This is news: No arrests at Beach Boys concert at Darien Lake

If you're wondering where the report is on all of the arrests at the Beach Boys concert at Darien Lake on Friday, here's a news flash: There weren't any.

Apparently, nobody urinated on another patron, nobody was arrested for trespass for jumping a fence to get backstage, nobody tried to shoplift from a vendor and nobody took a swing at a security guard.

There weren't even any citations issued for underage drinking.

Perhaps less surprising, there were also weren't any citations issued for unlawful possession of marijuana.

"It was a completely different crowd than what we usually deal with," said Sgt. Steve Mullen, of the Sheriff's Office.

Mullen said people entered the venue in an orderly manner -- forming a single line instead of the usual "mosh pit" of pushing and shoving to enter -- and alcohol consumption was mostly confined a couple of beers or a glass or two of wine (people brought their own glasses).

"They even picked up after themselves," Mullen said.

One deputy we spoke to said concertgoers even thanked him for being there.

The evening wasn't without conflicts. Getting out of the Darien Lake parking lot is apparently a frustrating exercise even on a night when the band draws less than 8,000 people.

One patron, Janice O'Rouke, posted on the D&C's Web site that the situation in the parking lot was "ugly," but what she describes was really pretty tame compared to what might occur at a Brad Paisley or Drake show.

Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble confirmed there were some tense moments in the parking lot as people tried to leave, but only one or two confrontations and "certainly less than normal."

Dibble:

No one would ever describe the parking lot situation as pleasant or fast, I'm sure. Thousands of vehicles exiting onto one state highway and one county road will never be pleasant or fast by any stretch of the imagination. The parking lot funneling to the exits will always cause conflict that sometimes becomes physical. Alcohol abuse is a significant factor. 

The Sheriff's Office routinely has as many as 10 deputies directing traffic at the end of the concerts with the goal of getting everyone out as quickly and as safely as humanly possible and yet it will take the last of the patrons as much as two hours to get on the road from a large concert.

Accidents in the traffic pattern will pull deputies from traffic direction duty and cause additional back ups. The State Police also have patrols in the area working to keep traffic moving. Traffic backed up to the park from the Village of Corfu is common even though the Corfu PD assists traffic through their village as best they can. 

Private parking lots along Sumner Road result in gridlock and heavy foot traffic mixed in with bumper-to-bumper vehicle traffic in poor lighting with no sidewalks and narrow, unimproved shoulders. 

People need to understand the limitations at this venue, study the routes in and out, be prepared to take an alternate route and expect delays both getting there and leaving. 

This is a very difficult venue to manage under these conditions.  

Even with the inherant difficulties with the venue, Dibble said, the crowd Friday was very easy to work with.

"While the parking lots are usually littered with bottles and cans after a concert, there were few and far between at the end of this one," Dibble said. "People were polite and considerate as they entered and left."

Mullen agreed.

"It was a mature crowd," Mullen said. "They were there to enjoy the concert and have a good time and not cause anybody else problems. It was an honor to be there to serve them and they were glad to have us there."