I hope this is not what gameday at the football stadium is like, traffic as far as you can see, nobody moving, or indeed in any hurry to move. Fireworks going off at the side of the road, yep, you heard me, at the side of the damn road!
The evening was outstanding on all accounts. I left the hotel in Carmel at 4pm, or thereabouts following a flirtatious exchange with Emily, the receptionist "du jour". Headed south to Indy, stopped off to fill the car up, had it four days, needed the tank filling already, thought I was in for an expensive few days, expecting a $100 or so tank, I was astonished that a full tank was only $33! A weight was lifted!! Truly, I thought I was driving the damn thing wrong, how could I use so much gas, turns out all Japanese cars have smaller tanks than the huge Yank equivilents. Had a problem or two at the pump, to which the attendant found it necessary to shout at me over the loudspeakers! I don't know, usual excuse, "Sorry, British".
AS I approached downtown it became apparent that parking was at somewhat of a premium, several signs around offering to house your car for the game, all it will cost you is £12, and almost certainly whatever is left in it. Choosing to park in a place I knew, and could find my way back to, I drove about downtown for 20 minutes, waiting and hoping that some poor sod would have forgotten their tickets, had a row with partner, decided, almost like me, to fuck it and go find something else to do. I of course had no chance of finding the place I "knew", and fairly obviously would have had zero chance of finding post game.
So I was doing laps of blocks, getting further and further away from the stadium, ending up on a street between Bank of America(easy to remember) and IUPUI's medical centre. Capitol Avenue. No charge to pay, it's a weekend after all! In the US parking fees are seldom charged during the time when you would actually have to pay to use them, sporting occasions, concerts, parades etc, 16000 people at a ballpark, free parking. Great idea. Why is America broke? "Dunno". Dumbass.
So, BOA, and IUPUIMC. Simple enough? Well not for me. Post game and fireworks display, which were awesome it has to be said, will expand more separately, I took a long, long lingering walk back to where I thought I had parked the car, walked about a bit, sore feet due to a standing room only ticket, thirsty as hell, due to the insanely salty fries I had just eaten, and tired, because I am old, I walked the streets of upper downtown Indy, over to my left there was a row of trucks, tailgates down, keg on the flatbed, people dancing and cheering, loving every minute. Fireworks being shot off bonnets of old el caminos, a strong whaft of cannabis floated past me, a tramp yells something abusive at me, hoping I'll respond, therefore acknowledging his existence.
Walking, seems like for an hour, taking in the sights, so many things going on that in England not only would be illegal(it also is here), but most people wouldn't even consider doing. Setting fireworks off in a parking lot, or on the street, using your bonnet as the launch platform. I know some crazy people in the UK, but that would not even be considered. Here it's as blatant as the smell of drugs, the happiness in the air.
I finally, and I do mean finally, find the car, thrilled to see that I am surrounded by what looks like the cast of Dave Chappelle's "Mad Real World". Finding some balls, well actually in desperate need of a piss, and a drink, odd combo I know but this heat beats you down, I press the button on my key fob. It looks like it might be on like donkey kong, until one of them speaks what I assume was English, and I respond in my rural English accent, all of a sudden I have 12 new friends. The usuals, where, why, how long, do I know Gordon Ramsay etc out of the way, I ask for the quickest way out of downtown, it turns out that maybe they were laughing at me, it took an hour 10 to get 7 miles.
"You are too nice", is something I hear a lot, which I never considered to be a bad thing, but on the roads in the US, nice is no way to go.
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