Rose Parade Crowd Figures
Where does the press (radio-TV-newspapers) get the BIG idea more than 1 million people lined the route in Pasadena to watch the Rose Parade?
It is an outright lie; 400,000 would be a more accurate figure, and here is why:
The parade route is 5 miles long; 5 times 5,280 feet equals 26,400 feet. Two sides of the street times 26,400 equals 52,800 feet.
If people stand 10 deep along that 52,800-foot area, that is 528,000 square feet of space to stand in.
The average person needs 2 square feet of space, so half of 528,000 is 264,000 people lined up along the parade route.
If they were lined up 15 feet deep, 15 times 52,800 equals 792,000 square feet. Using 2 square feet of space for each person, half of 792,000 is 396,000 people.
The largest group was near the start of the parade. In some areas of the 5-mile route people were lined up only five deep.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. and news reporters have been telling people lies year after year. Didn’t they take math in school?
RITZ R. MILLER
Burlingame
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
