Breeders Cup charging $50 to park on Friday and $75 on Saturday

[dilanesp]

I discovered this during my ticket buying process.

It takes a pretty high price point for me to say something's ridiculous, and horse racing needs the money. But still, those are preposterously high parking fees- far higher than previous BC's at Santa Anita.

[cj]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I discovered this during my ticket buying process.

It takes a pretty high price point for me to say something's ridiculous, and horse racing needs the money. But still, those are preposterously high parking fees- far higher than previous BC's at Santa Anita.

I passed on the parking, it was an absolute nightmare getting out last time there as it is and the prices are preposterous.

[Inner Dirt]

Isn't that how much parking cost at Dallas Cowboy home games? Is that shopping mall still by the track, if so I wonder how well it will be monitored. Back in the day that is where I parked, mostly to beat the traffic after the last race. I would run to my truck and usually beat the traffic to the 210 Eastbound.


No matter how I was doing financially I have had an aversion to paying big bucks to park. I usually had a spot at events I regularly attended to avoid parking fees. Due note I never parked in residential areas. I was only burned once, my friend and I went to the Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana Ca. Nascar Cup events there are expensive parking and a PITA to get out.


We parked a little less than a mile away. The train tracks we had to cross had
a stopped train on them, damn thing must have been two miles long, that was lame. The no traffic getaway was foiled that time.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Isn't that how much parking cost at Dallas Cowboy home games? Is that shopping mall still by the track, if so I wonder how well it will be monitored. Back in the day that is where I parked, mostly to beat the traffic after the last race. I would run to my truck and usually beat the traffic to the 210 Eastbound.


No matter how I was doing financially I have had an aversion to paying big bucks to park. I usually had a spot at events I regularly attended to avoid parking fees. Due note I never parked in residential areas. I was only burned once, my friend and I went to the Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana Ca. Nascar Cup events there are expensive parking and a PITA to get out.


We parked a little less than a mile away. The train tracks we had to cross had
a stopped train on them, damn thing must have been two miles long, that was lame. The no traffic getaway was foiled that time.

A couple of observations:

1. Parking has increased way above inflation. When I was a kid it cost $2 to park at Dodger Stadium and $4 to park at football games. Now it costs $30 to park at Dodger Stadium and $80 to park at football games. This has become a pretty significant profit center for events, especially in car-centric places. (Obviously parking charges are close to irrelevant at Madison Square Garden, for instance.)

2. You really are a captive audience. My late father used to do what Inner Dirt describes. At some places it worked alright- e.g., you really could park on the street outside Dodger Stadium. But in other places I wouldn't recommend it- many times sports events are in bad neighborhoods, there are byzantine parking regulations and tow-away zones, etc. Plus sometimes the local businesses charge even more for parking than you pay at the official lot.

3. Sometimes discount parking passes appear on StubHub and other places, because venues comp their VIP's for parking (you don't tell some celebrity who you want to come to the Breeders Cup that they have to pay $75 to park!).

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I discovered this during my ticket buying process.

It takes a pretty high price point for me to say something's ridiculous, and horse racing needs the money. But still, those are preposterously high parking fees- far higher than previous BC's at Santa Anita.

Wait, aren't you the 'higher prices are proper and awesome' guy?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

Wait, aren't you the 'higher prices are proper and awesome' guy?

I kept my criticism very mild because of that! As I said, horse racing does need the money.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I kept my criticism very mild because of that! As I said, horse racing does need the money.

I wonder who gets those parking fees, SA, BC, or some split. IIRC from some articles I read, BC deals are not very lucrative for the host track so maybe they dip their beak into parking as well?

[The_Turf_Monster]

Preakness parking is $80 for the weekend, I rationalized it by it being much cheaper for 4 rides than uber/lyft would be

[cj]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

Preakness parking is $80 for the weekend, I rationalized it by it being much cheaper for 4 rides than uber/lyft would be

I used to take the subway/bus combo to get to Pimlico. Is that not a thing any more?

[biggestal99]

lucky to be staying at the motel 6 across from the track.

thats is outright highway robbery.

Allan

[The_Turf_Monster]

Originally Posted by cj

I used to take the subway/bus combo to get to Pimlico. Is that not a thing any more?

I assume that the MTA will be running that weekend, but its reliability has been bad. They didn't have enough bus drivers, so some of the lines shut down for weeks at a time. The two rail lines average something abysmal like <2,500 paid riders per day and shut down on the weekends without anybody noticing.

There are basically a few City Council members that get anything done, and their constituents have no use for the MTA outside of MARC trains to DC.

[Poindexter]

The only relevant factor to those calling the shots in this game is what price will maximize parking revenue for the day. I guess this was the number they calculated as optimal. Charge too much people find alternatives. Charge too little and look at all that revenue they fail to capture. Honestly what would be the motivation for an industry that doesn’t have a care in the world for the average horse player to price it any differently?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

I assume that the MTA will be running that weekend, but its reliability has been bad. They didn't have enough bus drivers, so some of the lines shut down for weeks at a time. The two rail lines average something abysmal like <2,500 paid riders per day and shut down on the weekends without anybody noticing.

There are basically a few City Council members that get anything done, and their constituents have no use for the MTA outside of MARC trains to DC.

And these are the guys who insisted Baltimore had to keep the Preakness?

[Tom]

Whales Only parking.

The game is no longer interested in the average players.
If it ever was.

The Friday is nothing but added garbage filler,
The Cup has jumped the shark.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

A couple of observations:

1. Parking has increased way above inflation. When I was a kid it cost $2 to park at Dodger Stadium and $4 to park at football games. Now it costs $30 to park at Dodger Stadium and $80 to park at football games. This has become a pretty significant profit center for events, especially in car-centric places. (Obviously parking charges are close to irrelevant at Madison Square Garden, for instance.)

2. You really are a captive audience. My late father used to do what Inner Dirt describes. At some places it worked alright- e.g., you really could park on the street outside Dodger Stadium. But in other places I wouldn't recommend it- many times sports events are in bad neighborhoods, there are byzantine parking regulations and tow-away zones, etc. Plus sometimes the local businesses charge even more for parking than you pay at the official lot.

3. Sometimes discount parking passes appear on StubHub and other places, because venues comp their VIP's for parking (you don't tell some celebrity who you want to come to the Breeders Cup that they have to pay $75 to park!).

I rarely went to Dodger Stadium, I went to a lot of California Angel and Rams games at Anaheim Stadium. There is industry all around that stadium, that has street parking and most of the businesses are the 8am-5pm types.
You know what else has went up over and above inflation, parking tickets.
When I was in High School in the 70's expired meter or staying more than 2 hour parking was $2. By the mid 90's the same ticket was $48.