Today I had to deal with two of the few things that annoy me the most when I'm alone - big moving crowds (unless they are all facing a stage), and foreigners (unless they are Coldplay). When collecting FIFA tickets and spending a few hours in Sandton City, you are guaranteed swarms of both…and thankfully…soccer fever seems to carry an element of tolerance and I left the collection office ten tickets happier!
I got an email reminder that I hadn’t collected my tickets (thank you FIFA); and as I had no idea where Laico Isle was, I plugged the address into my Garmin and went for a drive. Great…it’s the corner with Village Walk on the one side, and tons of other ‘this-could-just-be-where-you-have-to-be’ places in it’s vicinity. Urgh.
So, as my contribution to all that is World Cup, here is my COLLECTING FIFA TICKETS heads up list:
1. The building you are looking for is across the road from Village Walk with the fanciest gym ever built (the one where you bench press solid gold and you get fanned on the circuit – I’m just guessing).
2. I parked in the actual building’s parking. Just drive around the complex and you’ll see it.
3. While driving around, see which queue leading to the Ticket Office is shorter – people were forming lines both ways.
4. Make sure you remember where you park. I did, for a change, so I always feel it’s my duty to remind others. There is also only one place where you can pay for your parking. It’s between parking levels 2 and 3, at the exit next to the Mini Cooper shop. Walk past Mini and the Rolls Royce that is the size of a cathedral and keep going from there towards the queues.
5. At this stage, you will encounter some foreign media. It could just be your 15 minutes, so make the most of it…or avoid eye contact and run past them like I did.
6. Only start talking to the person next to you if you want to carry on with a conversation. Awkward silences in the sun are heavy.
7. They let you into the Ticketing Office in groups, so if the line aint moving for a while, don’t panic.
8. Once inside. If you have your credit card with you, DON’T stand in a queue! The World Cup people still had tons patience today, and they’ll direct you to one of the ticketing machines. DON’T PANIC if it says your card is invalid – this happened to 90% of the people in the group…but it’s better to try. When your card doesn’t work in the machine, stand in the queue on the right hand side. The staff are extremely helpful.
9. Make sure you have your ID book with you.
10. When leaving, go back past Cathedral car and Mini, and make sure you have the exact change for the machine – there is a sign that indicates it doesn’t pay out. My parking cost me R7.00 for just under an hour.
It’s really not as time consuming as I thought it would be. I wouldn’t do it again…but it is worth seeing the fuss that Sandton has made over the event that is finally sparking the patriotic flame our country so badly needs.
My only other advice is go now before any more foreigners arrive and our city starts sounding like the hot spots of Cape Town.
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