...and why we bounced. It was quite the ordeal getting out. The bleachers were strategically placed near the porta potties in the back lot valet and it was raining so the stars didn't even stop to look at us as they rushed from their cars to the carpet. Yet we were instructed by the ever so friendly production leaders to scream on command, and look excited. The closest I got was Vanesa Williams back. There was no shelter and the snacks and refreshment promised consisted of bottled water in melted ice located under the bleachers in the rain. Water sounds yummy when your soaking wet.Our VIP experience continued on the way out (our badge reads red carpet bleachers vip access). After explaining to several security drones that we had not been 'kicked out' (as they had threatened to do to us if we didn't stay in a tight group or try anything in the VIP welcome speach) but were leaving by choice with about twenty other bleacher abandoners, they blocked off the star arrivals as not to mix royalty with the commoners so we could walk down the driveway to the street to await the shuttle out. There the group waited together in the rain while security figured out how to coordinate the shuttle and gave us a friendly farewell speach about not trying to sneak back into the carpet because it "wouldn't be pretty". Still in denial a bit about us voluntarily leaving their event 20mins later we're soggy n soaking wet walking a new york block as they'd directed us to look for the shuttle outside the hotel property. Nobody was really sure where the shuttle was landing, but hey they got us off the property so their job was done. 20mins later we're calling a cab from Starbucks and spot the shuttle at the stop sign. Waved it down. TGIStarbucksI've heard people pay for this, something like $2k Luckily I will not be fighting for my refund because we were guests of NBC San Diego, thank you NBC. It was nice in theory and not your fault the event was managed this way. At the moment I'm in LA traffic heading home to SD hoping to catch the Golden Globes on tv. So far I've seen one police chase and one accident involving an overturned truck on the hwy. Carrying the same feeling I leave LA with every single time, man I 'm glad I live in San Diego.
