By Billy S. Garland
Call me a downer or a negative Nancy if you must, but if I am being honest, I have a bone to pick.
This year, like the past few, I had to work while “Thunder over Louisville” was being celebrated.
I didn’t necessarily mind my inability to attend, because I have been to the show a couple of times, and didn’t have a lot of interest in going again. I was more than happy to fold clothes at my retail job while others lost themselves to drunkenness and debauchery. The part that left me madder than a wet hornet was my inability to get home after work.
I live a few blocks away from campus on Third at Magnolia. I was aware that there would be massive amounts of traffic leaving the downtown area, what I was blissfully unaware of was the fact that all roads going the other direction were blocked off for traffic that was leaving.
I can find no logic in closing down all access to the city. Yes, I will grant that it was necessary to change the traffic patterns to facilitate the large exodus of inebriated spectators, but never the less to restrict all traffic to flow away from the city seems absolutely absurd.
Now I feel that I must take a moment to apologize. I let my temper get away from me at one point during my attempted trip home, and engaged in a rather heated argument with one female officer on the corner of Third and Cardinal. In the event that you are reading this by some stretch of the imagination, I apologize. It was obviously not your fault that you had no idea how I might get home.
My aggression would have been better directed at the officials that organized this huge mess. Leaving aside the absolutely ridiculous fact that there were no clear paths toward downtown, it would seem appropriate the officials directing traffic would be informed of the appropriate routes to follow; in the event that, I don’t know, SOMEONE WANTED TO GO HOME.
Fortunately after an hour and a half I was finally able to make it back to my apartment. I have chalked this one up to experience, and next year the thunder sounding over Louisville will be unheard by my ears. I have no intention of being anywhere near here when this all comes back around next year.
