Ravenwood - 11/19/04 07:00 AM
Apparently Boston bouncers are getting into the habit of beating up their customers.
"I've been waiting to get in a fight all night," police say a brazen Jose McIntyre's manager exclaimed Aug. 29 before punching 34-year-old Christopher Alley of Salem in one of five alleged bouncer beatdowns at the Faneuil Hall pub this year.This is not an isolated incident, and the Boston Herald has a whole laundry list of similar incidents at several different bars. Incidents like this undoubtedly happen at bars and clubs all across America.
Alley, who is planning to sue the bar, was pummeled "by the bar staff," one of whom kicked him in the face and repeatedly "stomped'' on his head, according to a police report.
Alan Eisner, spokesman for The Glynn Group, which owns the bar, called staff's action against Alley "totally justified" because Alley "verbally accosted" employees.
But Boston seems to be a little slow to react. There have been "37 reports of violence against customers this year", but only 11 have yielded license suspensions. Of those, all but four were for just one day.
I'm sure the victims of these violent attacks probably brought some of it on themselves. But it's hard to justify kicking someone's face in just because you were "verbally accosted".
If the reports are accurate, it would seem like this would be bad for business. So why would the bar owners tolerate it?
Posted by: markm at November 19, 2004 4:15 PMThey tolerate it because they can get away with it. A bar owner really only has a few ways he can lose:
They tolerate it because they can get away with it. A bar owner really only has a few ways he can lose:
1. A lawsuit. If the patron is drunk he is likely to be found to have contributed to the situation. Still, this seems like the biggest risk.
2. Lose your license. Boston seems to have made it clear that only the most egregious violations will face losing their license. Even then, it's only a temporary suspension. Little risk.
3. Lose business. These bars are located in the Boston hot spots. They've probably got people lined up outside waiting to get in. Hundreds are probably turned away because it's too crowded inside. Unless the bad PR gets to them, zero risk.
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