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Tailgating Hours Changed

Battle Red Flash

Battle Red Flash

Waterboy
Got my tickets yesterday. Also got the Fans Guideline Magazine with the rules. Sorry if this is discussed elswhere, but did anyone else notice the Texans are making us leave an hour early this year?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it now states "you may tailgate up to one hour after the game ends."
It used to be two hours, right?
They charge us $8.00 for a beer, and they cut back on paying for security by an hour? Me and my buds like to stay to the bitter end of any game, and if we do that, it then takes 20 to 25 minutes to make it to the car, then we usually listen to the post game and talk over the game. Now, we barely have time to pack up and vamoose.
Does this upset anyone else? Then let them know. Get in touch with Jamey Rootes, and let them know that we noticed.
 
I didnt really read it, but I definitely like to to stay a long time after the game, cutting that time down stinks!
 
I read that as well, but I don't worry about that. I can say that we have stayed much longer than the time allowed many, many times.
So don't sweat it......unless the police in your area are jerks..
 
hobie said:
I read that as well, but I don't worry about that. I can say that we have stayed much longer than the time allowed many, many times.
So don't sweat it......unless the police in your area are jerks..
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You are right, Hobie. We have stayed late sometimes too, but normally the cops come around at 5pm, telling us to go.
I'd hate for that to start at 4pm now.
 
Battle Red Flash said:
You are right, Hobie. We have stayed late sometimes too, but normally the cops come around at 5pm, telling us to go.
I'd hate for that to start at 4pm now.
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Write the Texans and tell them how you feel if enough people up rise they just may change it back.
 
We always stay until 5:00, as well, or until the golf cart cop asks us to vacate (usually after 5:00).

Heck, we're barely just getting to our tailgate to fire up the grill by 4:00, especially after a win!

I think we should expect business as usual, and then raise a stink if they enforce the one-hour rule.
 
Double Barrel said:
We always stay until 5:00, as well, or until the golf cart cop asks us to vacate (usually after 5:00).

Heck, we're barely just getting to our tailgate to fire up the grill by 4:00, especially after a win!

I think we should expect business as usual, and then raise a stink if they enforce the one-hour rule.
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IIRC, I think this came up last year as it was in the '07 fan guide as well. I think it was decided it was worded like that for some sort of legalities or something, maybe a guideline so as to be able to move out the unruly ones if need be or something to that effect.

I can guarantee, in the 60 tailgates I've been to, I've never been out of there in less than 2 hours after the game.
 
Battle Red Flash said:
This sounds like a good course of action.
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Our FO has been very good about responding to the concerns of fans. I feel confident that they would consider changing policy if enough of us make a fuss about something.

I just wish enough yellow lotters would request an earlier gate opening time! ;)
 
Double Barrel said:
Our FO has been very good about responding to the concerns of fans. I feel confident that they would consider changing policy if enough of us make a fuss about something.

I just wish enough yellow lotters would request an earlier gate opening time! ;)
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Right there with ya on that,but all lots to open earlier, but then that would cost more to do that. Gate keepers would need to be there a hour early, law enforcement, yellow vests, and I am sure other behind the scene people would as well. And for the cost of that, then our parking passes would most likely be increased.
We just start ours a little early outside the gate...
 
I went ahead and set the following email to a certain Texans executive:

I was just reading through this year's fan guide. It looks like there's been a change to the after game tailgating schedule. Starting this year, Texans fans will have only 60 minutes to exit Reliant Park after the end of the game. I can't even begin to express what a terrible idea you've come up with.

Benefits

1. Save a few dollars on security salaries. Certainly a drop in the bucket for a franchise with estimated operating profit of over $50 million per year.

Costs

1. Increased traffic congestion for Texans fans leaving Reliant Park. Fans hate traffic
2. More empty seats in the 4th quarter as more fans try to beat the traffic.
Don't we have enough empty seats already?
3. More drivers on the road under the influence of alcohol consumed in Reliant Stadium.
4. Increased potential liability for accidents caused by #3.
5. Less time for fans enjoy the very special camaraderie we all feel after a Texans win.
6. Lost brand building opportunity associated with #6.
7. Overall reduction in value for the Texans game day experience. We're paying for more than 60 minutes of football.

You guys are building something very special. Year by year, the Texans are becoming more a part of the fabric of life in this great city. Don't start running plays out of Bud Adams' playbook. You're better than that.
 
hobie said:
[/B]

Right there with ya on that,but all lots to open earlier, but then that would cost more to do that. Gate keepers would need to be there a hour early, law enforcement, yellow vests, and I am sure other behind the scene people would as well. And for the cost of that, then our parking passes would most likely be increased.
We just start ours a little early outside the gate...
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I seem to recall paying $15 per game for the yellow lot parking passes this year. How much more can they raise the cost? Don't answer that.
 
TexanBacker93 said:
I seem to recall paying $15 per game for the yellow lot parking passes this year. How much more can they raise the cost? Don't answer that.
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Again, this has been brought up before in years past. They have never enforced it. Nothing to get aroused about. Move along.
 
bpe3 said:
You guys are building something very special. Year by year, the Texans are becoming more a part of the fabric of life in this great city. Don't start running plays out of Bud Adams' playbook. You're better than that.
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A haiku:

Don’t close the gate
Bud’s influence runs deep
There’s still beer left
 
Tedc said:
You might want to save some of those beers. Your Haiku is just a little off.
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It can't be off, I'm using a handy dandy thingamajig :doot:

Oh well, here's another one that's probably wrong too:

Lazy Rent a Cop
Doesn’t like to work past 5
Where’s the donuts
 
My advice would be to not draw attention to the 'rules' since there are some (including a few very important ones) that are not strictly enforced. But shine a light on 'em and you bet they'll get attention - all of them ... and maybe not in a way that benefits the tailgater. Most of us have been out there since '02 and it seems like the 'system' is working pretty much on auto pilot now - at least in Plat and Blue. I'd consider it a sleeping dog until it wakes up. Even under normal conditions it's almost impossible to get everyone out of the parking lots in an hour after the game.
 
Battle Red Flash said:
... Also got the Fans Guideline Magazine with the rules. Sorry if this is discussed elswhere, but did anyone else notice the Texans are making us leave an hour early this year?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it now states "you may tailgate up to one hour after the game ends."
It used to be two hours, right?
...
Click to expand...

Speedy said:
IIRC, I think this came up last year as it was in the '07 fan guide as well...

I can guarantee, in the 60 tailgates I've been to, I've never been out of there in less than 2 hours after the game.
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aj. said:
My advice would be to not draw attention to the 'rules' since there are some (including a few very important ones) that are not strictly enforced. But shine a light on 'em and you bet they'll get attention - all of them ... and maybe not in a way that benefits the tailgater. Most of us have been out there since '02 and it seems like the 'system' is working pretty much on auto pilot now - at least in Plat and Blue. I'd consider it a sleeping dog until it wakes up. Even under normal conditions it's almost impossible to get everyone out of the parking lots in an hour after the game.
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This is NOT a change. Page 22 of the 2005 guide has the exact same wording ("up to one hour after the end of the game") as page 20 of the 2008 guide. That way if they wait two hours to start "nudging" people out there is no "but the game only ended 1 hour 59 minutes ago" whining.

I agree with AJ. There is no change here, don't start contacting them with the implication that you expect all the rules to be strictly enforced to the letter - but you just don't like one rule. Instead of changing this one rule to two hours and getting strict enforcement of all rules, let's keep being reasonable tailgaters and keep the system on autopilot.
 
It may not be a change from last year, but it's a change from some time ago. I know for fact that at one time the Texans printed marketing materials said that the cutoff was two hours. Now it says one one hour. That's a change.

You handle it your way, which is to do nothing. I'll handle it my way and do something. If there's a change in the rules, I want my grievance to be heard. If there's no change rules, I'm curious why the printed materials changed.

I want to know what to expect on game day.

bpe3
 
bpe3 said:
It may not be a change from last year, but it's a change from some time ago. I know for fact that at one time the Texans printed marketing materials said that the cutoff was two hours. Now it says one one hour. That's a change.

You handle it your way, which is to do nothing. I'll handle it my way and do something. If there's a change in the rules, I want my grievance to be heard. If there's no change rules, I'm curious why the printed materials changed.

I want to know what to expect on game day.

bpe3
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Well, OK, whiny grievance boy. If there was a change, it was at least 3 years ago - has not been a problem for the last 3 years. Can you find printed material showing the two hours? I found printed material from before the 2005 season showing one hour. Even if it has changed, you are at least three years late.

This asinine attitude of "I want to know what to expect" is exactly what will ruin tailgating when you force them to strictly enforce every single rule. Hell, I've got OCD too, but that doesn't make me have to file a grievance when everything is going OK. If you raise a stink, they WILL NOT change the rule to two hours, but they might start strictly enforcing the one hour rule. I would rather NOT know what to expect, and be allowed to stay longer.

Go ahead and try to ruin the game day experience for everyone else. Don't forget to join the other people on the board when they whine about: the roof ever being opened, the existance of the cheerleaders, the existance of the Pep Band, and that tailgating is not forcibly shutdown an hour before the game to get people inside on time.
 
correct me if i'm wrong...but is this the first year that requires fire extinguishers for each "cooking area"? i'll keep mine in my new faux leather thinggy.
-74
 
Dean 74 said:
correct me if i'm wrong...but is this the first year that requires fire extinguishers for each "cooking area"? i'll keep mine in my new faux leather thinggy.
-74
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Nice.


I am glad people aren't calling it a ball sack.
 
Memo to Bob McNair (the MB poster, not the team owner):

Lighten up, Francis.

Maybe you're afraid to talk to the Texans management. I'm not. I've talked with them about many, many issues ranging from vertical transportation and bottlenecks at the ticket scanning post to non-Club Level patrons crashing the Club Level party. They've always seemed genuinely interested in customer feedback and are eager to make changes to improve the fan experience. The odds are exactly zero that the Texans react to my commentary with negative changes that devalue our game day events.

I may be Grievance Boy, but you're the one that needs to grow up.

bpe3
 
I think the point that some are trying to make is that, a) careful thought is important, and b) given (a), sometimes the best action is no action, even for those who are completely comfortable speaking with Texans front office folks, and have well established contacts with same. But of course, feel free to do what you think is right. No one is stopping you - just offering up opinions.

fwiw, I don't buy your items 3 & 4. I think the liability extends to the parking lots so an extra hour of tailgating after the game most likely increases that risk by allowing people to drink even more when they return to the lots. In my 70 tailgates at Reliant, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "I sure am glad we have this extra hour to tailgate after the game, it'll give me a chance to sober up before I drive home."

Having seen many examples of the gameday tailgating experience in other cities, all I can say it that we've got it dang good here.
 
I'm sure you're not a lawyer AJ, nor am I, but certainly you must see the distinction between alcohol purchased and served in a TABC licensed facility like Reliant Stadium and self service area like a parking lot. If some drunken ***** walks staight to his car after a game and kills someone on the way home, you better belive Reliant Stadium or it's operator SMG, if not the Texans, is going to have some liability. If that same *****, on the other hand, is served lots of booze in the stadium, then tops it off with two hours or drinking in the parking lot, Reliant / SMG / Texans are going to have a much easier time making the case that it's not their fault.

As far as the 1 hour vs. 2 hour question goes. Yes, this whole thread was a false alarm. There has been no change in policy for this year. The printed materials say 1 hour, although the official policy is that 2 hours after the game is fine. In certain circumstances, like a night game, they may choose to enforce the 1 hour rule.

bpe3
 
I think letting the Texans know that a lot of tailgaters don't like the fact that even the wording says 1 hour after the end of the game is worrisome. All it tkaes is a couple of those off duty cops to catch an attitude about it and then it'll be strictly enforced or the tailgater will ge hassled and then we know who wins that battle.

I saw fire away letters or emails if that's how you best feel about the situation, others can choose to sit by if that's how they choose to handle it.

It's all good. Bottom line, we do have a good tailgate, but we also pay alot for the opportunity to do it too, and we are the customer, our butts in the seats and eyes on the TV is what fuels this whole deal. Richard Petty was aksed why he signs an autograph to every fan who asks for one, he said, "Without fans like you, Richard Petty couldn't do what he loves to do, and that's drive race cars." Works with football teams too.
 
bpe3 said:
Memo to Bob McNair (the MB poster, not the team owner):

Lighten up, Francis.

Maybe you're afraid to talk to the Texans management. I'm not. I've talked with them about many, many issues ranging from vertical transportation and bottlenecks at the ticket scanning post to non-Club Level patrons crashing the Club Level party. They've always seemed genuinely interested in customer feedback and are eager to make changes to improve the fan experience. The odds are exactly zero that the Texans react to my commentary with negative changes that devalue our game day events.

I may be Grievance Boy, but you're the one that needs to grow up.

bpe3
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I think the point BM was making is that there is no issue here. I know for a fact that the wording has been like that for at least the last couple of years, and as I've mentioned, I've never left in less than 2 hours.

Flooding the Texans with e-mails about a problem that doesn't exist, just doesn't make sense. Now if at that 1st tailgate Aug. 9, they start hearding people out of there an hour after, then you can complain, but to complain about something that hasn't happened? Again, that just doesn't make sense.
 
If they enforce this rule maybe we should start a petition. We pay more each year. Food is more, parking is more and now the only thing that is less is the time to tailgate. It takes some people one hour to get out of the building sometimes
 
bpe3 said:
I'm sure you're not a lawyer AJ, nor am I, but certainly you must see the distinction between alcohol purchased and served in a TABC licensed facility like Reliant Stadium and self service area like a parking lot. If some drunken ***** walks staight to his car after a game and kills someone on the way home, you better belive Reliant Stadium or it's operator SMG, if not the Texans, is going to have some liability. If that same *****, on the other hand, is served lots of booze in the stadium, then tops it off with two hours or drinking in the parking lot, Reliant / SMG / Texans are going to have a much easier time making the case that it's not their fault.

bpe3
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As a lawyer who has defended all sorts of stupidass cases where my client didn't do squat legally wrong, I can tell you that 1 hour or 2 hours really doesn't matter. A plaintiffs lawyer hired on behalf of someone killed by a drunk from Reliant will say whatever the Texans policy is, was the wrong one.

That's what plaintiff's lawyers do.
 
You now give a new perspective on this TC. I wasn't even thinking of drinking but now that you mention it I guess the Texans have their reasons.
 
aj. said:
My advice would be to not draw attention to the 'rules' since there are some (including a few very important ones) that are not strictly enforced. But shine a light on 'em and you bet they'll get attention - all of them ... and maybe not in a way that benefits the tailgater. Most of us have been out there since '02 and it seems like the 'system' is working pretty much on auto pilot now - at least in Plat and Blue. I'd consider it a sleeping dog until it wakes up. Even under normal conditions it's almost impossible to get everyone out of the parking lots in an hour after the game.
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EXACTLY.

Just remember folks...you start no chit, there will be no chit but if you stir the chit...the chit will hit the fan. :wild:
 
As a lawyer who has defended all sorts of stupidass cases where my client didn't do squat legally wrong, I can tell you that 1 hour or 2 hours really doesn't matter. A plaintiffs lawyer hired on behalf of someone killed by a drunk from Reliant will say whatever the Texans policy is, was the wrong one.

That's what plaintiff's lawyers do.
Click to expand...

Yes, but that's why we have defense laywers and juries.

bpe3
 
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