Leaving live events early to avoid the rush

[sunnygym]

Why do people do this ?

Was at a gig last night at the o2 and people started leaving 10/15 mins before it finished, they’ve obviously paid a few quid to get there, meal and drinks before hand and just bugger early off to avoid a bit of a rush on the tube / taxes etc

Baffles me !

[JohnCarlisleApeiron]

Loads of tickets are given out complimentary and on promos, same with big sporting matches. They are unlikely diehard fans.

JC

[anonymous-user]

sunnygym said:

Why do people do this ?

Was at a gig last night at the o2 and people started leaving 10/15 mins before it finished, they’ve obviously paid a few quid to get there, meal and drinks before hand and just bugger early off to avoid a bit of a rush on the tube / taxes etc

Baffles me !

Because they have assessed the situation, and have decided that missing 5% of a gig/concert/sports game etc is a much better option than being stuck in a crowd and then having to wait ages to find a way home.

It is worse in places that don't have a mass transit system like the Tube. If you go to a concert where everyone arrived in cars and taxis, it can take well over an hour to even begin to leave the car park, or to catch a taxi. The Manchester Arena, for example, has over 1000 parking spaces. Can you imagine how long it takes to get 1000 cars out though one exit, one at a time, pulling out into traffic after a concert finishes?

I've been stuck places where it took nearly 2 hours to simply leave the parking area.

I will now leave events early if I get the opportunity because to me, catching the last few minutes and then getting caught in the crush and the crowds, ruins the night for me. I would rather miss some of the performance.

Some people will feel differently and will love live entertainment so much that they are prepared to watch every last minute of it, and not be worried about the crowds afterwards.

Depends what it is though. If it is the theatre or something like that, where the most you will be stuck is 5-10 minutes while a few hundred people walk outside into the street, then no, I won't go early. I'll happily stay to the end.

But staying to the end at a 'big' gig or concert or something like that, no way. fk that.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 3rd March 16:20

[valiant]

It can take ages to get out of the O2 and onto the A2/A102 if you’ve taken your car. An hour isn’t uncommon.

There a queuing system in place for the tube on event evenings and it can similarly take an eternity to get into the station, let alone on a train. People with train connections from, say, Waterloo or wherever, risk missing their train home if they don’t stay ahead of the crowd surge come tipping out time.

[JRFrench]

I went to see a gig in Brixton last year and had to leave about 15mins before the end to catch my connection back from St Pancras, still cut it pretty close!

Would rather do that than have to pay for a hotel or an expensive cab.

[Timbo_S2]

This always amazes me at the football. Can almost understand if if you're getting a beating (which as a Norwich fan is fairly common tbh), but when it's level, and the games in the balance im amazed people decide to run for the car. Surely thats what you've paid for?

[MitchT]

I've been to a few shows at Leeds First Direct Arena where I started to feel twitchy towards the end as the last train home was looming and there was a risk of having to jump ship or face a £50 taxi fare home. I think venues should publish an end time for shows and make sure these times are adhered to.

[Deranged Rover]

I've only left a live concert early once - the event was Runrig's farewell concert at Stirling Castle.

CalMac laid on extra ferries to bring Scottish Islanders in and out and Loganair added extra flights to their timetable for the same reason as well. But would Scottish Rail add any extra trains to their night timetable so that those of us who came by train could stay and enjoy the encores? Did they fk. As a result, my sister, brother-in-law and I missed the band's last ever live rendition of 'Loch Lomond.'

What I'm saying is, don't assume those who leave early (who, yes, are annoying!) necessarily have a choice in the matter.

[AC43]

Timbo_S2 said:

This always amazes me at the football. Can almost understand if if you're getting a beating (which as a Norwich fan is fairly common tbh), but when it's level, and the games in the balance im amazed people decide to run for the car. Surely thats what you've paid for?

I've maybe left one or two club games early in my life.

But I usually leave international games at Wembley 10 minutes early. I only live 3 tube stops away but I can save a huge amount of time - I get to walk on/walk off the tube rather than get stuck in Wembley way for 30-40 minutes. It's boring and eats into pub time.

[Muzzer79]

I had a mate with a season ticket for a premier league club. He went to every home game

Every game, he would arrive a few minutes late, go to the bar a few minutes before half time, come back for the second half a few minutes late, then leave at around 85 minutes, before injury time at the latest.

All to 'beat the rush'

He must have missed loads of goals over the years, but that was worth it to him to be able to get served a couple more pints, or to not be in a crowd leaving.

Madness

[anonymous-user]

Might also have the last bus/train to catch.

[valiant]

MitchT said:

I've been to a few shows at Leeds First Direct Arena where I started to feel twitchy towards the end as the last train home was looming and there was a risk of having to jump ship or face a £50 taxi fare home. I think venues should publish an end time for shows and make sure these times are adhered to.

They do make announcements in the station about last train times at places like Wembley and most acts finish around the same time but there’s been cases where the band/singer has come on late and that’s fubared everyone’s plans home.

A few years ago, Madonna did a gig at Wembley and came on an hour and half late (for no apparent reason except she could ) and of course the tube had stopped running come kick out time and tens of thousands of people were suddenly scratching their head wondering how to get home. No announcements were made in the stadium and everyone assumed that the tube would be there only to find locked gates and the station cat as a sentry.

[mickyh7]

You obviously haven't been to a Ken Dodd show back in the day.
Got out of a Leeds Theatre at Midnight once.
He was renowned for just keeping on going!

[Magnum 475]

In '89 I went to the Rock event (can't remember what it was called now) that was held at the Milton Keynes bowl. Vixen, Skid Row, Bon Jovi and at least one other (Europe?).

We gave up trying to get off the car park when it finished, and slept a few hours in the car. Could have left early, but would have missed the Steven Tyler & Joe Perry appearance.

[Lotusgone]

It's a barely legal 90 minute drive from Redbridge to chez Lotusgone here in Norfolk. Getting out of the O2/Brixton/Hammersmith early, with work the next day, is a preferred option to those of us getting on a bit.

[poo at Paul's]

If it was Simply Red, I’m surprised they weren’t out of there 15 minutes after the start.

[Freakuk]

poo at Paul's said:

If it was Simply Red, I’m surprised they weren’t out of there 15 minutes after the start.

If it was me I'd have left 15 mins before they came on LOL

[Brummiebeau]

Muzzer79 said:

I had a mate with a season ticket for a premier league club. He went to every home game

Every game, he would arrive a few minutes late, go to the bar a few minutes before half time, come back for the second half a few minutes late, then leave at around 85 minutes, before injury time at the latest.

All to 'beat the rush'

He must have missed loads of goals over the years, but that was worth it to him to be able to get served a couple more pints, or to not be in a crowd leaving.

Madness

haha sounds like my mates, Turn up late.. go up at 35 mins to get a pint.. then watch most of the 2nd half by the bar as the game would be on the teles.
If we was losing (Birmingham fan so most games) They would leave at 75mins


I have done it when 1) I am too cold, I know 5/10 minutes won't matter but coldness + losing isn't fun.
2) when we are losing and playing terrible
I've never left a gig early, the last bit if the best bit surely ! i've walked out on a couple but that was due to them being st.

I tend to park enough of a walk away so where traffic isn't a problem. Again, B'ham fan so only 20k tops on a good game.

When I have been concerts/NFL games in London I have always stayed to the end. Gigs in town, just leave and walk to nearest pub and wait for it all to die down.

Worst place to get away from was Twickenham as it did take forever to get back into London

[Divieto di Sosta]

Not quite the same but in 2016 the Moto GP at Mugello , Valentino Rossi's engine failed after about 5 laps ,some people started leaving then.

They obviously knew what the local roads were like at proper finishing time ,horrendous ,the roads are grid locked for hours after the end .

[lost in espace]

I left a Kraftwerk gig at Brixton, only to realise later that the encore was the robots themselves. Plonker.