It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionA most unfortunate way to have a prospective evening ruined. grrrr(19 posts)(19 posts)
(19 posts)
Pages:
1
2
This is my favourite topic
Posted November 08, 2015
Yesterday evening we went to Brussels to attend a concert in Bozar. We departed well in advance in case of any eventualities, knowing that the Belgian highways can be a messy place at times. So, the concert starts at 20:00h and we arrived in Brussels around about 19:10h. There were some initial troubles; there were roadworks in a big alley headed into the city, and the smartasses in charge of logistical management had placed traffic lights at the FIRST EXIT of a big roundabout (-_-) - Belgium. We spent the next 50 minutes looking for a place to park the car ... to no avail. There were no clear indications of large parking spaces a pack of peasants from the rural area of Limburg could readily interpret while under extreme stress.

You might ask, why take a car to the capital and not a train or bus if you know that this kind of trouble is likely to come about in a little country where everyone has their own car and has to park their own car, and everybody consistently uses their cars for sole personal transportation?

The answer: it actually takes far longer to get to Brussels from where we live (Maaseik), using public transportation, than to get to Amsterdam from where we live, using public transportation. Not only that, but public transportation in our area is so sourly neglected that we could still have taken it to the capital to arrive there on time, but then we wouldn't have had any means of getting back to our place after the concert (because of no trains/busses going our way after a certain hour). Hence, the car was our only option of getting there.

When it was 20:15 o' clock we turned back to Maaseik, having missed the concert. The one time they perform Berlioz's Grande messe des morts (Of all the pieces you could miss) in Brussels - and we missed it, having driven past the concert hall twice with the tickets in our pockets.

I must say that I remain fairly apathetic under these unfortunate conditions. There are of course worse things; but fuck me, it's frustrating. And I just needed to oust it here.
Posted November 08, 2015
A most unfortunate turn of events. Or bad policy on part of public transport planning - it might have happened to people in more rural places in Holland as well.

You're most welcome in the bitch about life in general thread.
Posted November 08, 2015
Not to be a smart arse but this is exactly why I go to concerts well before the starting time. In a sense you did leave it awfully late to leave.
Posted November 08, 2015
What darth said! Drinking two or three beer with random people in front of a stadium/concert hall (while you're waiting that they open the doors) is an essential part of every concert. You don't want to be at a concert "just in time". Get there early, relax and suck in the atmosphere. Perfect build-up for a concert ;)
Posted November 08, 2015
avatar
real.geizterfahr: What darth said! Drinking two or three beer with random people in front of a stadium/concert hall (while you're waiting that they open the doors) is an essential part of every concert. You don't want to be at a concert "just in time". Get there early, relax and suck in the atmosphere. Perfect build-up for a concert ;)
Hell yeah. There has been times iv had more fun in the queue then the actual gig lol.
Posted November 08, 2015
avatar
Vnlr: Yesterday evening we went to Brussels to attend a concert in Bozar. We departed well in advance in case of any eventualities, knowing that the Belgian highways can be a messy place at times. So, the concert starts at 20:00h and we arrived in Brussels around about 19:10h. There were some initial troubles; there were roadworks in a big alley headed into the city, and the smartasses in charge of logistical management had placed traffic lights at the FIRST EXIT of a big roundabout (-_-) - Belgium. We spent the next 50 minutes looking for a place to park the car ... to no avail. There were no clear indications of large parking spaces a pack of peasants from the rural area of Limburg could readily interpret while under extreme stress.

You might ask, why take a car to the capital and not a train or bus if you know that this kind of trouble is likely to come about in a little country where everyone has their own car and has to park their own car, and everybody consistently uses their cars for sole personal transportation?

The answer: it actually takes far longer to get to Brussels from where we live (Maaseik), using public transportation, than to get to Amsterdam from where we live, using public transportation. Not only that, but public transportation in our area is so sourly neglected that we could still have taken it to the capital to arrive there on time, but then we wouldn't have had any means of getting back to our place after the concert (because of no trains/busses going our way after a certain hour). Hence, the car was our only option of getting there.

When it was 20:15 o' clock we turned back to Maaseik, having missed the concert. The one time they perform Berlioz's Grande messe des morts (Of all the pieces you could miss) in Brussels - and we missed it, having driven past the concert hall twice with the tickets in our pockets.

I must say that I remain fairly apathetic under these unfortunate conditions. There are of course worse things; but fuck me, it's frustrating. And I just needed to oust it here.
What do you expect, its Belgium. I can't actually find the picture, but it was a picture of Belgium, with exclamation marks over each traffic jam - you could barely see anything but exclamation marks. Although I did find this, which demonstrates the point nicely:
http://www.earthporm.com/traffic-jam-belgium-forest-chatillon-car-graveyard/

As for public transport, at least yours is a reasonable price, ours is got to be one of the worst transport systems in the world, and most expensive. I can get to Brussels/Germany faster than I can get around here. For example, I was on a German train the other day, they have these tablets on the wall with some information, and the train was travelling at some ridiculously fast rate (200+kmh I think). Compare that our high speed line which goes at mind watering speeds but still slower than a sheep ambling along the side of the line. And the cost, well you could go from one side of Europe to the other for the cost of a day return 2 mile down the track, so think yourself lucky,
Posted November 08, 2015
I can still remember this from classical concerts and I was always happy to be one of the blokes that don't even have a car and just used the train. Most of the times I was on stage though, so coming late wouldn't have been an option anyway.

Stuff like this wouldn't happen at folk concerts, not even if they're happening in our philharmonic temple which they seldomly do if real pros are in town.

If you're ever in Berlin, come to our folk sessions or concerts. Not many people are interested in those and the quality is top notch, since there are quite a few people active that got annoyed by the management of the classical stuff, learned to play a less common instrument professionally at some point and wanted to do something where they can see people dance instead of just sitting around.
But since you're in Belgium, you've got the best stuff in this direction available anyway, especcially thinking of bands like Naragonia and Trio Dhoore and festivals like Boombal when it comes to this.
avatar
nightcraw1er.488: http://www.earthporm.com/traffic-jam-belgium-forest-chatillon-car-graveyard/
Woah, I've seldomly seen a site trying to execute so many ad-scripts at once.
Here's another one:
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/chatillon-car-graveyard-in-belgium.html

Quoting one of the comments for great truth:
Good old military inefficiency - why not just park them with the keys inside? No, let's go ahead and trash a nice forest.
Post edited November 08, 2015 by Klumpen0815
Posted November 08, 2015
Ok, cheer up, I once went to a concert just to find out in front of the building where the concert should have taken place, that the concert was cancelled because the band had some troubles in other country (Evegrey was the band, and I think they had problems in Turkey).
Another time I went to a different venue. I was getting near the building and me and my friend were wondering why was so quiet. After we read our tickets, we found that we were in the wrong place.
Posted November 08, 2015
If I don't arrive at the scene of an event 2 hours early (parked and all) I consider it a failure because I know what it's like. I attend Am. Football games fairly regularly, and this is just common practice. Do you guys party before the events (called tailgating here)?
Posted November 08, 2015
avatar
OlivawR: Ok, cheer up, I once went to a concert just to find out in front of the building where the concert should have taken place, that the concert was cancelled
Be glad there was a venue to turn up to.
There used to be a venue in Leeds called the Duchess. I say used to because the place was demolished to make way for a multi story car park. Thing is the venue staff etc only found out the day befofe that was going to happen - so didnt get the chance to warn anyone.
Needless to say for about the next week as it was being demolished, people kept turning up, ticket in hand - as did the bands for soundcheck.
Posted November 08, 2015
At least you have usable public transport. When i was studying i usually hitchhiked home in the weekends. This because busses had an unreliable timetable and the train would take 3 hours. For 50 kilometers.
Post edited November 08, 2015 by blotunga
Posted November 08, 2015
Last concert I went to I arrived the day before had hotel booked for 3 nights, soooo much easier
Posted November 08, 2015
avatar
darthspudius: Not to be a smart arse but this is exactly why I go to concerts well before the starting time. In a sense you did leave it awfully late to leave.
This.

And on top of it I always check online where I can park. Never go to an event in a city without having several options to park your car.
Posted November 08, 2015
low rated
First World Problems
Posted November 08, 2015
avatar
paladin181:
Would be a sight to behold! Tailgating at a classical concert.....
Pages:
1
2
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionA most unfortunate way to have a prospective evening ruined. grrrr(19 posts)(19 posts)
(19 posts)