I’m Just Looking for Section 212

If you are going to go to a game – a very big game, like the Cotton Bowl – I think you would be wise to print out instructions on how to get to your seat.

You need instructions in case you find yourselves in a situation like we did, attending a pep rally on the plaza outside of one of the end zones – completely half a stadium away from the entry gate specified on your ticket.

Now you may think that you have two options if you find yourselves in that situation. You could

1. Walk back to your specified entry gate or
2. Ask an event worker (or if you are like me, multiple workers) if you can get to your section from an entry gate near the plaza and believe what they tell you.

Click on the photo to read.

Apparently, there is also a third option: You can ask Jackie for directions.

If you take the third option, you are simultaneously in for a treat and the craziest experience of your life.

Following the instructions that three stadium employees gave us, we entered the stadium through Gate B and went up the escalator to walk across the upper level walkway to our section.

The only problem was that there was no upper level to our section. There was a dead-end balcony.

Back we headed to the escalator where a friendly stadium employee was shouting, If you are lost, come see me. We will help you find where you are going.

A logical person, who is lost, would surely go see him, right? Right. So we did.

What followed reminded me of my misguided attempt to learn the residential mailbox requirements from a USPS worker nearly three years ago. Only this time, it went something like this:

Jackie: Let me flip to the map on this page.
Me: Ok.
Jackie: First you want to go up the escalator so you can look at the cars and the fountains. Have you heard about the art? The art is great.
Me: Yes, I’ve been on a tour. The art is great. But I’m trying to find Section 212. Once we go up the escalator, then we can just go across to our section?
Jackie: Yes, you have the magic ticket. This ticket will let you in the suites and the clubs. If you didn’t have this ticket I would make you go back downstairs. But make sure you look at the cars and the art.
Me: We will. So we go upstairs and walk to the suites and across, right?
Jackie: No. Let me flip to the map on this other page and show you.

{This went on for a very long time. I’m not exaggerating.}

Me: Ok, thank you for your help. (Not really)
Jackie: No problem – just remember, if you get lost, come back to Gate B, Mezzanine Level and ask for Jackie. I am here to help!

So we went up the escalator and looked at the cars and the fountains.

We looked at the field.

And we discovered that we couldn’t walk across the suites from the upstairs level. We had to go back downstairs – to the Mezzanine Level to get to our section. You can bet that we didn’t go back to Gate B and ask Jackie for help.

All we wanted was to find Section 212.