Massachusetts

Neighbors Complain of ‘Out of Control' Concertgoers at Rap Show

Residents of Mansfield, Massachusetts, are raising concerns about "out of control" concertgoers after a rap show on Tuesday night.

According to the Taunton Gazette, residents told selectmen that people were urinating and playing football on neighborhood lawns, causing traffic backups, setting off car alarms, and littering. Officials said the problems were exacerbated by the fact that the Waze app was sending motorists heading to the concert down side streets, which caused major backups.

Mansfield resident Dan Bly says it was gross and offensive.

"The guy was just urinating right here," he said. "I started yelling at him, he just got back inside his car and closed the door."

He said several drivers heading to the Xfinity Center for Tuesday night's sold out JAM'N 94.5 concert, featuring Future, Migos and others, used Willow Street as a short cut and a toilet.

"We couldn't leave our house if we wanted to because there were so many cars," Bly said.

During Wednesday night's selectmen's meeting, frustrated neighbors went off.

Mansfield Selectmen Chairman Michael Trowbridge is blaming Waze, the popular app that gives drivers alternate routes to avoid traffic jams.

"It doesn't make sense they're sending them through residential neighborhoods," he said.

Before the emergence of traffic apps, Trowbridge said his community didn't have gridlock on side streets. He said drivers heading to the Xfinity Center stayed on Interstate 495 and waited until traffic cleared.

A Waze spokesperson would not comment on the allegation, but released a statement saying "to avoid generating congestion of our own on a different set of roads, it simply wouldn't be effective to route a large amount of Wazers down a single street."

"Most of the main cut-through streets, we're going to put barricades up and police will be there directing people around," said Norton Town Manager Michael Yunits, whose community is also dealing with increased traffic.

Tuesday night's show was the first of the season at the Xfinity Center. Both communities are now working with public safety officials and the concert venue to prevent this from happening again. The next concert is scheduled for June 3.

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