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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2008 > June > 09 > Entry
Welcome to Margaritaville
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Twenty dollars to park. Another $20 to access the area behind where we parked to put the awning to cover the card table and chairs, in essence taking up another parking space.
Wings on the card table and a few coolers with side dishes and refreshments. It takes about thirty minutes to get used to the heat. By 4:30 we’re kicked back and watching the show. Grass skirts, coconuts bikini tops, straw hats with Corona taped to the top next to the naked Ken and Barbie dolls—and those are the guys. Tiki-Bar outhouses and bouncing inflatable sharks and beach balls can only mean one thing: Welcome to Margaritaville.
It’s the annual celebration composed of 20,000 people— mostly 30-, 40-and 50- somethings decked out in tropical shirts, skirts, water wings, floaties, and just about anything that they would normally not be caught dead in. It’s Halloween in July for a whole bunch of Republicans.
The annual Jimmy Buffett at Lakewood is not so much about seeing Buffett as much as it is using the date to see all the one-day-pseudo-crazies outdoing each other in the parking lot. If you have not been, you should go. Take a camera, cooler, awning (as the heat is unbearable,) flip-flops, your favorite beverage, and shirt to convey your image. Also, bring a designated driver. That’s a given.
When you get there, get off the Lakewood Freeway, Hwy 166 and onto Metropolitan Avenue. Go past two crime scenes, turn right and follow the signs. Now here is the decision you need to make. You can go into the Lakewood fairground area and be up close to the gate entrance. Behind the amphitheater is a large parking area where the RV’s and the more orthodox parrotheads gather. By far it’s a must for the tour. They get there early so they’ll be there when you get there.
There’s also parking near the front area, a short walk to the gate but you’ll pay for it when it’s time to leave. You can also park in one of the parking lots before you get to the fairground property. To each it’s own. I park in the front, facing the road, for a quick getaway. Wherever you decide to park, do get there early enough to do some cruising around. Take a camera.
Find and use the bathroom early. Many improvised outhouse are scattered throughout the parking area and portable outhouses are on the fairground property—yes there’s a line.
On the front side, the guys who run the Chevron are nice guys, evident by the two long lines down aisle 3 and 4 outside the men’s and women’s room. The names don’t matter. It’s coed. It’s air conditioned and it’s worth the wait to see the people-zoo as you stand in line. They do sell a lot of beer to those standing by although they run out of toilet paper early.
After that, you’re at the show. Have fun and if you’re in the lawn, watch out for the poor souls who hit too soon, too much, passed out and spent $70 for a tailgate party that ended much too soon. Still, it’s fun except for the chafing, courtesy of the coconut bikini top. It still hurts.
And before you know it, it’s Monday.
The Smart-For-Two car is starting to get the attention it wanted. The car is 106 inches in length and gets 33 mpg in the city and 41on the highway. It seats two people or 16 circus clowns comfortably. Parking isn’t a problem. Just fold it up and put it in the handy canvas bag (not included.) I think it’s great that we’re looking at alternatives such as this car. I think the hardest part will be keeping them from being I-285 traffic appetizers.
NKOTB are back. New Kids On The Block will be here in October. You can get a seat in the first ten rows and a Meet-And-Greet pass for only $350. According to Phyllis Brusco of Alliance Artists who manage classic rock bands including Styx, NKOTB tickets went for $17 back in their prime. I know, I took my daughter—twice. She hasn’t mentioned them yet, probably because she has two new kids on her—uh, block and another one in the oven so that means almost on…uh, the block….well anyway she’s busy that night.
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Comments
By Cassie
June 9, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
And Big Man’s parking is a rip off. Twenty bucks for the little Liberty, and the pregnant couple in front of us paid $5 for their little Toyota whatever.
But it was great! Too bad I missed the coconut bra!
By Steve
June 9, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Yay, only 350 bucks for NKOTB! Is that close enough to the stage to be able to throw things at them? I wouldn’t mind pelting Donnie Wahlberg in the forehead with a plunger.
By reader
June 9, 2008 5:53 PM | Link to this
Would love to see JB at Encore…no longer interested in making the trek down to Lakewood. Have seen him at both Lakewood and Phillips…totally different experiences, but always fun.
By Allen
June 9, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this
OK, I’ll bite. Why is it that Buffett fans are Republicans? There are seats on the left and right sides of the arena.
By jimbo
June 10, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this
I have two issues with the Smart cars. They use premium gasoline and they’re dirtier to run than the average car.
By Tom T
June 10, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
Keep your Smart-For-Two car Steve……I’ll suffer through with my 31 highway mpg Cadillac DeVille. At least I probably won’t become a traffic appetizer.
By Parrothead
June 10, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
I’m only interested in the Smart car if is has fins to the left , fins to the right and it’s the only car intown..whoo hoo
By Travis
June 10, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this
What a joke that it only gets 33/41 - on premium fuel no less. Wasn’t it too long ago that certain compacts and subcompacts were getting more than 40 city? What ever happened to the Geo Metro? Are auto-makers specifically making cars these days that unnecessarily guzzle fuel, because it sure seems like they should have come a long way — forwards not backwards.
By Doug Canada
June 11, 2008 6:58 AM | Link to this
From: Doug Canada - Your ex brother-in-law and fan in Afghanistan Dear Steve, I thought this might be the only way to get in touch with you from my present location. ( No, Steve not prison!) I was offered a great job at a bad location to help our Armed forces at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. I am writing a diary of my travels and will keep you posted. (This material for writing is just so crazy that you can’t make this S@%t up. E-mail me with your direct Email. (I lost yours to a computer crash) Call Lisa and make sure she’s ok. Sorry I missed Buffet! Will miss you Doug
By Get It Right
June 11, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
There is nothing like the tailgating at a Buffett concert. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. and started the party in the street while waiting for the parking lot gates to open. The female officer assigned to traffic detail was great and kept us safe while laughing at our craziness. When’s next year’s concert?
By Lt. Steve
June 11, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this
Hi Dug I heard you were in Afganistan. I thought you flipped out—you know, the last time I saw you, you had on a Viking helmet, and, well nothing else except the parachute. I figured it was possible for you to wake up in Afganistan. You can e-mail me—it’s the best way. Good luck there.
By Stone
June 11, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
I usually back the police when they fire their weapons at people, but the cop who shot the Hispanic day laborer who supposedly broke into his house and shot his wife to death?… well something smells awfully bad about that whole story. The cops had been called to the residence before due to domestic disturbences so my imagination is running wild. ElBubba, what do you think?
By Tony
June 11, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this
Stone, I’m a police officer and I believe there’s more to the story about the Dekalb County deputy. It’s been my experience that when it seems too easy, there’s something wrong.
By Grateful Flea
June 11, 2008 11:26 PM | Link to this
Wasted away again in margaritaville. I was working in Detroit in a bank when that song first appeared on the radio. One day, I heard a customer shout to a friend he saw in the bank. He said that at first he thought Margaritaville was a town, but then he said that he realized that it’s not a town, but a drink! He was shouting in the bank about this song to his friend across the lobby totally oblivous to the scene he was making. I thought he was a total boob. Shut u-up. Shut U-UP! I thought everyone knew immediately what Jimmy Buffet meant with that song, but whatever.
I have to share the planet with others and not lash out, ever, for any reason. I cant violate the prime directive of non-interfernce with mutant life forms, is all I’m saying.
I just have to sit there, strum on my six string, and take it, with the smell of shrimp beginning to boil.
If only there was a concoction to help me hang on….
By Stone
June 12, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this
Tony, I hope we’re both wrong. It doesn’t look good when cops kill their wives and possibly innocent day laborers. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who smell something. God, I sure hope he didn’t blow some poor guy away to cover for killing his wife. Like I said, hope I’m wrong, and I’ll be the first to admit it if I am.
By The truth about cops
June 13, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
If some dirtbag cop shot a Mexican, that’s more than they’ve been willing to do about illegals so far. Any word on a weight requirement for these short fatties that call themselves “police”? No? Too bad. What about that I.C.E. training to get rid of this swarm of third-world illegals? Nope? OK. You guys just keep eating and writing up those Mickey Mouse tickets. We’ll all keep pretending you deserve respect. Too bad the Mexican didn’t shoot first. There’s too many cops in the world anyway.