Business was brisk outside Camden Yards as game time approached.
"Yeah, we're pretty busy," said Patrick Bordner, busy selling hot dogs and other ballpark staples at Wild Bill's East on Conway Street (not to be confused with Wild Bill's West, over near Pickles Pub).
"We're not used to having this many people here this early."
True, it was only 30 minutes before game time. But apparently fans were arriving at the park pretty early. No surprise, given the heavy rush-hour traffic that everyone was trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid.
Jeffrey Cook had been selling peanuts and sodas near the I-395 off ramp since 1 p.m. Sure, he was selling; he'd even brought along some extra stock for the day.
But let's get down to what really matters: He'd rather be inside Camden Yards, right?
"Oh, yeah," he said without hesitation. "Big time Orioles fan."
"But," he added resignedly, "you got to pay the bills."