According to Pastor Greg Locke in a Facebook video, there were over 3000 tickets sold to the event. Even with recent property acquisitions, the parking lot there holds barely 700 cars, max (ask me how I know). If each car had 2.6 people in it, that means 1100 cars would have needed to park. Based on what I saw, that adds up pretty close.
The county put out cones along Old Lebanon Dirt Road on Thursday night, as well as signs that parking along the side of the road was prohibited. Residents pulled cars down to the edge of their driveways. They had seen all the parking debacle at the New Year's Day service at GVBC, and they didn't want to repeat the difficulties.
This past weekend, people parked all over the campus, and then overflowed into neighboring properties and roadways. A couple of enterprising folks with land were charging $20 - $40 for parking. Most were not, and yet, people still parked there. Mt. Juliet police, Wilson County Sheriff's deputies, and local tow companies were out working overtime. A great many parked in my neighborhood along the sides of the road - over half a mile away!
Online, the anti's went ballistic. They shared all sorts of memes. Their phrases were so predictable, one could have made a bingo card with them. A few of the more entertaining things shared:
My thoughts?
Well, among the more common complaints were that Locke and GVBC ought to have to pay for the police work. I disagree. This was a perfect use of police. When idiots parked in front of people's driveways, that is an appropriate need for the officer. Officers can hit their quotas, and there are no victims as people legitimately needed their cars ticketed and towed.
Holding Locke responsible for poor parking decisions is disingenuous. That is an individual deciding to not use their brain. It has nothing to do with Locke.
About the only time in my life I felt police and tow trucks were doing the right thing as they towed cars off.
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