees and profits they obtained for being able to host the show.
Bottom line: Live Nation, Oakland Coliseum - you are a disgrace. U2 - please take notice of this. It's a sad reflection on your respect for fans if you don't recognize that this was a travesty. All people wanted to do was see you guys perform and this was just a slap in the face.
P.s. Think this was a a limited phenomena? Think again after you take a look at this - http://dustinkeirstead.blogspot.com/2011/06/traffic-ruins-my-u2-concert-did-it.html
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