I admit it, I’m not the leading expert on sports in the US. I am certain the following explanation is completely unnecessary. However, in deference to the two of you that don’t know to what the headline refers, I will expound.
The "Mavs" are the Dallas Mavericks, a team that has a 60 and 22 record during the regular season and is now 3 and 1 in the playoffs. And I had to Google the word "Mavs" to figure out just who they were and from wince they came. Goes to show you that basketball (yes its basketball) is moving off my radar.
Nevertheless, this post isn’t about basketball, but parking. A spy within the ranks of one of the largest commercial parking operators slipped me a tidbit one of their customers forwarded over the weekend.
It seems that during the playoff games in Dallas, a local surface lot hiked their fees from $10 to $40 and were going to raise it to $50 the next night. Are you amazed?
I’m not — I think they should charge whatever the traffic will bear. Its not unusual for game tickets to be less than the parking — I know that 15 years ago, parking for New York Islander games (that’s hockey for the rest of you) was $35 at the lot across the street from Madison Square Garden.
The reason for the information being sent to the operator from an owner? My guess is that the owner was asking the operator in a not so subtile way, to hike the rates in their lots during games. Lets face it, owners love that bottom line. If the normal price is $10, but the games fills the lot and there are 500 spaces, that extra $40 will make an additonal 20 grand and all you had to do was change a sign.
Price gouging? Nope, supply and demand.
My guess is the very people who will complain about the price to park are the same people who complain about all the traffic around the game. I looked it up and American Airlines Stadium in Dallas is served by all freeways, has 5300 parking spaces, and a lot of public transportation. IF you don’t want to pay $50 to park, take the train, (one of two lines servicing the area) or the bus.
JVH
