Bengals vs. Patriots: A Personal Experience in New England

Nov 17, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals fan during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati won 41-20. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Train from South Station

– We waited at South Station for the train that takes fans to “Gillette Stadium”. The reason for that being in quotations will be explained later. The train left at 6:35 sharp, as we were told it would; it only travels once to and from the stadium, so you needed to make sure you were on time. The train ride was very calm considering the fact we were all wearing Bengals gear. The part of the train ride that was very irritating was that how long it took.

The distance from Gillette Stadium from South Station was 22 miles. I expected maybe a 45 minute train ride. I was wrong. The train stopped to change tracks several times while its top speed was 15 mph. We arrived at the “stadium” roughly roughly 20 minutes before kickoff.

Now for the drop off. The reason I have been referencing Gillette Stadium in quotations is because the train stop was called Gillette Stadium, but it definitely was not. The train dropped everyone off in the middle of the woods. It was very similar to a haunted train ride one would see at an amusement park. It was dark, and an un-orderly mob of people were marching towards the stadium. It was like something out of, “The Walking Dead”.

We had about three feet of room on either side of us before a five foot drop into a ditch. People had been urinating in this ditch. I personally fell into the ditch. I also fell into a hole that was about two feet deep. Keep in mind we had been told by several people that this was the most efficient, quickest, and cheapest way to get to Gillette Stadium.

After about a quarter mile walk through the hundred-acre wood, I could finally see stadium lights.