Endymion 2008: Oh, the Suckage
Feb 3rd, 2008 by Nola
I am not one to complain about things uniquely New Orleans. But. Endymion about did me in last night. We got to the parade route at 2pm so as to be able to get to the parking spaces that were reserved for us. We also had access to a toilet. This should have been the basis of a good parade experience. We lugged our Popeye’s fried chicken and ice chest of beers to the street and took possession of a corner. And we hung out there enjoying the crowd scene for the next three hours. Then at 5 o’clock, we blinked and the entire corner was filled with people.
Now, I fully understand how parades and crowds work. I have been doing parades for over 30 years. Not a newbie or a snob. There are a few rules of parade etiquette, and if you don’t know them, STAY YOUR ASS IN THE QUARTER. Do not arrive at the route minutes before the parade is due to arrive and mosey your way in front of those who’ve been out all day (and in some cases, all night, too). There is NO REASON to scream, “You go, pom-pom girl” or “Keep the beat, drummer girl” to every female in every band THAT CANNOT HEAR YOU. Especially if this screaming is in my ear.
Further, you can call yourself a southern gentleman, but true gentlemen (as the one from Chicago proved) that are taller than women (even their own women-folk) DO NOT stand in front of the women and not move when asked nicely. Especially when these men arrive late to the route.
Unfortunately, the parade was excruciatingly slow. And the first band (St. Aug!), stood in front of us for 20 minutes. I love this band most of all, and it was pissing me off that I was having to admit that a migraine was coming on.
As the parade snailed along, the suckage increased. My migraine just got worse. All the nuisances of the crowd really wore on me. And the noise and the lights. If the parade would have just moved, I could have endured it. I do give a lot of thanks to the guy who loaned me his chair; it did help, but it was not enough.
As I sat in that borrowed chair at the back of the crowd taking it in (I generally love people watching), I knew one thing was certain: I had gotten old. When did this happen, I asked myself? When did the crowds annoy me? I used to be that person in the crowd (not rude, but merry). Now I just wanted a mute button.
I admitted defeat and was ready to leave early. Early! Me! Blasphemy! But, oh, the suckage. My car was blocked in. I would have to wait for the parade to end. I called my sister to check on the children. My aunt answered the phone–she had come over to visit my sister and the kids. My sister offered to come pluck me from my misery. I greedily accepted her kind offer.
I was never so happy to leave a parade. I got home to a leaking kitchen sink (really a small flood) (oh, the suckage). I immediately took my good migraine meds and nursed Sun before the meds could effect her. My headache abated before everyone else returned from the parade.
The newspaper reported today that a rider fell from a double-decker float at the end of his ride and died. Five shootings occurred on the route.
For us, the verdict is in. Endymion 2008 was the most suckiest ever. Damn it.
Stumble it!
I’m with ya sister. I am old but I don’t even pretend that I want to go to Endymion any more, or any of the super krewe night rollers. It’s just a fact, I’m too old and the crowds get on my last nerve. I’m little (5′2″) so I get really feisty when someone tall stands in front of me. It’s not worth my blood pressure rising anymore. The day crowds were hard enough for me. what with pushing my double stroller around and every idiot under the sun asking me to park it elsewhere. But don’t get me wrong, I do love Mardi Gras.
We are not even locals but we have noticed a decrease in people displaying proper parade etiquette….we had some idiot drunk college kids plop ladders right near us…in the front of the crowd…no one has any respect or manners anymore…
Historically we hate Endymion–always a slow moving, late parade and they are so stingy with their throws…
I am entirely in agreement. It was well after 8pm before the parade made its entrance to where we were (Canal and Carondelet) and it moved at a snail’s pace. We sat in our spot for 4 hours and still ended up getting moved substantially back from where we started and so very jostled. A guy who was 6′5″ tall stood directly in front of The Faince.
We left after float #9, so I’m guessing you lasted longer than I did. Definitely the suckiest parade I’ve ever attended.
I respectfully disagree. It’s a public street; people can stand where they want. How about stationing your chairs at the very front, where people can’t stand in front of you? Sorry, but I’m not going to stand behind your chairs on the curb, when there’s a good 6 feet of empty concrete between your chair and the float. Or should we all bring chairs and just put them in orderly rows?
I have not been a fan of Endymion. It is toooo slow and the rude/drunk people irrate the crap out of me. Which is why I was asleep at 7 PM on Saturday night.
We have had the luck of no matter which spot we stand in, with the exception of Saturday day parades, people have stood in front of us. It is so rude.
We went to our neighbors’ crawfish boil instead and enjoyed some great live music on their back porch. Next Endymion Saturday, I’ll drag you and Sun over there instead.
People packing-taped off our favorite bead-eating tree spot yesterday, so no Bacchus for me, either. No big whoop. It can still be Carnival without having to attend a gazillion parades.
I would love to disagree, but I surely cannot! Friday night we got front row (3 hours early to see Chris in Krewe D’Etat and his sister is Muses). While I enjoyed the night; unfortunately, I felt I spent most of my time battling the surrounding crowds who were rudely trying to steal our spot or pass through us like a convenient hall way! For Endymion, I simply sat in the back row and let the good times roll (although slow, I was able to keep my spririts high)! Needless to say, I won’t be making the treck out to Mid City next year. LOVED the uptown parades though (once I learned to step back and agreed to let people push me around a bit!).
oh EJ…our chairs ARE at the curb. Our bodies ARE at the curb. There are people who will squeeze by like they are going to cross the street, after a band passes (and we are respectfully standing on the curb out of the band’s way) then those people step out into the street, in front of us, blocking the way to the float then all of a sudden we are behind all these people, and then they try to stand in our spots chairs or bodies be damned when the next band comes by. This happened more than once in fact it has happened at every parade this year. It is rude and uncalled for.
I admitted defeat a few years ago. I just don’t have it in me for Endymion anymore.
EJ,
Everyone knows, or use to, that once you stake your claim it is no longer a public street, but your domain. If you don’t get that, then you should stay your ass at home.
Rudeness is not needed on the parade route, you can save that crap for the Yankees.
[...] the other end of the scale there is just plain rudeness. Read Nola’s post and the ensuing comments. But I think there has to be a sliding scale of rudeness when you’re [...]
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