Key West, Part 2
As Nancy said, just say no.
Overall, our vacation was great. Yeah, there were a few glitches (no rental cars available despite a confirmation, a flat tire, being unable to find the car rental agency even with GPS), but we were able to laugh those things off and move on. They became funny stories to share with friends back home.
But New Years Eve in Key West was not funny. Nor was it fun.
I’d read about what goes on…a drag queen named Sushi descends from the second floor of a building in a giant red high-heeled shoe. CNN has filmed it over the past few years and was there again this year. Seemed fun enough.
But, boy, did I underestimate the crowds. At each end of Duvall Street there was something ‘dropping’. The Mallory Square side had a conch shell that dropped at midnight above Sloppy Joe’s. After a nice dinner at the condo, we headed to Duvall Street around 11PM. The streets were closed to traffic and were swarming with people. Still, you could walk. But as we approached Sloppy Joe’s, we got caught in a mess of people that barely moved (of course, we didn’t realize this until we were stuck in the middle of it).
We made it through to the other side then decided to return toward the high-heeled shoe by taking a parallel street.
Having not learned our lesson at Sloppy Joe’s, we immersed ourselves into the crowds in front of Sushi. And that’s where things went terribly wrong. Within seconds we were pressed up against other (drunken) bodies as people pushed from both directions wanting to get by. Somehow we managed to make it half way through the crowds (toward the back, though, along storefronts).
Randy was getting shoved by some guy claiming to need to pee, I was latched onto by a short woman saying that she was not trying to molest me but couldn’t help it (she then joked that she was now my best friend since we couldn’t separate from each other). At most times, it was so crowded I couldn’t put my arms down by my side.
Deciding this was all too much, I turned to Randy and said I was heading back out of the crowd (spoken over the head of my new best friend…she was that short). At one point, I was shoved up against the glass storefront windows and was STILL getting pushed by people. It felt like one strong thrust and I was going to go through it (though I’m sure it was just panic). Randy saw a woman collapse (well, she couldn’t fall far because the crowds held her up…I guess she fainted). Within seconds, I lost Randy in front of me and Chris and Pete behind me. I was surrounded by the biggest crowds of my life, yet I was also alone. Odd.
Nearly twenty-five minutes later (and miraculously only an ounce or two of beer spilled on my shirt), I wedged my way into an opening in the crowds. I saw Randy in the distance and made my way over. Minutes later, Sushi came down in her shoe (but we couldn’t see the spectacle anymore).
Chris and Pete got stuck in the crowds and arrived 15-20 minutes later. Apparently, Chris got shoved up against a tree, wrapped himself around it and stayed put until the crowds subsided.
With all of the crowds being shoved up against storefront windows, I’m surprised that nobody got shoved through one. I’m also surprised there was no violence because tempers were flaring (all I could envision were riots after European soccer games).
The next day, Randy and I were walked along that same area. I timed how long it took to walk the same path that took 25+ minutes the night before. This time, it was twelve seconds.
TWELVE SECONDS! Without crowds, you could see that the distance couldn’t have been more than 30 feet. Yet it felt like eternity. Chris said he had fun in the madness. Me? I’ve learned my lesson.
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When will you get to the “great” part? 😉
Having been there several times, I’d have to attribute the rowdiness to New Years Eve. I’ve always found it to be a lot more tame than you’re describing.
he he. I suppose it does sound negative. Well, this whole poste today was about New Years Eve..which wasn’t great. But like I said in yesterday’s post, I did enjoy Key West. I loved the charming residential areas outside Duvall Street. I had a great time on the beaches. I enjoyed the biking. The food was decent, the chickens were a hoot.
karl you sound like your 100 already. It was a fun night out… really.. he he
OH, Randy! Don’t go there. That’s not what I heard you telling Ben on the phone! You seemed to be on the same side of the fence as me while explaining the night to him!