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Bob Andelman Articles
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Miami (Not So) Nice
"Men" column By Bob Andelman
(Originally published in The Big Guava, 1992)
Remember a few years ago when the TV series "Miami Vice"
had the world convinced that Miami was not safe?
The show mixed the glamour and unsavoriness of the gateway to
South America for high ratings but gave the local chamber of
commerce the willies. To counteract "Vice," a campaign
was organized to teach those in the service sector to treat visitors
with care and appreciation. "Miami Nice," they called
it.
It's a great program. Still in operation today, many years after
"Vice" has been off the year.
The program is so effective, in fact, that my wife and I were
almost convinced to get right back on our plane and return to
Tampa only minutes after arriving in Miami.
We were lucky enough to get tickets to see U2's Miami concert
in early March. The Lakeland show sold out in six minutes, but
I stayed on line and bought two tickets to the Miami show. (It
sold out in 11 minutes.) My wife is a fan and while flying to
South Florida for a concert is a bit of a splurge, she's worth
it.
At the car rental counter, I asked for directions to the Miami
Arena where the concert would be held. (The Miami Heat and University
of Miami Hurricanes basketball teams play there as well.)
"You don't want to go there," the agent said. "It's
in a very bad neighborhood."
"We're not sightseeing," I said. "We've got concert
tickets."
"Oh, well, then you should go during the day and leave before
it gets dark."
"But the concert doesn't start until 7:30 p.m."
"Maybe you should sell your tickets."
Cautiously and with reservations she gave us directions and wished
us luck.
At the hotel, my wife asked the bellman for directions and advice.
"You don't want to go there," he said.
"But we have tickets to see U2 tonight," my wife protested.
"If you have to go, take a cab."
"We just rented a car."
"A rental car is a big mistake in that neighborhood. They
can spot them a block away. They may attack you at a red light
or when you're stopped in traffic. Or you may come back to your
car after the show and find the windows smashed. Take a cab."
Finally, he provided directions, different from the rental car
agent's. Curiously, there was nothing in the Miami Herald even
remotely mentioning the concert, let alone petty details such
as directions, parking or safety. So I called the Miami Arena.
The operator confirmed the bellman's directions. I told her about
the repeated warnings and asked about parking.
"You'll want to park in one of the lots close to the arena,"
she advised. "Look for the ones with high fences and barbed
wire."
Barbed wire?
We arrived at 6 p.m. plenty of daylight and found a lot that
really was surrounded by barbed wire, directly across from the
arena's rear entrance. The price was steep, but $10 was cheap
for piece of mind.
Walking across the street, we joined hundreds of people waiting
for the doors to open for the 7:30 p.m. show. Security guards
prevented concertgoers from sitting on the mountainous stairs
to the arena, so we were forced to stand. And stand. And stand.
More people arrived. It grew dark. Pretty soon there were thousands
of us, milling around, elbow-to-elbow, on the sidewalk. A variety
of characters pressed their way through the masses, buying, selling,
begging, pick-pocketing. Time dragged on but the doors didn't
open. 7 p.m. 7:15. 7:30. 7:45. Finally, minutes to 8, ticket-takers
appeared at the top of the steps and a mad rush ensued to the
top of the steps.
Thousands of people were now crowded together along the top of
the stairs, against a long row of glass doors. Only three doors
were opened to admit us. Visions of the fatal riots at a recent
New York City concert flash through my mind. Fortunately, all
went smoothly.
Except that the opening act, The Pixies, didn't take the stage
until 9 p.m. We didn't see U2 until almost 10 p.m. and then they
played an abbreviated set, probably owing to the lateness of
the hour.
I'm no rock critic well, okay, I used to be but U2 was great.
Worth the trip, worth the money. Maybe even worth almost being
frightened out of going by well-meaning service employees.
What I'm wondering is if someone flying to Tampa from Miami or
Jacksonville, Atlanta, wherever is ever warned away from attending
concerts at the Lakeland Civic Center (where, the night before
the Miami show, U2 opened their first tour in five years), the
University of South Florida Sun Dome in Tampa or the Florida
Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg?
It seems unlikely that the concierge at the Don Ce Sar Beach
Resort or the Hyatt Regency tells would-be concertgoers to avoid
the Dome because it's in a bad neighborhood. (It is.) And we
haven't seen anybody wall-in the parking lot with barbed wire
yet.
Next time, we'll pass on the South Florida concert excursion
and wait for the video.
©2000, All rights reserved. No portion
may be reproduced without the express written permission of the
author.
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