But thrill of being at landmark event trumps complaints
By Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 29, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Photo by Ellen Jaskol / The Rocky
Crowds line up early Thursday afternoon along Walnut Street near the Auraria campus and the Pepsi Center to get into Invesco Field at Mile High.
Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky
Jenni Engebretsen, DNCC deputy CEO for public affairs, center left, and another delegate are prevented by police from entering the floor of Invesco Field on Thursday. So many people crowded the area that safety issues became a concern.
Euphoria and chaos.
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium had both throughout the day as Barack Obama prepared to accept the Democratic Party's nomination for president.
But confusion - ranging from long lines outside the stadium to bad sight lines within it - caused anger to cloud the excitement that many felt.
For a time at mid- and late afternoon, lines took 90 minutes to snake through security. And the August afternoon sun took its toll on many of the 80,000 people who came to see the speech.
"Since I'm wearing heels, I'm in a lot of pain," said Victoria Meyer of Denver. "I didn't know it would be that long."
Key to the problem, many said, was limited entry points and security screening. Unlike a typical Broncos game, in which people flood into the stadium from all sides, 80,000 people - including 15,000-some media loaded with cameras, laptops and assorted electronics - were funneled through just three main security areas.
Even opening the doors to the public at 1 p.m. wasn't enough to avoid mid-afternoon backlogs.
"It's hard to herd 80,000 to 90,000 people," said Jomo Bellard, 33, of Washington, D.C. "But I'm tired of being herded. I'm not a cow."
Even so, Bellard, like dozens interviewed, was thrilled to be there.
"I've never seen so many people line up for a speaker," he said.
A few people complained of waits longer than 90 minutes, and there were reports of waits up to two hours. One man, Mike Theis of Denver, said few people were helping direct the crowd.
"It's not very well organized," he said. Theis said his family got in line at 2:30 p.m. and didn't enter Invesco until 6 p.m.
Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said the lines were what officials had expected.
"We're working at maximum," he said of the 90-minute lines at peak back-up time. He said paramedics were monitoring the lines for overheated patrons.
But he added that the Secret Service had figured the ratio of entry points needed for the crowd size.
"Mathematically, this adds up," he said.
Buses and light rail were also packed, forcing folks to wait for rides just so they could embark on the long wait to get into the stadium.
For some, however, the tough lines paled in comparison with their disappointment when they arrived.
Thousands of Obama fans attending the speech arrived to find their view of the podium completely obscured.
Attendees expressed disappointment at two massive obstructions that kept many from seeing the stage entirely - the back of the podium and, across the field, an enormous riser looking down on the stage.
Natalie Wyeth, a spokeswoman for the DNC, said, three hours before Obama's speech, she would see what could be done to move people to a better location, but many were still behind the stage when the meat of the program began.
"We absolutely aim to have every seat be a good seat, but because of interest, we are filling every seat," she said.
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August 29, 2008
10:29 a.m.
Suggest removal
SteveM writes:
This story is absolutely pure Colorado. We complain about everything and have completely illogical expectations. Hmm, how on earth would the brilliant complainers have suggested we get 80,000 people into one venue where every single entrant has to be scanned for one of the highest profile security events ever to come to our region of the country? Anyone who didn't think this was going to be a huge wait wasn't using his or her brain. People wait over night in lines to get concert tickets. If I had had tickets I would have been in line at 6:00 am. But, I didn't get tickets because I knew as did a lot of smart other people, that watching it on tv would give me unobstructed sight lines and no wait time! You pay the price for the electric feeling of being there people. So, stop complaining.
I do think however that it should have been illegal to raise the cost of parking to a value greater than that of a Broncos game, that's pure gouging. The people that own the lots and did that should be ashamed. They made our city and state look bad and put a bad taste in the mouth of people who will think twice about coming back. Their short-term gains could have very long-term costs. They took advantage of people and are nothing better than the blood-leeching oil companies and oil speculators that are ruining our nation. If I were the Mayor of Denver, I would enact immediate legislation making it illegal in the future to raise the price of private parking to a value greater than that of a standard event price as set by the lot owner. So, if the lot owner always wants to charge $80 then fine, but if they normally charge $20 than it's $20. And please, don't post any comments saying that would be illegal for the government to fix the prices because, (a) it's not illegal for the government to regulate prices (example, there is a Denver City ordinance that prevents vendors at DIA from charging more than 15% of what the prices are for similar items off-airport, the US Gov. used to regulate prices in many industries from airlines to telephone company, and the state still regulates the costs of the power companies), and (b) this proposed ordinance wouldn't be government fixing, the lots could still fix, they'd just have to stick with their fix.
August 29, 2008
12:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
ScottH writes:
I rode the light-rail train to the Invesco Field station. Got there at about 6:45, walked straight to the bridge over the river with many other people, went through security and went right in. No lines whatsoever.
August 29, 2008
12:34 p.m.
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Pastmaster writes:
For a moment I thought I had gotten the Minneapolis paper by mistake. McCain and his veep pick get top billing and Obama and the Democratic convention in DENVER appear down the webpage? And the first article on that focuses on complaints?
August 29, 2008
3:23 p.m.
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dirkle writes:
Sounds like a few whiners getting interviewed by someone looking for something to write about. This convention overall appears to have been a big success. Why the negativity?