Game Day Parking

On July 10 we attended the Hamilton Tiger Cats game at Ivor Wynn Stadium in Hamilton. It was hot! The game was great until the end when they lost by a single point!

I do love football, even the CFL. I have gotten used to the slight differences, and enjoy the game. However, in the past, unless there were great reasons like free tickets, there was no one in my family who would attend.

Now, my younger daughter is a Hamilton Tiger Cat Junior Cheer Leader! The rules for my family have changed and maybe we’ll go every now and then.

My daughter had not realized she would be on the field the whole game, and was not properly prepared with enough sun screen and she was a bit burned. I had enough with me to stop my never ending burning, which I always try and avoid. But this story is not about the game or about the sun, it’s about parking!

The parking opportunities at Ivor Wynn are limited. There is the street, the lot which I have no idea how to get on to and the people’s driveways, the most colorful way to go. The normal citizens of the old neighborhood sell their driveway space for an increasing amount as you get closer to the stadium. They also fill up the street parking with their own cars so I always assume I’ll be in someone’s driveway and try to be early to get a space. The difference between $10 and $15 is just a block, and the lot I can’t get on to is $20 so I go for the $10 space. You are captive and couldn’t leave early as no one wants your keys to move cars, it’s just a driveway.

We came down one of the main side streets and parked at a house that had a kid outside with a $10 sign who offered us chips as we departed the car as a premium for parking there. We smiled and didn’t take any, but we smiled at the parents and said thanks, and moved on with a slight registration in my mind of the woman whose house we just left. I remembered her face and the house number, but in the excitement moved on.

At the end of the game, we decided to meet my youngest daughter at the place she entered (she had gone early but texted my wife where she could be found). My older daughter and my wife were in front of me, and when we exited the stadium they were gone from my sight in the crowd. I had no idea where they were, my cell phone was in the car and I was stuck!

I remembered where the car was and decided to go there as I had the keys and they couldn’t leave me. I had no where else to go anyway. We were the first car in, so if they were late I could not have moved it anyway. I had no problem except no family. I was very hot and thirsty, but knew I had to wait somewhere.

I was grumbling and calling them all names for losing me (as they were in front of me) when I arrived at the house. The owner came over to me and said, “Arthur?” It was a friend who I’ve worked with before, a representative of our Provincial Government and a good person, and in this case, the home owner and savior!

I was introduced to her whole family, and they were having an after game party of sorts, so I was given a plate of shrimp skewers, some sausages from the grill and a beer! I was in heaven. We talked and enjoyed ourselves when I realized I could use their phone. I called my wife, who was, of course, angry with me for losing them, and invited her to bring the kids and told her I was at a party!

They arrived, a bit surprised, and we all stayed a bit, the kids had a drink and we did go home.

The next game we’re attending, my new found friends will be out of town and we get to park in the driveway for free!

I may go early and sell $10 spaces to pay for my tickets!