Ahhhh, the Stampede! And that’s an ‘ahhhhh’ as in yikes, not an ‘ahhhhh’ as in a relaxing bubble bath.
Lucky for me I only had to work half the day because of the congestion of the parade work basically running right through the parking lot. I was a little nervous of getting a parking spot at the train station when it was time to transit down at lunch because of the $36!!! ticket I got last time I tried to make up my own parking space. The solution: stalk people coming back from the parade and follow them around the parking lot until they drive off screaming. So, no ticket!
Got on the train, smiled at the German-speaking fake cowboys in the white hats (hint, cowgirls don’t wear peacock feather earrings), and sat down. Hello…SAT DOWN! Yes, I didn’t have to stand crowded overtop of a businessman leisurely reading the sports section while texting, I sat down! Sure, I sat down next to the Japanese fake cowboy in the white hat and wingtips, but he wasn’t reading the paper.
Got to the station and heart attack. There was 8 people deep all down the platform. I guess they were latecomers from the parade. The peace officer was standing at the front of the platform making sure there was no pushing (as this is the platform that someone was pushed to his death not more than 2 years ago). Still. I don’t like crowds. I don’t think I took a breath until another block away.
Man, I hate the Stampede.
Some guy in a white hat
