Talk Back Tuesday: Pebble Beach and the Parking Attendant Rule
I just got back from The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Monterey Historic Races.
Like any automotive enthusiast I enjoyed the events immensly, but I picked up a new nugget of wisdom regarding petrol-themed activities:
If an automotive event has more parking attendants than judges (or track workers), it may be getting too big for its own good.
I say this after spending the last 3 days crawling between Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and The Lodge at Pebble Beach.
In my opinion the time and effort required to enter and park at Laguna Seca is acceptable, though I'm betting it still breaks my "Parking Attendant" rule. I was able to get from the main gate to my parking spot in 40 minutes, which is right before my patience meter goes into Red Alert mode. And considering the genuine feel of the classic racing action (once you're parked and taking it in) I feel the Monterey Historic event hasn't lost its soul. It remains worth the time and effort it takes to attend.
But Pebble Beach...
Don't get me wrong, the cars on the 18th green are nothing short of rolling masterpieces. I enjoy seeing them close up and, if you get there early enough, hearing them run. This year's Best of Show Winner, a 1937 Horsh 853, is pictured above.
But here's where the problem with Pebble comes in. I got close to the event at 5:40 a.m., but still spent an additional 50 minutes looking for a parking spot. The worst part is that 45 of those 50 minutes resulted from clueless parking attendants and poor organization. Had I parked where they directed me I'd have been looking at an additional 20-minute shuttle ride back to the event.
Instead I drove around until I found one of the few non-restricted slabs of pavement near The Lodge and hiked it from there. I still wan't 100 percent sure my car would be there when I got back, but it was (yaaay!).
Remember, this was at o-dark-thirty. When I finally got to the green at 6:30 a.m. the crowds were already swelling. By 9:30 the 18th green was a blanket of designer cloth with a few cars mixed in (if you looked really hard for them).
At $150 a head (another $30-$40 if you pay for parking in a nearby resident's driveway) this is an event that offers much, but also asks for much. If you're as enthusiastic about parking attendants as you are about Packards and Phaetons, you'll be fine.
- Posted by
- Karl Brauer August 18, 2009, 6:00 AM
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- Pebble Beach Monterey Historics
I have a low 'personal space invasion' tolerance, so I think I'll pass, and enjoy these cars from the comfort of my living room. But i'm sure nothing compares to seeing them in person, even if you have to put up with no parking and crowds.
Yikes, if I had to wait more than 5 minutes to get into a car show here in Boise, I'd skip it.
I was pleasantly surprised on a weekday visit to Carmel a couple of weeks ago though; unlike previous visits there was plenty of parking, even at the small beach lot. Plenty of smurfy daily driver cars on the street to admire too.
I'd rather go to an automotive museum, like the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History.
http://www.ctmah.org/
This is where I fell in love with the Mercedes Gullwing.