REALLY? No venues known yet? Family Events must figure a better way- your thoughts?

[Monster]

I have it on good authority, that "The-Powers-That-Be" amongst the Sponsors, Family Events and Hot Rod staff all know that there is a problem that they have to address. A new plan is being developed and venues are all still TBD ... it will be different going forward.

[BluLightning]

a sponsor or vendor probably wouldn't be happy if hundreds, if not thousands, of "potential customers" were stuck in an hour+ line just waiting to get in...

Very true. At most of the venues this year, I parked, punched in, got my magnets and left for the hotel since I was stuck in traffic for hours.

[BluLightning]

Pretty sure I've changed the oil in this one. Why do some people have to be such elitists?

[BluLightning]

I have it on good authority, that "The-Powers-That-Be" amongst the Sponsors, Family Events and Hot Rod staff all know that there is a problem that they have to address. A new plan is being developed and venues are all still TBD ... it will be different going forward.

Being the Mayor has it's privileges, doesn't it Steve!

[bbnova]

You must have got there early.....I had to park at the end of the street after sitting in traffic for over an hour...walked all the way up to get stamped- Got back in the car and tried to get to the Hotel. The city streets were JAMMED w/ locals leaving work sneering at us w/ a WTF look. The cops were just sitting in their car not doing a thing. After another hour+ we finally got to the hotel...OH- where the heck do you eat-no places to go- we had BurgerKing...No really...

After that- we decided to just leave really early in the morning for the next venues. Worked out pretty well for us the rest of the trip. My GF was up a 5:30 in the AM so we didn't have to deal w/ the traffic. I don't want to do a Power Tour like that again- but hate traffic w/ no AC and a clutch.

Sorry- but I just don't get driving your plan B car down into the cool car parking. Really? And -I know I might not make any friends- but don't care if I ever see another 201? Camaro-Charger-Mustang-C5-6-7 Vette w/ a stripe or sticker on it ...Really!!!

Have a year cut-off? No, not a good idea- but a newer car- let them sit in traffic and send us older cars right on in especially w/ longhaulers. One day guys- have a sepearate parking for them- that way they don't get all the good spots and I would know where to go to look at some cars I hadn't seen before.

Registration- right where you are in line to park for the participants? That made no sense-just caused more confusion. Off site would be really easy to do-then give them directions on where to park-maybe a different back road...

Spectators- a far away spot w/ a shuttle bus. Seen in done before- Charlotte- Birmingham to name a few. I shouldn't have to get on a shuttle bus just to get my card time stamped...

Rant off...

We both had a blast - all things considered- but we are not talking a few hundred cars at a local car show- need someone that can comprehend the size of the event.

Richard

No ac and a clutch sound like your problem and if you dont like the 201? Camaro Charger Mustang and Vettes maybe the best thing for you to do is stay home next year that
way you dont have to deal with any of it

[corvettedad]

Very true. At most of the venues this year, I parked, punched in, got my magnets and left for the hotel since I was stuck in traffic for hours.

Me too! And as for the rest of the ranting I want even bother commenting on it.

[danford1]

In the beginning of this thread the original poster wanted suggestions and not all complaints. This has turned into a new vs old thread...
I'll try to get it back on track.
Suggestions.

Only have venues at huge places that already know how to deal with thousands of cars like races tracks, ball parks etc. Seems like this is a common suggestion. I only wish it were true that Family Events and Hot Rod would follow that suggestion. Some how I think someone like a Casino or city major will offer up enough cash and we will get screwed into another venue not set up for the traffic and volume of cars. Money talks, Hot Rod and Family Events seem to only care about the money, not making things better.

Post some simply signs. At a few venues once I Finally did park in BFE I had no way of knowing where the main stage and time clock was. Some signs
posted pointing the way would have saved a lot of useless walking.

Plan the route to avoid left turns in small cities. Left turns and traffic lights with thousands of cars only leads to bigger traffic jams.
I remember one city, though can't name it, on the 2012 tour where the cops were at all stop signs and traffic lights. When power Tour cars came in they just waved you through. That was most Excellent. Have more small towns and cities do that.
Another suggestion is plan the route around or bypass those cities with all left and right turns ever few blocks. I swear None of the Family Event or power Tour people travel along with the masses. If they did they would see first hand how Bad they planned it. Seems like they all zip to the next venue real early and don't have a clue what is happening.

Check the Frickin stickers on windshields. How many attendants did you see that actually checked for stickers and turned cars away? They just wave everybody in. Next time you do get to park, walk around and look at the windshields. You will be amazed...

Separate parking for Long Haulers. Yes, Yes, yes. I like that one, but that would mean they would actually have to check the windshield stickers...
If the event is held at a huge place like a drag strip or other big race track, separating long haul cars would be easy. Signs along the way would help
so people know ahead of time what lane to be in...

Only allow one parking place for each car. I was at a venue and a guy with a new pick up truck was parked on an angle in two spots, Behind his truck he had an Easy Up that took 2 more spots. 4 spots for one truck????

This leads me to another suggestion. No Easy Ups in parking lots. They can place them elsewhere. Save parking lots for parking, one car in each space. A good wind just will send that thing into someones nice ride. To bad it wouldn't be the owners ride...

Park cars so they are NOT trapped in. At the long haul ceremony I was parked on grass at the edge of a hill. There was a row of cars opposite me. All fine and dandy. When I got my plague and went to leave, the bone head attendants parked a row of cars in front of me and behind the other cars. Common sense would tell them no one can leave when they do that. Do you think they care???????

Have parking attendants that know what they are doing. There were to many that just pointed you in a direction and sometimes it was a bad direction. There wasn't anywhere to park once you went that way. Then trying to get out of there and find a place to park was crazy. I'm talking specifically about the Fair grounds. That was a complete cluster. I saw cars get stuck in the grass trying to find somewhere to park.
Once they pointed you in a direction there weren't ANY attendants after that just grid lock on the maze of roads. Signs pointing to the main stage and time clock sure would have helped also. The cops just drove around in golf carts and did ZERO to help park cars. Oh, they didn't know where the main stage was either.

I'm sure there are a lot of others ideas you can come up with.

Start listing them :-)

Danford1

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

OK...you agree 3 out of four-not bad for driving a newer car...


And after reading the later posts - All I hear is trying to justify the "newer" car...excuses...
Well how about- two sections for newer cars- Ones that you have worked on and ones you haven't even changed the oil...Really?


Answer this question-

Say there was two routes-

One route - the car is 25 years or older-that date because a lot of states have that as a rolling emission year-Fair enough?

And the other route- is the newer cars....

Please explain why -that on the newer car route- people will be standing on the sidewalks waving at you...Ain't going to happen!!!!

Get real people- I realize you think everything should be fair and equal but life is not...

Without us- the old car guy/gal- not wanting to drive 300 miles, then sit in traffic for hours behind new car-park so far away because the SUV -201? Camaro/Cuda/Mustang/C5-6-7 Vette took the close spots-you need a shuttle bus..there won't be a Power Tour...

My God get a life... Everyone that went,went because they love cars and the hobby.. clearly YOU don't.. you are only there for the waves, of people on the side of the road.. the "look at me" is what you care about.. not the hobby,, as the new cars are the future of this hobby..

the amount of threads about issues this year makes me think of the movie grumpy old men.. it's a rolling cruise, you are on vacation, no rush to get anywhere.. light'n up

[cstmwgn]

light'n up[/I]

We do light'em up - quite frequently. That is why we are complaining as it is hard to do in bumper to bumper traffic

[MikeC]

And those were some nice burnouts at our hotel in Indiana cstmwgn!

[smalblock]

Chula Vista Resorts will be the first venue for 2015 HRPT and reservations can be made there starting in a month.

[elcaminogirl59]

In the beginning of this thread the original poster wanted suggestions and not all complaints. This has turned into a new vs old thread...
I'll try to get it back on track.
Suggestions.

Only have venues at huge places that already know how to deal with thousands of cars like races tracks, ball parks etc. Seems like this is a common suggestion. I only wish it were true that Family Events and Hot Rod would follow that suggestion. Some how I think someone like a Casino or city major will offer up enough cash and we will get screwed into another venue not set up for the traffic and volume of cars. Money talks, Hot Rod and Family Events seem to only care about the money, not making things better.

Post some simply signs. At a few venues once I Finally did park in BFE I had no way of knowing where the main stage and time clock was. Some signs
posted pointing the way would have saved a lot of useless walking.

Plan the route to avoid left turns in small cities. Left turns and traffic lights with thousands of cars only leads to bigger traffic jams.
I remember one city, though can't name it, on the 2012 tour where the cops were at all stop signs and traffic lights. When power Tour cars came in they just waved you through. That was most Excellent. Have more small towns and cities do that.
Another suggestion is plan the route around or bypass those cities with all left and right turns ever few blocks. I swear None of the Family Event or power Tour people travel along with the masses. If they did they would see first hand how Bad they planned it. Seems like they all zip to the next venue real early and don't have a clue what is happening.

Check the Frickin stickers on windshields. How many attendants did you see that actually checked for stickers and turned cars away? They just wave everybody in. Next time you do get to park, walk around and look at the windshields. You will be amazed...

Separate parking for Long Haulers. Yes, Yes, yes. I like that one, but that would mean they would actually have to check the windshield stickers...
If the event is held at a huge place like a drag strip or other big race track, separating long haul cars would be easy. Signs along the way would help
so people know ahead of time what lane to be in...

Only allow one parking place for each car. I was at a venue and a guy with a new pick up truck was parked on an angle in two spots, Behind his truck he had an Easy Up that took 2 more spots. 4 spots for one truck????

This leads me to another suggestion. No Easy Ups in parking lots. They can place them elsewhere. Save parking lots for parking, one car in each space. A good wind just will send that thing into someones nice ride. To bad it wouldn't be the owners ride...

Park cars so they are NOT trapped in. At the long haul ceremony I was parked on grass at the edge of a hill. There was a row of cars opposite me. All fine and dandy. When I got my plague and went to leave, the bone head attendants parked a row of cars in front of me and behind the other cars. Common sense would tell them no one can leave when they do that. Do you think they care???????

Have parking attendants that know what they are doing. There were to many that just pointed you in a direction and sometimes it was a bad direction. There wasn't anywhere to park once you went that way. Then trying to get out of there and find a place to park was crazy. I'm talking specifically about the Fair grounds. That was a complete cluster. I saw cars get stuck in the grass trying to find somewhere to park.
Once they pointed you in a direction there weren't ANY attendants after that just grid lock on the maze of roads. Signs pointing to the main stage and time clock sure would have helped also. The cops just drove around in golf carts and did ZERO to help park cars. Oh, they didn't know where the main stage was either.

I'm sure there are a lot of others ideas you can come up with.

Start listing them :-)

Danford1

Actually, the first few years we did PT they did separate the Long Haul parking, that's what the stickers were for. They also posted signs going in to the venues for LH parking and Participant parking. I agree about the EZ-Ups. They have no business in the parking lot. I would have to kill someone if their canopy blew over onto my car. And as limited as parking was at the venues this year, we certainly didn't need any tents taking up extra space. i think the biggest problem with parking was a lot of the venues were not equipped do deal with the number of cars attending, and a lot of the people helping with parking had no idea what they were doing. Plus, with this being the 20th anniversary, people who normally would not do PT did it this year cause of the anniversary year. Maybe they need to do an East Coast and a West Coast PT like they did several years ago.

[tarafied1]

My wife and I really love the "drive" and don't care to much for the venue, magnets and sitting in lawn chairs at the stage. Most of the time we find a spot to watch all the cars leaving (if we don't get in so late that they are pretty much already gone). The real car show is in the Hotel parking lots at night. Guys working on the cars, relaxing, etc. That's what we enjoy more than the venue. I guess technically we wouldn't even need to register.
But it would be nice if the planners were car people and understood the reality of driving a modified car (old or new). While we were driving a 99GT this year it was a 5 speed and has been modified some. I understand why "spectators" and even other Power Tourers didn't pay any attention to a car you can see in any WalMart parking lot but we are still glad after breaking down in the 67, that we were still able to do the routes and hang with our friends. I know there are a lot of brand new cars on the tour and I wonder if they really enjoy the tour but now having been on both sides (sort of), if you just like the "drive" and the sights I can understand doing the tour in a modern car. But I must say, at every stop when admiring the other cars I really missed my 67.

[1972Behemoth]

My wife and I really love the "drive" and don't care to much for the venue, magnets and sitting in lawn chairs at the stage. Most of the time we find a spot to watch all the cars leaving (if we don't get in so late that they are pretty much already gone). The real car show is in the Hotel parking lots at night. Guys working on the cars, relaxing, etc. That's what we enjoy more than the venue. I guess technically we wouldn't even need to register. But it would be nice if the planners were car people and understood the reality of driving a modified car (old or new). While we were driving a 99GT this year it was a 5 speed and has been modified some. I understand why "spectators" and even other Power Tourers didn't pay any attention to a car you can see in any WalMart parking lot but we are still glad after breaking down in the 67, that we were still able to do the routes and hang with our friends. I know there are a lot of brand new cars on the tour and I wonder if they really enjoy the tour but now having been on both sides (sort of), if you just like the "drive" and the sights I can understand doing the tour in a modern car. But I must say, at every stop when admiring the other cars I really missed my 67.

I really wish we could have done it in the Plan A car. But, I'm glad we had a plan B that could go, so we didn't have to miss it.

[Monster]

So far, the worst I've heard about is a Plan C car, which was a rental ... can anybody beat that ?