The Rum Tax

September 10, 2008
Toyota Park
Bridgeview IL
2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier: USA v Trinidad and Tobago

Twenty-four-hour bus trips are the best worst things ever.

Around thirty of us piled onto a bus in St. Paul on a Wednesday morning, headed for Chicagoland and a USMNT qualifier with T&T. Bruce (of duNord fame) organized the trip.

As is to be expected, we also loaded the bus with coolers filled with miscellaneous drinks. Some of the younger members of the group took the seats towards the back; the restroom was also in the back. They started imposing a bathroom tax: in order to get to the bathroom, you had to take a shot of rum. This was a good trip.

We arrived a couple of hours before the game and enjoyed milling around the tailgate. The game itself was relatively forgettable; the US cruised to an easy 3-0 win.

We then got back on the bus and headed back to the Cities. I remember it being a brutal ride back, as I started getting sick. I'd come back from a week-plus trip to Miami and Montreal two days before the game, so my body was rebelling. All in all, though, I'd probably do it all again.