The misery wasn't over for some fans of the No.8-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington when their team took a 41-14 pounding at the hands of then-No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Many who planned to catch a taxi for the return trip to their hotels or other lodgings after the nationally televised football game were in for a long wait. Some complained of standing in line with dozens of other fans and waiting as long as two hours for a cab.With that sort of inconvenience, it probably was little consolation for the Wolverines that the wait was equally long for Alabama fans. WFAA/Channel 8 news cameras captured the chaotic scene on tape, clearly showing the long line and unhappy people. The video also showed cabs whose drivers broke the rules and picked up customers at locations other than the designated taxi stand.With 90,413 fans attending (a record for a college game), this was a major event for Arlington and the stadium. It was the type of event and potential economic boost that Arlington residents had in mind in 2004 when they voted for what ended up being a $325 million public investment in the $1.1 billion stadium.The goal all along has been to draw people and their spending to Cowboys games and other events throughout the year. So far, that's worked out well, with a long list of concerts and sporting events held at the stadium. Currently on the wish list is landing a much-discussed college football national championship game if a playoff system evolves for that sport.Problems like Saturday's taxicab nightmare might seem small in this grand scheme of things, but what customers think about their experience at the stadium is crucial to landing other events.City and Cowboys officials must determine what went wrong at the taxi station Saturday night and make sure it doesn't happen again.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
