So, as they say, today is yesterday's tomorrow. And today is the day the Dodgers planned to open the Fifth Gate, which would let thousands of cars -- along with garbage and noise makers (if the Dodgers win) -- loose into our residential neighborhood. Unless the rain impacts that eventuality. A hastily announced neighborhood meeting Wednesday night was so crowded I had to be rude and push my way inside, past people who were standing outside Barlow Hall, trying to hear Dodgers VP Howard Sunkin describe the Dodgers "pilot program." (Not my finest moment, but I am short and stood no chance of seeing or hearing what was going on if I stayed on the patio.) Inside, there were four television news cameras and other cameras, and around the hall it was an all-star cast of old-guard, civics-involved Echo Park. One man sat on the piano bench in the corner. I kept wishing he'd offer some accompaniment. Like the Dodgers' chords between plays or like a silent movie. Because this meeting was quite a show, even though it was remarkably orderly.

The people who attended were overwhelmingly, often passionately opposed to opening the Fifth Gate. But the issue is going to play out in Dodger time as Howard -- as everyone at the meeting called him -- said the "pilot program" would extend until the All Stars break (read a few months from now).

Chicken Corner's issue today, because the gates ARE going to open soon, is the meeting itself. I found the Dodgers' presentation appalling. For one thing, they haven't done traffic studies. They said they will study the traffic as "the program" plays out. For another, it appears they have done very little to promote public transportation access to the stadium. One man who spoke during question-and-answer said that he lives in Los Feliz. He said he wanted to take the public bus to the stadium. When he went to the Dodgers website to find out about city bus routes to the stadium, there was nothing. There was a map for cars. The city bus maps weren't helpful either. He finally found out that he could take the 2 bus. Which he did. It left him off on Sunset, which is a fairly long walk to the gates, and when he got off the bus, only three other people got off, too. This was on opening day. There was no talk of shuttles from Union Station. When the topic of shuttles arose, Howard said that depended on the "will" of the MTA and other city agencies. (But when the man from Los Feliz mentioned that it was a long walk from Sunset, Howard immediately said, Done. "We'll get the buses up there.")

(Howard also promised dozens of city cops -- at Dodger expense -- along the egress route down Scott Avenue, but I heard that a staffer for one of the city council reps didn't believe Howard had the power to get them on the street by Friday.)

Then, there's manners, which are ironically relevant here because that's one piece of the issue: the behavior of fans as they leave the stadium grounds, and the ball team's respectful treatment of the neighborhoods near the stadium.

For better or worse, I am the kind of person who thinks demeanor matters. I try to see my way around this mindset, but it’s not automatic. (Though I’d like to think that if I ever met Putie, I’d see deeper than W did.) So I went to the meeting expecting to be charmed – and ready not to be. But the Dodgers’ Howard took few pains. (If it seems like I am getting personal, here is the reason: The Dodgers send Howard to talk to the community, which makes Howard the Dodgers.) After the news cameras left the Dodgers didn't try to pretend he wasn't bored. He often didn't listen to people or look at them during the question-and-answer-and-comment period of the meeting. (I should mention that the meeting was about two-and-a-half hours long. We're not talking all night here.)

One woman, named Cricket, who has lived in the neighborhood since before the big gentrification of this century, went to the podium, got ready to speak, then interrupted herself. "Howard!" she called. "I'm over here." Then she put on her southern manners, and said, "I am so glad you came here to talk to us today." Followed by her doubts that she was getting into a win-win situation.

While no one wants the gates to open, people seem divided over what they actually want to ask of the Dodgers -- now that we seem to be in the position of being the askers. Some want it shut. Others want to agree that it be opened under a variety of conditions: that it never be opened for day games; that it only be opened for DASH buses and large carpools. There were some creative suggestions tossed out from the public at the podium -- maybe not the newest, but why not try it, like free parking for 8 people or more in a vehicle. (One Dodgers affiliated person said that didn't work when they tried it with four. Well, can we try again?) A former deputy for Jackie Goldbert suggested the Dodgers buy more parking spaces in an industrial area off San Fernando -- and shuttle the fans to the stadium.

On one point we ALL were cozy: the issue is bigger than the gate. We have to figure out a way to get fewer cars into the stadium parking lots.