Right Field U-Hauls/Busses

O

Orangeblood

1,000+ Posts
I was told a few nights ago (by a UTPD officer) that there will be some changes in street parking starting this season. So remember, this is what I was told, not my opinion or idea (ie don't shoot the messenger).

Due to:

1) a multitude of complaints from the neighborhood, visiting fans (think UH and others), and the city;

2) incidents of intoxication and people falling off vehicles; and

3) some other reason that I don't really remember;

the City (ie APD) has supposedly been tasked with changing the parking signs and rules for Comal and for the street along the north side of the softball field. This rule change and subsequent enforcement will "supposedly" (and intentionally) eliminate the parking of the busses and trucks along the RF line.
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Has anyone else been told this?
 
That sucks. I have never been on the buses or even known the people but I like the unique tradition of Texas baseball. It will be a shame it is goes away.
 
I watch most of the games from Bobby's bus in right field and I hope this isn't true. I'll see what I can find out.
 
my life is over.
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dear utpd,

eat a bag of rat ****.
 
UTPD was just telling me. Supposedly APD enacting and enforcing.

Also, while I actually don't have an opinion either way (since I tailgate elsewhere), I don't think that you can really call those tailgates "tradition" per se. They've only been around for 8-10 years max.

Of coursed, if I were the one in charge for UT, I'd simply mark the spaces out and rent them to the vehicle owners with the caveat that if anyone was injured, they were completely and individually liable, regardless of how the injury occurred (ie falling off, fights, etc.). Let them stay, but charge them a fee to see the game.
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Of course, I'm not anywhere close to being in that position, so my thoughts don't mean jack.
 
As a partial owner of a bus I can say that calls were made last week stating that the busses parked there had to be moved within two weeks or be towed. I thought this was rather odd because the police do not warn you about changes in parking and they don't give you two weeks notice.

We have two friends who are APD officers and are often on our bus. You may have seen them in uniform during games. They looked into it and could report no changes with the parking.

A temporary no parking sign has gone up near right center. But that has happened previously as workers have made renovations in right field. After the work was completed the signs came down. We suspect that the current no parking sign and the phone calls were meant to be a temporary suspension of parking in right field while work is completed in that area.

We also have been in touch with another bus owner, Tommy Harmon's son. He reports that his dad knows nothing of a change in parking and that he and Augie love the people being in right field.

Rumors of changes in parking in right field seem to come up every year. I hope this is just more of the same. The people who are in right field are some of the most loyal baseball fans there are and they add a lot to the atmoshpere at the Disch.
 
Good. I was hoping to stir up some people because I wanted them to have time to not only investigate this, but to possibly be able to keep it from happening.
 
OK, got some new info. Our APD friend confirmed that the plan is NOT to allow any parking on Comal. He said that he was told that this all came from the head of the UTPD. The city is only acting on something the UTPD asked for.

This is wrong and we should not allow the UTPD to change one of the best parts of the UT baseball experience. It appears that the coaches and players do not know about this.

I, for one, do not plan on taking this sitting down. I want an explanation from the UTPD and/or the University. i have been out in Right Field for three years and there has never been one arrest, one problem with police, one fight, or one injury. Despite what was said, most fans of other schools have marveled at what we have at UT. They have been envious of the great baseball fans that UT has. I can't count the number of fans from opposing teams that have watched games with us. We have even had parents of opposing teams' players join us. They did so because the people on the buses are there to support the Horns and enjoy great baseball in a fun and friendly environment.

We hope that with the support of fellow Horn fans we can maintain that environment for many years to come.
 
that's ********...i remember as a kid always seeing the busses out there and wishing i could go watch the game on one, now that i'm all grown up, i still have never gotten to, but it's awesome to have them out there, you don't see that anywhere else...whoever is pushing this through is an absolute idiot
 
E-mailed the parking and transportation office at UT:
"I’ve heard a rumor that U-Hauls and buses will no longer be allowed to park behind the right field wall at the baseball field? Is this true? Appreciate any info."

The reply:

This is true. The City of Austin has signed the curb for no parking. This goes into effect the first part of February. The curb will be painted yellow and violators may be cited or towed.

[email protected]

Pretty crappy and something ahould be done.
 
UT is making it a little harder for the average Jane to be a baseball fan down there. Pushing parking to the outskirts unless you give $1000... making the right field crazies move... I sit behind first base and love the right field activities!
I suppose money talks though. Maybe we should have a "park in" on Comal and all stand by our cars? :) If an uproar is not caused they will assume happy compliance.
 
so not only are they taking the buses out of commision, they're making it even MORE difficult to find a parking spot.

way to serve and protect the community, police officers. you're very outstanding. thanks!

makes me sick!

UTPD: helping the terrorists win
 
I can remember the UHauls in right field in 89 - 94. I started renting my own in 99 and have done it every year since then. I have had friends come back to Austin from as far away as San Francisco, Portland and Washington DC just for the UHaul weekend. This is a sad end to a great time. Plus, I think having us out there helped add a little to Texas' home field advantage. I can remember talking to some Stanford players who were a little freaked out by the scene in rght, and we definitely got in the Aggies' heads more than once.
 
I'm volunteering to help in any way I can as well. Hell, if the owners of the buses/u-hauls want to park there in protest I'll donate money to pay the citation.

I've been watching games from the sports bus for 2 years now. Bobby doesn't tolerate cussing at opposing players or people behaving like jackasses. We do heckle the players, but its clean and good natured. Furthermore, I haven't attended every single game, but I've yet to see anyone get injured or cause problems from having a few too many.

This is a silly move that makes no sense.
 
UT may have have persuaded the city to paint the curb and erect the signs. Comal street is still city property, somebody needs to make a few phone calls. The softball team parks on Comal, hell they even have people watch from left field (on E. 21st). I'll be watching to see if they enforce the same action against softball.
 
I just sent (emailed) a letter to chief of police Robert Dahlstrom and copied DeLoss and Augie. I am a lawyer and will use whatever legal strategies I can come up with to fight this. But in the end the only way this doesn't happen is if DeLoss tells the UTPD or whoever wants this to BACK OFF. So I mostly appealed to their heart strings and threw in a little legal threat to try to stir up some action.

The worst thing about this is how it happened in the dark of night, very similar to the changes in football parking. UT does this right before the season starts so that you don't have time to object. I guarantee you there had to be a public hearing to get no parking status but no one knew about it. Like I said before, I don't know if the coaches or players are even aware of this. I have spoken with Kyle Russel and other players and I know they love us being out there.

And as far as the losing out on money argument goes. I drive in from Houston for home games, the owner of the bus I am on drives in from South Padre. We get hotels and spend lots of money in town every weekend. The city benefits from that. It may be a drop in the bucket but it is something. I can't see myself driving in to sit in the stands, it will just remind me of what I am missing. Plus, I think that gas station on MLK will go bankrupt without our beer and ice purchases.

I'll let you know what response I get. In the meantime, I think letting DeLoss Dodds know your feelings cannot hurt and can only help.

Anyone have a friend at the statesman or a local TV affiliate? This sounds like a pretty good story to me.
 
In Right, I received another response from the parking and trans. office at UT.

This street is owned by the City of Austin, not the University, and from what I understand they have made it a no parking area due to access for emergency vehicles and for safety reasons.If you have any other questions, please let me know.



Thank you,



Linsey Duett

Special Events Manager

Parking & Transportation Services

The University of Texas @ Austin

Mail Code: D3000

Phone: 471-5283

Fax: 232-9405

E-Mail: [email protected]


 
Interesting, my friend in the APD says that he heard this all came about due to the Chief of the UTPD. I expect UT to blame the City. That is why an open records request under the Texas Public Information Act may be the only way to get to the bottom of who is really behind this.
 
I think who is behind this is crucial. If UT requested it and the city is simply following their wishes (since they own the property on both sides of Comal) then pressure must be placed on UT to say we changed our minds, let them park there. But if it is the city, then we have to fight city hall. A totally different strategy. BTW, I'm sorry, the emergency vehicle excuse sounds lame. Fire trucks would routinely drive by during regionals and blow their horns and ask for scores. And thats when u-hauls and buses would be on both sides of Comal.

FYI, I know Dahlstrom at least opened my email (had a read receipt). But no response yet. If the city is truely behind it, he should just send me a quick reply and say so.
 
Chief of UTPD has responded. Just got the following brief response.
I appreciate your comments on the parking issue on Comal. There have been several safety issues involving that area. We forwarded those issues to the City of Austin and they replied that they had received several complaints of there own from the neighbors in the area. The city took the action of the no parking signs.

He also gave me his office number. I called his office and got his voice mail. So the UTPD is behind this. Or at least they got the ball rolling. I am not satified with his response and will look to get more info.
 
My family and I have watched many games from our bus. We will have many fond memories and it was a wonderful family activity. I have been a season ticket holder for the past 20+ years in various sports and attend many games but the bus is a special experience. If our time on the bus has ended that will be sad.

If somehow the policy is changed and we are allowed to continue the tradition I would envite anyone who would like to visit our bus please feel welcome. The policy is first come first serve, after the owners famlies and friends and free to all. If you love Longhorn Baseball your are our friends.

'hookem'
 
Spoke with the Chief of the UTPD. Here is how it went down:

Last season an ambulance was required at the softball field and it could not get access to the stadium. (This sounds like a general parking problem, not one with the buses.)

UTPD contacted APD and mentioned this problem along with saftey concerns of people drinking and falling off buses. (Chief admitted that there had been no incidents of people falling off buses while he has been there the last two years. He went by what officers had told him about what happened years ago. This appears to show that the UTPD was trying to build a case against the buses.)

APD responded that they had recieved many complaints about parking and noise coming from the buses. (You live next to a baseball stadium with a PA system. Sorry, seems like you moved next to the nuisance, it didn't come to you.)

UTPD and APD agreed to wait till after the season was over because they didn't want to start a huge problem by doing anything during the season. (UTPD likes path of least resistance. They knew people would be furious about this.)

After the season, the UTPD and APD talked again and decided that a no parking zone would be best. The chief wasn't sure what city department gave the final approval. He believes it was the "street and signs department" but wasn't sure if that was the right name. He also didn't know if a public hearing was required to get the no parking signs.

He admitted that he never consulted with the athletic department. He said he has never spoken to Dodds or Garrido. (I can't believe that! Dodds needs to hear from us on this.)

The chief was very nice and tried to answer all my questions. I don't agree with his opinion that no parking was the best way to handle this. But I do appreciate his quick responses to my questions.
 
ok, first of all, to what email addresses should i send my obscenity-laced tirade?

then, can we just get texasfirefighter to show up every game with a ladder truck and ambulance to park there legally and allow people up on top? emergency access solved, right field seating solved. AFD to the rescue, as usual. plus the sirens and horn could come in handy in certain crucial situations to encite a balk or wild pitch or dropped fly ball or something.
 
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