13 February 2013

The point, Steve, is you're not meant to be parking at Manuka Oval

| johnboy
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The Liberals Steve Doszpot is having a cry that his progress to corporate hospitality at Manuka Oval was impeded by every other idiot like him thinking he could just rock up in his car and be accommodated at an inner city locale:

Manuka Oval has played host to two international sporting events in the past
month and more are planned for the future but there is still no effective car parking plan. ACT Shadow Sport and Recreation Minister Steve Doszpot will today call on the government to develop a proper parking management plan, so that finding a car park near Manuka Oval during a big event will no longer be near impossible.

“The government was aware well in advance of the crowds that were expected to attend the recent international cricket matches at Manuka Oval, but yet no simple parking plans were put in place,” Mr Doszpot said.

“In fact the government’s only plan was to bring in additional parking inspectors to book cars that were parked contrary to current regulations.

“Whilst there were free bus services on offer, public transport is not always an option for tourists, families and residents of the area.

Maybe residents of the area could try, I don’t know, walking?

Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.

If all those who can take the free bus we imagine the available parking will be more than adequate for those who cannot.

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Holden Caulfield11:15 am 14 Feb 13

Alderney said :

…Imagine if the 80 000 people who attend the NRL grand final or the 100 000 people who go to the AFL grand final wanted to drive 40 000 – 60 000 cars to the game and park outside the ground…

Yes, indeed.

Many moons ago I had a boys own weekend in Melbourne whereby I drove into the big city, parked myself at the MCG for a night game. $5 early bird parking, bonus. My team won, bonus. In my car within a few minutes of leaving the stands, bonus. But it then took about 45 minutes to get out of the car park, haha.

Later that weekend I parked on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda and attended the Grand Prix at Albert Park. I left straight after the race to head back to Canberra and 45 minutes after starting my car I was on the Hume comfortably north of Melbourne’s outer suburbs.

I think traffic management at the MCG could do with some improving, but as I would normally walk or tram it to the ground when in Melbourne I’m quite prepared to suck it up, as you rightly allude.

Holden Caulfield said :

Alderney said :

watto23 said :

Do people actually expect to park park under the stands or something?

By jove I think you might be on to something here.

Julia parked under the stands at the PM’s XI game. Made me wait for 5 mins while the specially trained drivers faffed about parking up as well, which was fun to watch, but meant I was at the end of a much longer queue for my dinner than I had hoped.

She really *is* responsible for all the troubles in Aus! Hahaha!

Holden Caulfield said :

Alderney said :

watto23 said :

Do people actually expect to park park under the stands or something?

By jove I think you might be on to something here.

Julia parked under the stands at the PM’s XI game. Made me wait for 5 mins while the specially trained drivers faffed about parking up as well, which was fun to watch, but meant I was at the end of a much longer queue for my dinner than I had hoped.

It was, after all, her game. Maybe you could park under the stands too if you put on a game of cricket/footy at the oval.

Now, imagine how long you would have had to wait for your tea if everyone tried to park under the stands.

Imagine if the 80 000 people who attend the NRL grand final or the 100 000 people who go to the AFL grand final wanted to drive 40 000 – 60 000 cars to the game and park outside the ground.

Canberra is no longer a country town. People are just going to have to park a little further away and either walk, ride, bus it, or just cop the fine.

If it was up to me I’d have employed a shed load of tow truck drivers to tow the cars away. That would have made for an interesting specticle when the owners came out at the end of the game. Johnboy could post their reactions to RA. It’d go viral for sure.

Holden Caulfield9:49 am 14 Feb 13

Alderney said :

watto23 said :

Do people actually expect to park park under the stands or something?

By jove I think you might be on to something here.

Julia parked under the stands at the PM’s XI game. Made me wait for 5 mins while the specially trained drivers faffed about parking up as well, which was fun to watch, but meant I was at the end of a much longer queue for my dinner than I had hoped.

LSWCHP said :

Doszpot. Rhymes with tosspot, evidently for a good reason.

He’s a very successful businessman who is generous with his time and money and active in a positive sense in the community he lives in.

I’d say your tawdry insult says more about you than it does about him.

Having said that, Steve’s time would be far better spent getting Coe and Hansen into a room and knocking their heads together to try to drum some maturity and sense into them: their performance with Ross Solly the other morning was an embarrassment when Ross got them onto their backward and non-evidence-based beliefs in relation to climate change.

zippyzippy said :

Can you start using a tag called ‘first world problems’ on posts like this?

No, because every story would have to also be similarly tagged. Until someone posts that they don’t know where their next meal is coming from or that they can’t afford to pay for the antibiotics to save their child’s life, then they’re all ‘first world problems’.

watto23 said :

Do people actually expect to park park under the stands or something?

By jove I think you might be on to something here.

johnboy said :

Compared to what Rat Patrol gets up to on the roads of Braddon when Summernats is on; the ride from Manuka to the Inner North is a cakewalk.

Quite. But none of us is invulnerable, however clever or fit or experimental or funny.

Now I must depart to watch Midsomer Murders and knit those socks.

johnboy said :

chewy14 said :

“Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.”

Hmmm, did you ride said bicycle home or leave it at the ground?

And a lovely ride home it was. Much like the drive home for those in cars I imagine.

I’m going to do to you what people do to me all the time, JB, and say; I hope you weren’t drunk when you rode home?

I love riding a bike when tipsy, but I tend to stick to bike-paths. There is nothing nicer than the breeze and the noise of one’s own erratic breathing. But the road from south to north is full of dragons, aka cars. So dangerous, even when sober.

Please forgive the unwarranted concern, but I am older than you (egads!) so I am free to give unwarranted advice to comparative whippersnappers.

Next week, Aunty Poetix will be giving dietary advice and knitting tips.

Compared to what Rat Patrol gets up to on the roads of Braddon when Summernats is on; the ride from Manuka to the Inner North is a cakewalk.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd10:19 pm 13 Feb 13

Duffbowl said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Far too maqny self entitled assholes in this town…

CGN, is that supposed to be “many”, “manky”, or some mashup of the two?

One or the other or more than likely both

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd10:18 pm 13 Feb 13

LSWCHP said :

Doszpot. Rhymes with tosspot, evidently for a good reason.

Haha

Can you start using a tag called ‘first world problems’ on posts like this?

Doszpot. Rhymes with tosspot, evidently for a good reason.

FioBla said :

>…free bus…

Release, the Dungfungus…

That’s a strangely unattractive proposition, when taken literally.

There was free parking at Fyshwick markets and shuttle buses to the ground.

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

How old are you, really? Sound like a whiney child.

gungsuperstar7:32 pm 13 Feb 13

What a crazy argument… free buses from all interchanges straight to the ground… free parking at most of the interchanges… unless you were arriving at the game at 5pm, it would’ve been quicker for most people to take the bus than it would’ve been to drive!

watto23 said :

Yes the relatively large amount of pay parking spots still available says that people thought they’d rather risk a fine than pay a few dollars to park nearby.
Availability of car parks was not the issue. There were plenty.

I arrived at 4:00pm and the Coles pay park was completely full.

That being said, it’s still no excuse to park illegally or complain about lack of parking. We were told that parking would be limited and inspectors would be out. I parked on the far side of Kingston oval in a legal area where there were plenty of spaces. It took a few minutes extra to walk to the oval but the extra 500 metres certainly didn’t kill me.

Jerry Atric said :

Holden Caulfield said :

Tourists never use public transport. They always travel by car. Everywhere. The world over.

On recent trip to England my wife and I (tourists) used public transport exclusively, cheaper and reasonably convenient, except going to some National Trust attractions where they obviously expected one to come by car, and so usually involved a short walk from the bus/train.

Give tourists convenient transport and they will come.

I spent two weeks in Japan recently, visited 5 different cities, saw countless attractions, and never got in a car once.

watto23 said :

Yes the relatively large amount of pay parking spots still available says that people thought they’d rather risk a fine than pay a few dollars to park nearby.
Availability of car parks was not the issue. There were plenty.

This. I seriously don’t understand. There are 2 multistory car parks with ample spaces literally 3 minutes walk from the oval, and a large surface car park less than 10 minutes away. Do people actually expect to park park under the stands or something?

I parked down near the Kingston Markets building. It was about a 15 min or so walk (maybe 20), but that was fine – my 10 yr old son managed it ok even ‘late’ at night (late for him). There seemed to be plenty of parks there. I know 20 min walk isnt suitable for everyone, but 20min walk plus driving is usually much quicker than anything involving public transport

Yes the relatively large amount of pay parking spots still available says that people thought they’d rather risk a fine than pay a few dollars to park nearby.
Availability of car parks was not the issue. There were plenty.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Far too maqny self entitled assholes in this town…

CGN, is that supposed to be “many”, “manky”, or some mashup of the two?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd2:09 pm 13 Feb 13

Far too maqny self entitled assholes in this town…

johnboy said :

devils_advocate said :

I don’t understand the significance of the plastic bag covering the seat.

Anyone?

Bueller?

In case of rain

I hope you paid 10 cents for that bag and no-one gave it to you for free. This is Canberra !!!

Manuka is always going to have issues with parking because the surrounding area is developed; you can’t just throw a car park up. We have to drive in from out of town, but never expect to park anywhere that doesn’t involve a bit of a walk. We don’t drive towards the gates and then throw our hands up when we find we have to progress further away hunting for a park; instead we head directly for a suitable spot a little way away, allowing ourselves plenty of time to walk.

I’m not sure what kind of parking plan you can put in place, unless you allow parking on the median of Canberra Avenue, which I thought was being discouraged presumably to allow the grass to reestablish itself. It’s not like you can shut down the area around the oval and actively control traffic and parking.

If you insist on driving to a sporting event, perhaps you should consider following a sport with more parking available? Like NRL – Bruce stadium as lots of parking, or Footsl….

devils_advocate said :

I don’t understand the significance of the plastic bag covering the seat.

Anyone?

Bueller?

In case of rain

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

No, but people who insist they should be able to drive to everything should accept that there is finite space for the parking and finite patience for the whining about the finite space for the parking.

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Well then should probably move to a place with a smaller population e.g. Cooma, Yass, Goulburn etc..

Canberra’s growing & is only going to become more populated. Either get use to public transport & less parking or move on.

johnboy said :

chewy14 said :

“Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.”

Hmmm, did you ride said bicycle home or leave it at the ground?

And a lovely ride home it was. Much like the drive home for those in cars I imagine.

Hope you didn’t partake in too many of those horrible mid strength beers then, i know I was in no state to drive or ride a bike so had to use the public transport on the way home.

I thought the buses and cabs were pretty well organised on the way out.

devils_advocate12:55 pm 13 Feb 13

johnboy said :

chewy14 said :

“Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.”

Hmmm, did you ride said bicycle home or leave it at the ground?

And a lovely ride home it was. Much like the drive home for those in cars I imagine.

I don’t understand the significance of the plastic bag covering the seat.

Anyone?

Bueller?

Starrie said :

This is beyond ridiculous. There is plenty of parking at Manuka. I was in Manuka that evening for dinner and parking in the paid parking under Coles was easy to get, plus after about 9pm they lift the gates so it ended up free anyway for me and the Cricket goers who were smart enough to park there.

Maybe he should instead get over his stinginess.

Come on, you know if you can’t park within a five minute stroll, its just too far away for some Canberrans!

johnboy said :

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Well you can’t. Try learning to be a functioning human being in your own right.

Hence the whole reason for the article at the top of the page. If you want something to change, there is only one way to do it, sitting idle won’t achieve much.

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Um, people can’t drive everywhere and expect to be accommodated, especially to leisure events like the cricket. Why is that so hard for people like you to suck up and get over?

chewy14 said :

“Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.”

Hmmm, did you ride said bicycle home or leave it at the ground?

And a lovely ride home it was. Much like the drive home for those in cars I imagine.

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Unrealistic expectation considering the locale?

Everybody knows that there is limited parking but people insist on wanting to drive their cars?

I dontgeddit…..

Solidarity said :

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Well you can’t. Try learning to be a functioning human being in your own right.

>…free bus…

Release, the Dungfungus…

Maybe they could park on the oval itself? There is almost never anything useful happening there.

This is beyond ridiculous. There is plenty of parking at Manuka. I was in Manuka that evening for dinner and parking in the paid parking under Coles was easy to get, plus after about 9pm they lift the gates so it ended up free anyway for me and the Cricket goers who were smart enough to park there.

Maybe he should instead get over his stinginess.

Tourists, in Canberra? That is where they made the mistake.

Holden Caulfield said :

Tourists never use public transport. They always travel by car. Everywhere. The world over.

On recent trip to England my wife and I (tourists) used public transport exclusively, cheaper and reasonably convenient, except going to some National Trust attractions where they obviously expected one to come by car, and so usually involved a short walk from the bus/train.

Give tourists convenient transport and they will come.

“Your correspondent rode his bicycle to the PM’s XI and left a plastic bag covering the saddle. It was delightful and hassle free.”

Hmmm, did you ride said bicycle home or leave it at the ground?

Um, people don’t want to catch buses, ride or walk…. They want to drive. Is that too hard for you people to comprehend?

Holden Caulfield11:11 am 13 Feb 13

Tourists never use public transport. They always travel by car. Everywhere. The world over.

At the airport they drive their cars right up to the terminal they’re going to!

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