Rules You Should Know for Tailgating at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The college football national championship game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama will take place on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Whether you’re cheering on the Dawgs or the Tide, if you plan on going early, there are some rules about tailgating you should keep in mind. If you break one of these rules, you may be warned. Break another and you could be kicked out or, worse, arrested.
1. Tailgating Locations
Tailgating is permitted but only in designated lots. Tailgating is not permitted in multi-level garages. Tailgaters can enjoy themselves in the Blue Lot, Yellow Lot or Marshalling Yard lot. A spokeswoman for the stadium declined to say whether or not alcoholic beverages were permitted. If you park in a private lot, you may still be able to tailgate, but you should check the posted rules before you do.
2. Parking Spaces
Your vehicle cannot take up more than a single parking space. If you have tailgating equipment, it can’t extend beyond your space. Your equipment cannot impede the flow of traffic through the lot, nor can you utilize the empty parking space next to you.
3. Common Areas
Almost any parking lot you enter is landscaped in some way, including the lots of the stadium. These landscaped areas are considered to be common ground. That means that you have no right to stake a claim to them. They are there for the public to enjoy.
4. Trash
The owners and employees of the stadium ask that you dispose of your trash appropriately. There are plenty of trash receptacles for your garbage, and there are coal containers provided in the lots for your hot coals.
City Laws
Not only do you have to obey the stadium rules, but you have to remember that you are still bound by public ordinances. While you may be able to drink in the stadium-owned lots, although that hasn’t been confirmed, you cannot drink in a parking lot owned by the city. This is why it is important to know where you are if you choose to park outside of the stadium.
It is also illegal to drink alcohol within 100 feet of any store where alcohol is sold in package form. That means if you can walk into the store and buy a 6-pack, you can’t drink it within 100 feet of the store’s walls. Remember that it is also unlawful to behave in a disorderly manner. In other words, if your behavior is posing a risk to yourself or someone else, you can expect to be at least talked to by the police.
Tailgating is a great way to kick off a college playoff when done right and with safety in mind. Remember to find a sober ride home if you drove yourself to the game and had a bit too much to drink while you were there. If you find yourself arrested for DUI in Atlanta after the game or at any other time, reach out to our team of defense attorneys for a free case evaluation.
