NO I DON'T SING! And yes, I did once work in Hollywood (behind the camera's). I was at the Idol registration at 3:45 AM this morning.
CLASSIC JACKSONVILLE! ''#(Q$*(Y&!@$U*!@)$*#^*(_!@'' and you can quote me on that:
At 5:oo am, the 100,000 or so cars on patrol around and around downtown suddenly arrived, quickly paid a $5.00 fee, and made a stampeede for the Arena. By 5:30 Duval was closed completely, Randolph at Duval was blocked.
By 7:00 a bit after sunrise, the line went down Duval, around the baseball field, and into Bay, thus Bay Street closed. A check of the crowd, was an international who's-who of small towns and big cities throughout America. My guess is maybe 4 times the Superbowl crowd. As bay shut down the line inched up and all the way around Metropolitan Stadium. Signs, cheerleaders, flags, banners from all around the USA and outside of our borders.
I was having some fun joking with a couple of local policemen, I decided it was time to eat, and headed for the BK downtown.
"Do you know if JTA plans to run the PCT Trolley?"
"We don't know..." NO ONE DID!
calls to dispatch...
calls to JTA...
"uh yes, roger, uh PAR and Duval are closed..."
"Well, tell them the trolley can go .... garbled... and still reach the Arena stop..."
"Okay, it's running." So off I went the block to the "PCT STOP".
Ugly as hell, but I boarded the thing and a sturdy female driver named Marie was very helpful. This will be a snap I thought. Nope, shades of Stephendares adventures ran through my head...
Maries PCT was packed with commuters and a few lucky folks that "FOUND" a way to food. The Stop at Bay by the Police Station lost 1/2 of the crowd, mostly professional commuters. (Park and ride users?) Marie pointed out the stop at Newnan and Bay to the AI group and told us to wait for the "other" PCT. We did.
Only at 7:30 there was still no sign of another PCT, by 7:45, a group from the "ISLANDS" said they would walk it, and so we all started the hike from Bay to Union Street.
BK was soon packed and was out of everything. Land rush business without a staff, that was either polite or trained. Only a manager was running back and forth doing damage control, and every other person to the counter got the same reply... "I AIN'T NEVER HEARD OF A 2 for 1"... "I AIN'T NEVER HEARD OF JUST A COFFEE..." "I AIN'T etc... over and over.
Leaving BK I decided there was no use in waiting for the missing PCT-"thing". So I walked up past the beautiful
block blocking church and stared at the gargoles... (they were laughing, YOU DEPENDED ON A PCT! HA!)
I walked back over the Duval viaduct and to the garage, got my car and went home for some sleep. It was fun but tragic for our city:
Sunday, a half million visitors jam downtown and it's closed...
Sunday-night, hotels sold out as far as the beaches and Bay Meadows...
Sunday-late night, not a single one of the visitors had a clue we had anything open, anything to do, or any place to spend a dollar...
Early AM Monday, We forced an army of out-of-towners to cruise the main, while starving.
We put up one concession stand and a couple of golf carts, which were out of water by 5:30 AM.
NOT A SIGN that there was a restaurant in town.
As the crowd left, they return to hotels for a 3 day ordeal, still no clue of what to do or see.
NOT A SIGN that JTA knew about streets closed
NOT A SIGN that JTA ever ran the other PCT
"By 8:30 am the line was pretty much gone, but where did they go? Most following E-Maps on how to get back to the hotel without being killed in the deadly city..."
A complete failure of our Tourism Board
A complete failure of Police-JTA connection
A complete failure of signage
A complete failure of venue, vendors, malls and restaurant owners to respond.
Do the math
= Hollywood will paint a happy face on this "fun day" in Jacksonville, but the truth is already in the producers offices and moving around California like a wind blown fire. I can hear them now...
"...DAMNED HICK TOWN..."
OCKLAWAHA
Ock, not to brag but we predicted this a month ago. There was a thread of comments about the auditions coming to Jacksonville, and I asked why our city gov't wasn't capitalizing on this huge "free" publicity stunt for our city. I am more than disappointed in Peyton and his posse. I'm absolutely @**#$ pissed! Once again, the past month our leaders have been focused on the negative issue of crime instead of preparing to promote our city in a positive way. I predict Wednesday will be 10 times more insane than today as auditions start then. Will our city have anything in place? Probably not. It will be another example of reacting to a situation instead of being proactive. I suggest we start the recall. Who's with me?
Thanks for sharing your experience Ock. If a local can't easily make their way around town God only knows how the visitors will navigate.
Brainstormer, I agree. The city dropped the ball and left the court.
BTW, Ock are you auditioning?
JC will be on the scene all day Wednesday trying to get pics and interviews of the most retarded of the bunch, should be a great time (if peeps can make it with all the road closures).
QuoteBTW, Ock are you auditioning?
Not unless they are looking for a fat swordsman... aka fencer. HA!
No my connection is complex, and number two daugter wants to try. Of course all parents think their child is the most gifted, but Miss Trilby, is living up to her namesake. She in fact sings in an old english Celtic voice, similar to Enya, or The King Singers.
I've been warned to stay the hell away, but I had to be with her. As I worked for studios and have family at XXXXXX networks in California. Also a former long time girlfriend actress... Any one of which, could get my Trilby canned.
So she has to do this herself. Though AI is mostly a "game", it is only about 20% talent and 80% show. So it's just a standard audition with the hype of "AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE IDOL" only because that's what the show is called. Hey, it sells advertising, and pays the bills, and gives Fox "real news" to talk about as-if someone landed on Mars or something. All glitter, little light. Working in Hollywood VERY QUICKLY becomes just plain work! ... and try a month of these hours, 4:00 Am until 1:00 on a shoot. Sometimes on the same damn 15 second scene, over and over and over and over and over... NOT FUN.
It's no wonder the crews are blasted 1/2 the time. Free birds one and all. Sometimes so funny that the work ends for the day in spite of repeat attempts to salvage something. How would I sum it up, hours and hours of boredom, broken by occasional insane-funny or dramatic moments. Capped off by great food catering, (except at NBC!) and drifting into LA LA LAND with the crew at some un-godly hour.
JACKSONVILLE is not ready for prime time, today proved it. OCKLAWAHA
yes. don't move to austin then. that crap happens every weekend. some dumb bike race, or a run, or concert and the streets are closed. oh wait, austin loves this crap. never mind.
nothing like sitting at Brazos and 6th while the 3 is running up congress because of the international tattoo festival is going strong at 11:00 PM. thank god the last 3 runs at 11:40 PM.
OK. I was drunk and didn't notice the signs CapMetro put out explaining the new routes because of the street closures and besides I as having a great time just people watching at 11:00 PM on Saturday in downtown. The freaks are all out during the ITF.
Well what did you expect, Ock? ;)
How do you think I feel being up here all summer from West Palm? I feel like I traveled 25 years back in time in some areas, maybe 40 years back in others!!
Quote from: Ocklawaha on August 11, 2008, 05:15:45 PM
NO I DON'T SING! And yes, I did once work in Hollywood (behind the camera's). I was at the Idol registration at 3:45 AM this morning.
CLASSIC JACKSONVILLE! ''#(Q$*(Y&!@$U*!@)$*#^*(_!@'' and you can quote me on that:
At 5:oo am, the 100,000 or so cars on patrol around and around downtown suddenly arrived, quickly paid a $5.00 fee, and made a stampeede for the Arena. By 5:30 Duval was closed completely, Randolph at Duval was blocked.
By 7:00 a bit after sunrise, the line went down Duval, around the baseball field, and into Bay, thus Bay Street closed. A check of the crowd, was an international who's-who of small towns and big cities throughout America. My guess is maybe 4 times the Superbowl crowd. As bay shut down the line inched up and all the way around Metropolitan Stadium. Signs, cheerleaders, flags, banners from all around the USA and outside of our borders.
I was having some fun joking with a couple of local policemen, I decided it was time to eat, and headed for the BK downtown.
"Do you know if JTA plans to run the PCT Trolley?"
"We don't know..." NO ONE DID!
calls to dispatch...
calls to JTA...
"uh yes, roger, uh PAR and Duval are closed..."
"Well, tell them the trolley can go .... garbled... and still reach the Arena stop..."
"Okay, it's running." So off I went the block to the "PCT STOP".
Ugly as hell, but I boarded the thing and a sturdy female driver named Marie was very helpful. This will be a snap I thought. Nope, shades of Stephendares adventures ran through my head...
Maries PCT was packed with commuters and a few lucky folks that "FOUND" a way to food. The Stop at Bay by the Police Station lost 1/2 of the crowd, mostly professional commuters. (Park and ride users?) Marie pointed out the stop at Newnan and Bay to the AI group and told us to wait for the "other" PCT. We did.
Only at 7:30 there was still no sign of another PCT, by 7:45, a group from the "ISLANDS" said they would walk it, and so we all started the hike from Bay to Union Street.
BK was soon packed and was out of everything. Land rush business without a staff, that was either polite or trained. Only a manager was running back and forth doing damage control, and every other person to the counter got the same reply... "I AIN'T NEVER HEARD OF A 2 for 1"... "I AIN'T NEVER HEARD OF JUST A COFFEE..." "I AIN'T etc... over and over.
Leaving BK I decided there was no use in waiting for the missing PCT-"thing". So I walked up past the beautiful
block blocking church and stared at the gargoles... (they were laughing, YOU DEPENDED ON A PCT! HA!)
I walked back over the Duval viaduct and to the garage, got my car and went home for some sleep. It was fun but tragic for our city:
Sunday, a half million visitors jam downtown and it's closed...
Sunday-night, hotels sold out as far as the beaches and Bay Meadows...
Sunday-late night, not a single one of the visitors had a clue we had anything open, anything to do, or any place to spend a dollar...
Early AM Monday, We forced an army of out-of-towners to cruise the main, while starving.
We put up one concession stand and a couple of golf carts, which were out of water by 5:30 AM.
NOT A SIGN that there was a restaurant in town.
As the crowd left, they return to hotels for a 3 day ordeal, still no clue of what to do or see.
NOT A SIGN that JTA knew about streets closed
NOT A SIGN that JTA ever ran the other PCT
"By 8:30 am the line was pretty much gone, but where did they go? Most following E-Maps on how to get back to the hotel without being killed in the deadly city..."
A complete failure of our Tourism Board
A complete failure of Police-JTA connection
A complete failure of signage
A complete failure of venue, vendors, malls and restaurant owners to respond.
Do the math
= Hollywood will paint a happy face on this "fun day" in Jacksonville, but the truth is already in the producers offices and moving around California like a wind blown fire. I can hear them now...
"...DAMNED HICK TOWN..."
OCKLAWAHA
:-[ :-[ :-[
I hope someone from Jacksonville wins! That'd be great.
Quote from: rjp2008 on August 11, 2008, 10:58:54 PM
Well what did you expect, Ock? ;)
How do you think I feel being up here all summer from West Palm? I feel like I traveled 25 years back in time in some areas, maybe 40 years back in others!!
Try living in NYC and flying back every other weekend. It's like getting of the plane in a cow pasture.
Gatorback and rip, While you both are correct, as I said,"We blew it like a hick town". But I think the three of us KNOW JACKSONVILLE is BETTER THEN THAT. I wouldn't trade the opportunities and gold of Jacksonville for all the NYC's, Palm Beaches or Austins of the World. (Okay, maybe Medellin, but only for a short time, then the sand in my shoes calls me home). I'm just so pissed that we handled this like any other concert or event and didn't go the extra mile to consider the over 50% of the crowd was from somewhere else, and seeing our "best" for the first time. We failed them and there is just no excuse for it. Examples (please add your own):
Early AM, no one knew where the event was during 4 hours of darkness... Would a bank of our famous Superbowl floodlights have made it sparkle? A home beacon for the lost?
JTA, should have been informed by the Sheriff on "their sudden plan to close things down". JTA should have been on-hand, supervisors and had mini-buses or PCT's running to hotels, 5-points-San Marco.
The Skyway should have been explained in a big attractive folding street sign.
The bus stops should have been explained in a big attractive folding street sign.
Jacksonville Ambassadors should have been walking the lines on both sides of the fence handing out welcome packets, information, brochures from the back of a golf cart. (Yes Mayor Peyton, 300,000 of them if needed!)
Tourism should have had a portable Kiosk at the exit to the Arena, fully staffed when the people started moving out those doors into the street for a THREE DAY WAIT!
Little touches, some red carpet near the door, Jacksonville star's posters, etc...
Sun's baseball, the beaches, the riverwalk, the Jaguars, Theater's Florida-5 points-San Marco-Ritz all could have been worked into this, Damn THIS IS THE CROWD you want at theater.
Our roving Sax player from the riverwalk (Dan?) should have been given $100 bucks to wander up and down and keep the crowd happy.
Concessions, should have been over-planned, enough water to fill Hogans Creek SHOULD HAVE BEEN on hand.
Otherwise, our police/fire and the AI staff worked like real pros, doing what they could, but far, far too many
questions ended with "I don't know..." Even the JTA drivers that made the run were good, but where was the connections promised?
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on August 11, 2008, 05:15:45 PM
By 7:00 a bit after sunrise, the line went down Duval, around the baseball field, and into Bay, thus Bay Street closed. A check of the crowd, was an international who's-who of small towns and big cities throughout America. My guess is maybe 4 times the Superbowl crowd. As bay shut down the line inched up and all the way around Metropolitan Stadium. Signs, cheerleaders, flags, banners from all around the USA and outside of our borders.
..."
OCKLAWAHA
Ock, is this a sarcastic statement, (4 times the superbowl crowd), or somewhat a close guess. As close as I got was the Arlington expressway. I could see it was a crowd but not that kind of crowd.
Name 1 event, similiar to this event that the city got right decade? I'm sure some thing in the past 8 years they did right. The criterion for success has to be...from above. So, the fish tournament would qualify, but that's not Jacksonville.
QuoteOck, is this a sarcastic statement,
Yes, "Sarcasm is my spiritual gift..." Sorry if I stood on your toes, I pretended to work for Fox, and they pretended to pay me for my big mouth. Overall, after 4:00 am again today, it was a total waste of my makeup, besides it rained. Jacksonville just proved again that it doesn't function like a city, rather it is hell with a police force. But what more should we expect from a City with officials that see personal growth as an errection? Same old Shit, different day, errors have been made and others will be blamed. What time did you
venture past this road show? By 4:am today the line reached from the arena around the baseball grounds and was as wide as Duval Street. By 5:am it double looped the metropolitan stadium, I'd venture to say it was way past capacity for all three of our public houses. You really should hire on to a few of these "family events", you'll wake up screaming then discover you haven't fallen asleep yet. How do I set the blog message to stun? Jacksonville has collected way too many freaks, not enough circuses.
Chaos, panic and disorder... My work here is done. After all I believe I live in the GREATEST CITY ON EARTH, and I really get pissed when we scew something up so badly with outsiders. But y'all are stuck with me now, Jacksonville offers everything I could ever want. With home shopping, pizza delivery, Soco and a inflatable doll, why would I ever want to leave this town again?
SMILE! OCKLAWAHA
The following is a short article from the Business Journal. I know we were all upset about how much our city dropped the ball. When I read the last line of the article I let out a pitiful laugh. I hope the "city proponents" have strong faith. Did they just think the "right tune" would compose itself? On a positive note, I'm glad the hotels had good business. I will stop beating the dead bush now.
#####################################################################
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hotels cash in on 'Idol'
Jacksonville Business Journal - by Rachel Witkowski Staff Writer
DOWNTOWN -- Hotels and businesses were singing songs of jubilation as thousands of "American Idol" hopefuls filled Downtown, generating sales in what is typically the slowest month of the year.
The exact economic impact of more than 11,000 visitors Downtown is yet to be determined, but since some area hotels sold out for the first time this month and "Idol" brought more tourists than any other event is projected to for the rest of the year, the business is more than welcome.
"August is a very challenging month to sell out with everyone ending their vacations" to get ready for school, said Scott Stuckey, general manager of the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.
The longer term impact, however, will come in January, when Jacksonville's audition and city landmarks will be aired along with seven other cities selected this season, amounting to free national air time to promote the city. The hope among city proponents is that Jacksonville will sing the right tune to more than 30 million television viewers nationwide.