Some were adorned in shimmering elegance; some chose the cool, casual look; some strode in very high heels; others sauntered in in low footwear but they all wore looks of excitement as they headed to Rihanna’s LOUD concert at Kensington Oval last night.
The Bajan superstar’s patrons turned Fontabelle Road into a virtual catwalk.
There were also some comical and bizarre appearances – one woman walking barefooted with her fashionable shoes in hand; and one man sporting a black and white polka dot bowtie with grey double-breasted jacket, dark grey shorts and white sneakers.
But the whole “parade” was orderly and peaceful even though for some time a long queue snaked from the entrance to the VIP stands on to and along Fontabelle Road.
It was noticeable that as the start time of 7:30 p.m. drew close the line moved speedily, leading many onlookers to conclude that there was probably a relaxation of the security searches.
Security officers said that things went smoothly and there were no problems.
A number of local personalities were in the crowd making the trek from parked vehicles to the oval.
LIME country manager Alex McDonald was there. So too were managing director of Chefette Restaurants, Ryan Haloute, and Monsignor Vincent Blackett of the Roman Catholic Church.
A woman on a crutch was among the not so able who were at Kensington to see Rihanna perform live in her homeland.
The park-and-ride system also appeared to work smoothly.
The top of the line ticket holders, those of luxury VIP and VVIP, rode in coaches from three City locations – BTI car parks on Lower Bay Street, Princess Alice Highway and the Helipad on Hincks Street.
One marshal said there were no problems; they only had to turn away those who did not have the correct tickets.
At St Leonard’s School, a special park-and-ride was in place for the disabled. However, operators there said only a few had used it up to 6 p.m.
One bit of complaint came from taxi drivers on Lower Broad Street, the City.
“No provisions are made for taximen. I heard on the radio that PSVs [Public Service Vehicles] were allowed [to pass] by Kensington Oval, but police diverted me,” said Keith Lorde.
Other taxi operators said the park-and-ride system had taken customers away from them.
Another operator, who declined identification, lamented the lack of a taxi parking area at Kensington. He said such a thing would facilitate ease of access for potential customers and would have enabled them to get work at the end of the show.
