Opening Day in St. Louis
If you are heading downtown St. Louis to join all of the Opening Day festivities of the Cardinals, do Two things! One–have a great time! Two–plan your way home Before you start the party!
Today marks the formal dedication of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum within Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village. Fans are encouraged to join the social media conversation using #OpeningDaySTL Opening Day marks the first time that the Cardinals fans get to welcome home the reigning National League Champions.
Special transportation considerations for today: No lane closures have been planned for today, but motorists should keep in mind the road closures around Memorial Drive.
Transportation in Illinois and Missouri on Opening Day
Most everyone attending will enjoy one of those awesome hotdogs and a Budweiser beverage….it is a baseball game. But before you stat consuming those tasty alcoholic beverages, consider how you will get home tonight–safely. The MetroLink is a great alternative to driving. Check MetroStLouis.org for schedules and Park-Ride lots nearest you. As wall, the Redbird Express leaves from the Water Tower at St. Clair Square in Fairview Height, Illinois and transports fans to the game. The first bus leaves 2 1/2 hours before game time and runs approximately every 5 minutes.
If the MetroLink nor the Redbird Express fit your needs, there are many taxi cabs down by the stadium on Opening Day. Local bars and restaurants also have shuttles, if you need to park and ride because parking can be difficult closer to the ballpark. Bar and restaurant shuttles do a great job of getting you back to their bar and or restaurant and that it great, but you will want to be sure that you have a designated driver in your group so you can make it home safely.
Don’t Make the Mistake of Drinking and Driving
Opening Day is a great celebration in St. Louis! Do you part in celebrating by drinking responsibly. A designated driver is not the person in the group who is “most sober”, but rather the person who has not consumed any alcohol! So plan ahead—designate a sober driver, take a cab, ride the MetroLink or plan to stay over night nearby where you will be drinking
Since the game starts in the later afternoon, some may be planning a early happy hour to watch the game and have a few drinks–same suggestions.
Make Planning Your Way Home as Important and Getting Tickets and Planning Your Fun
Getting your group together, getting tickets, figuring out where you are going to meet up, taking off work—all of these things are considerations when you plan a day out for baseball in St. Louis! Often, the most critical part we forget is to do is planning our way home! But, it may be the most important thing you plan. Lack of planning could put you in a situation where you are making decisions while under the influence. Personally speaking, I do not make my best decisions when I’m under the influence and I think that goes without saying for most people. So, don’t count on the possibility that you may or may not be “sober enough” to drive home…..just plan that you probably won’t be and plan on how you will get home.
Drunk driving accidents are one of the most tragic types of accidents because they are avoidable most of the time. When you climb behind the wheel after drinking, it is a choice. A choice to do something that might endanger another or results in a car accident is a pretty clear example of negligence. A car accident seriously messes up not just Opening Day festivities but LIVES. Lives can be forever changed or worse yet, lives can be ended due to a drunk driving accident. Living with the consequence of a drunk driving accident can be a nightmare for not only the injured victim, but the drunk driver as well. Living with the fact that you injured someone because you drank and drove can haunt you for a lifetime.
If you have been injured in an accident that may have involved alcohol use, you will need an experienced personal injury attorney. Just because a driver that hit you is convicted of a DUI and sentenced, it does not mean you will be compensated for medical bills or other losses. Unfortunately, if you have been injured in a drunk driving accident, you frequently have to file a third party claim for your injuries and losses. Our attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm know how a car accident can be and how much more complicated it can be if alcohol is involved. Call us for a free, confidential consultation. We are available seven days a week, toll free (800) 685-3302 or locally (314) 276-1681
