will soon have Musician Loading and Unloading Zones. We are working with city councilman Isaac Benton to create these zones which will allow 45 minutes for loading and unloading gear at venues in the downtown entertainment district. Signs will be posted in the alleyways behind El Rey, Golden West, and Launchpad and also in the alleyway on the 4th street mall. Signs will also be posted outside of Burt’s and the Atomic Cantina designating these areas as musician loading/unloading zones.
It will work like this: when musicians arrive at their gig they will go inside the venue and retrieve a placard which will allow them to park in the loading/unloading zone; the placard will be placed in a prominent place in the vehicle such as windshield or side window so that it is plainly visible; only one vehicle may load or unload at a time at each venue; the total time the placard may be used will be 45 minutes. Musicians who are playing at Ralli’s 4th Street Pub or the District will be required to park not in the alleyway as they currently do, but rather on the mall itself, north of the alleyway directly in front of the District. This applies to musicians who are playing at either venue and it is to ensure that emergency vehicles can get through the alley unimpeded.
Again, it will be one vehicle per venue allowed to load or unload at a time. Over at El Rey, Golden West, and the Launchpad, musicians will load and unload in the alley as they currently do, but they must leave the alley clear for emergency vehicles while loading/unloading. At Burt’s and the Atomic Cantina there will be designated spaces outside and in front of each venue for loading and unloading. The signs should be up by mid-2007.
Well, that's cool if the band/bands have a trailer with all of their equipment in it. Most bands that I know bring multiple vehicles. Now multiply that by at least 3 bands, and we have gridlock.
On the flip side, it doesn't take 45 minutes to unload a single vehicle. So, if everyone is cool and takes care of business and gets out of the loading zones in a timely matter, there should be a good flow.
Originally posted by duckbeat: Well, that's cool if the band/bands have a trailer with all of their equipment in it. Most bands that I know bring multiple vehicles. Now multiply that by at least 3 bands, and we have gridlock.
Yeah, that's what I was wondering about. I know for Frostbite, we unload out of 3 vehicles whenever we play. For the GW/Launchpad it's never a problem loading/unloading for me. Same over at the Burts/Atomic area, I don't mind wheeling my stuff across the street (the low-riders always stop to let me across heh). Only hassle I ever have is the alley behind Ralli's...
The loading zone idea seems logical to me but the 1 car per load-in is not smart. Most bands I know that dont have tour vans use multiple cars to load in ... and 45min? Why time it. Just another reason to increase city coffers.
... weird how this became an issue out of thin air.
Well, now that they've fixed all the other problems in town, we can finally take care of the horror of having to carry shit 20 feet!
On 4th maybe cars use it to park all night, but I have no troubles anyplace else. I always show up early, haul my own shit by myself, get a good parking spot, and have nothing to worry about the rest of the night. I can see a potential problem coming up now, if everyone is not allowed in the alley behind Launchpad until someone else is finished, and then all have to move to some distant area to park rather than just a good spot and trip my shit over (actually, I doubt I will even use the zones, and I'll just go on doing it the same way I always do). All those damn bands who roll in at 10:30 because they want to push their slot back/not watch the other bands/have to work/are lazy.... If there is a show at El rey, the pad and Golden West on the same night, you'll have 15 cars full of equipment and people just sitting in them waiting. and where will they wait anyway?
i dunno we have usually 2 vehicles to unload, but thats alright. but having to either go park one for a short while or keep in line like we were at a red light would be a bad idea. but as long as we don't get harassed by apd it's alright by me
The 45 minute/one vehicle thing is kinda retarded unless you are like the Unemploid, in which case you could pull the truck up, unload, play your set and pack it up and leave in 45 minutes.
Completely random thought, but how does anyone know how long a car has been at a certain point without standing there and watching it? I went to subway for lunch this fine afternoon, and they have signs that say 15-minute parking only. Now there's 45-minute parking in the alley at Ralli's and That Other Place That We Do No Speak Of. Who's timing this? Does he or she get a uniform? Do they get a chair? Does the city provide your own timer? Are there government licensed clocks for this specific job? Where do you apply for such a job? What's the actual titel of this job? Parking Time Dispatcher? Well, that's it for me.
Your right Ducky, that's always been the hassle at Ralli's and the "Other" place, we been hassled by the cops about moving our vehicle from the alley, and I keep telling the cops we just pulled up no more than a few minutes.......Or when there is another car there in front and I get there and go inside to let them know the band is here and when I come out there is another car parked behind me with no driver......Then the cop shows up gettng ready to ticket us or tow us and I'm like "Good Grief Man" I just got here!!!
So I do like the Placard atleast at Ralli's and normally I can unload my drums in about 10-15 minutes........But then I get stuck in the middle for 30-45 minutes until the front or back car moves.......
At the G.W. we never had a problem there, I just park in a stall close to the door and unload and i'm done again in about 10-15 minutes.......
So I guess it all depends on where u play......
John
Posts: 520 | Location: Rio Rancho via Pacoima, Ca. | Registered: March 23, 2005
ummm..i dont get it? was there a problem with this to begin with? especially at the el rey etc. you park you unload your good to go! maybe isntead of the city trying to fix this problem maybe thewy should fix the other problems ..like..parking...traffick..drunk idiots puking on the side of the wall ...you know..real stuff!
That's what I think too, Mikey. It never really seemed like their was a problem to begin with. It comes off as just another reason for some city parking citation officer to give people tickets thus increasing city revenue by .0001% more.
I think the problem really got started with when "Jenny Gamble" got arrested outside The District and the owner of the District getting bashed by the cops for defending the bands unloading in the Alley.............It's the cities way of doing "Damage" control"...............
Posts: 520 | Location: Rio Rancho via Pacoima, Ca. | Registered: March 23, 2005
