NYRA Complaint

[highnote]

I drove down from Connecticut last week to buy tickets for the Belmont Stakes after reading in a DRF article that additional tickets were on sale.

I get there and they're sold out. No big deal. I figured that could happen. But what ticked me off was that I had to pay $2 to park and $2 for general admission to buy the tickets -- which were no longer available.

Could you imagine going to Yankee Stadium and being charged parking and admission to buy a ticket to a future game?!!!

Plus, they knew 120,000 people were coming. You'd think they'd station a few more people around to help direct traffic for parking. Nope. Chaos.

When I'd come across someone directing traffic I'd ask them which way to go, they'd just shrug their shoulders and say "I don't know".

[Zman179]

Instead of relying on a newspaper article, did you try calling NYRA to verify that "tickets" were on sale (obviously for reserved seats)?

And what in the world did you expect with 120,000 people converging into one place.

[JPinMaryland]

Yeah but can you imagine getting into Yankee stadium and getting to sit along the foul line for $2? How can you beat that?

We got to the parking lot at about 9:30, starting to fill up, but not complete chaos. We found a parking person who was knowledgeable as we asked him if we could continue around behind the park, (this is the service road behind the first turn) in order to park in the Blue lot closer to the front gate. He said sure and showed us how to get back there.

Obviously cant' comment on everybody's experience but our experience w/ traffic lot people was good.

The only complaint was directions posted on the Belmont site which suggested using exit 26D and our party determined that 26B was better if you are coming from Verrazano bridge. I'm pretty sketchy at directions but that was their conclusion.

[pat]

dont know when you went to purchase tickets but parking on belmont day was $5 bucks

[Tom]

[i]Originally posted by swetyejohn
When I'd come across someone directing traffic I'd ask them which way to go, they'd just shrug their shoulders and say "I don't know". [/B]

Sounds like they told you where to go very clearly! :eek:

[highnote]

Originally posted by Tom
Sounds like they told you where to go very clearly! :eek:

HAHAHA. That's exactly what the management was saying. It all starts at the top and trickles down.

[highnote]

Originally posted by Zman179
Instead of relying on a newspaper article, did you try calling NYRA to verify that "tickets" were on sale (obviously for reserved seats)?

And what in the world did you expect with 120,000 people converging into one place.

Like I said earlier, I'm not surprised they were sold out. I was just disappointed that I had to pay to park and for general admission to find out they were sold out.

I called them about 11:00am and they said they were selling tickets. By the time I got there they were all sold.

I just find it odd that they expect people to pay for parking and general admission on a Wednesday afternoon just to be able to buy tickets for a Saturday card.

Maybe I'm the only one who finds that poor customer service. But then again, NYRA has never been known for great customer service.

[cj]

I here you swetyejohn,

When I was stationed in Maryland, I used to go to Laurel every Wednesday just to get the Simulcast Weekly. It was very hard to find anywhere else, and even the track was iffy. But, every week, it was the same story. I would have to argue with the gate people to let me in, walk maybe 20 yards past them, buy the paper, and walk out. I would never leave their sight.

After a year of this, week in and week out, many times battling the same person who would act like she had never seen me in her life :eek: , I finally was able to get a season pass from the management. Of course, once that happened, I was doomed. Within 2 months, I received orders to Wyoming...doh! I'll always wonder if Joe DeFrancis had something to do with it! :D:D:D

[takeout]

Originally posted by cjmilkowski
I'll always wonder if Joe DeFrancis had something to do with it! :D:D:D

I wouldn't put it past him. He's screwed up just about everything else over there. :D

I went through the same runaround for years trying to get Forms. They would drop off 2 here and 3 there and someone would often beat me to them. I lived not too far from the Pentagon at the time and one day got the bright idea to try there. They had a BUNCH of them but the guard wouldn't let me go in there to buy one! At the time I even considered trying to get a job there so that I could consistently get a racing form. :D I've wasted a LOT of time and gas over the years trying to run down Forms. Thank goodness there are finally other ways to get PPs and charts.

[highnote]

So it sounds like I'm not the only one who finds racetrack customer service lacking.

Well, now they're probably happy because no one comes to the tracks anymore. That means they don't have to provide customer service -- something they never wanted to do in the first place.

Someday when I own my own racetrack customer service will be my top priority. Free programs, free past performances and free admission for all.

Full fields, double header cards, three grass courses. Large well lit and comfortable seating and a great simulcast area.

Free food and other comps for regulars and high rollers. Rebates and low takeouts, too. Churn, churn, churn.

I'll name my racetrack Utopia Downs.

[Skanoochies]

Swetejohn, "build it and they will come". Hell we`ll all come!:D