I am told that the term, “old adage,” is redundant.  The word adage means, old saying.  So when we say, old adage we are saying, “old, old saying.”

Okay.  I get it.  So, I hope you’ll excuse my redundancy when I say that the old adage is location, location location.  Personally, I agree.  I am neither a professional business man nor do I claim any training in real estate.

Regardless, I think the guy who originally said it is more correct than he realized.  You see, almost every day I do business with someone.  When I do, location has a lot to do with where I spend my dollars.

Therefore, let me break down the adage.  The word, location is used three times.  Indeed, it has three meanings.  First, there is ease of access.  Second, there is security.  The third meaning has to do with parking.

Please permit me a word or two… maybe even three on each usage of the word.

As I said, first is access.  Whenever I decide to go to a store, I generally go somewhere nearby.  If there is a place within a few miles, why should I go 50.  Okay.  I’m being a little extreme, but I’m sure you see my point.

While distance is certainly a consideration, there is more to access than distance.  Do I really want to fight traffic for 5 miles or is it better to go 8 miles in light traffic.  Personally, I would much prefer to drive an extra few miles rather than face the traffic of downtown Memphis.  (Oddly, I have driven in downtown Los Angeles and I found the traffic reasonable.  Then again, that was a few decades ago.)

The second consideration is security.  Do I want to do business in an area where I feel safe or do I want to face the possibility of being mugged on the way back to my car.  I don’t know about others, but I find most downtown areas a little unnerving.  Every time that I must go into Memphis, I generally keep my head on a swivel and I remain a good distance from all those around me: black, white or purple.  In a matter of security, I am color-blind.

The third consideration, parking, can be the primary one.  If I can’t park within easy walking distance of the business, all else is moot.  In my own opinion, this is the primary reason that most downtown areas fail.  I get into downtown Memphis and then I have to pay through the nose for somewhere to park.  On the other hand, there might not be a place to park even if I’m willing to pay through the nose.

I mean, as I say, I’m not an expert; however, I do know why I don’t go downtown unless I have a good reason.

…and yet, when they built the basketball arena, when they built the new baseball park, they built them in downtown Memphis.  (in my opinion, dumb)  If there is a baseball game and a basketball game on the same day, you just might be better off staying home.

I’m not dumb.  I know why they built the facilities downtown.  It helps to bring people to the downtown area.  Then again, I used to go to see baseball games all the time.  Since they moved the park downtown I saw one game.  I have never seen the inside of the basketball arena.  I have no desire to spend an hour or more fighting traffic to get there and then spend another half hour looking for someplace to park.  Then of course, while walking to and from, I am in constant fear of some drug addict  deciding that he needs my money more than me.

I have gone to several Dodger games when I lived in Orange County.  It was quite a drive, maybe thirty miles.  However, it was almost all freeway.  Within the park, understandably, congestion was immense.  If my memory serves me correctly, the stadium seat around 50-thousand.  On the way out, once I left the parking lot, I was on the freeway, traveling at freeway speeds.  Oh. By the way; there was always somewhere to park.  Attendants provided organized assistance.  It worked very smooth.

Sometimes, people understand the location adage.  Sometimes people don’t.  It is what happens when government makes the decisions.  Dodger Stadium was built with private money.  The location was decided by businessmen, not the city council.  It was built without public money, so there was very little waste.

So, when they decided to change our healthcare, who designed it, the government… Obama and Pelosi; two people who know nothing about medicine.  Now, years later, it is still messed up.