Who agrees security at bars need to step up?

[JoeyBryant]

Although I was fortunante enough to enjoy a nice 2 holidays in Florida last month, these past 2 weeks have been equally very troublesome for myself and several other people I know. I had come down to Florida for a little break and on what was supposed to have been my last week in town, a friend and I decided to go out to a bar. It used to be our regular hangout spot when I lived there 4 years ago, and on this last time we had a great time. I did not expect it to be our last.

 

As we were leaving...I get to my friend's car and notice all of my belongings that were left in the car are missing. A coat, wallet, keys, new bottle of my favorite cologne. Now, I never had an issue leaving items in my car..and in fact I thought that was the safe way of doing things if you're going to a bar. But, being that it was his car it wasn't the case.

 

Well, at 1st I thought it was a prank until he also realized the face of his radio was missing as well. At that point I probabaly went into shock as I couldn't believe someone could break into an alarmed car. Next thing I know...a shot fires and my friend is lying on the ground. End result: He is paralyzed and in critical condition...Suspect? Still at large.

 

Now,

had been following this for some time...and in 1 of the written articles the owner of the Valentines Nightclub in Tampa had the audacity to say, "that can happen anytime at anyplace and to put Valentine's in the story is a way of the media misinforming people."

 

Although there may have been something going on with my friend prior to my coming down that I didn't know about and had nothing to do with Valentines...But this is not the 1st time someone I know has been attacked at a bar this year. Bars tend to attract angry, venegful people right along with people there to have a good time. This whole incident happened in the parking lot of the bar when this happend...yet there were no cameras, no parking patrol...And most hole in the wall joints fail to have this. What are the chances of that happening in Wal-Mart parking lot? Because it didn't happen there...it happened near a dark alley where the bar was located.

 

Or maybe its just the bar scene...I've mentioned several times to my friends that its time to start doing something a bit more intellectual on weekends (bowling, skiing, theme parks) rather than just going to a bar and risk ending up dead

[EZEtoGRU]

Wow....What an ugly experience. Having the car be shot at is serious stuff. Hope your friend recovers fully. I am always extremely careful when I go out in any city. My advice is that leaving a wallet and keys in the car...... anywhere....is a recipe for disaster.

[orbital sander]

Leaving a wallet in a car is the last thing I would ever do, that makes no sense

 

As our economy gets worse these things will happen more and more...people are not just angry, they are getting desperate and cameras offer very low deterrence any more. People just do not have much to loose and these bad things do not just happen at bars. Shootings happen all the time...ON CAMERA no less.

 

Your best defense is to be aware and extra careful, bars have always seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

 

Too bad about your friend.

[+ deej]

Dude, if you follow Perez Hilton's blog you'll know that violence (knifings, fisticusffs, shootings, beatings) happen regularly inside Chuck E Cheese's. Those soccer moms take their shit seriously!

 

Now, add homodrama and why would you expect any bar to be any different?

 

If you expect someone else to take responsibility for your belongings, think again. That's YOUR responsibility.

 

It sucks that your friend was wounded (badly, it seems, and I truly wish him all the best). It really does suck. It sucks out loud. But I don't think you can blame it on the bar.

[stripfan]

So sorry about your friend. I agree that keeping valuables in your vehicle is risky. In watching the report you linked to the attack it seems a shame that witnesses are not coming forward with information on the shooting. I always feel more secure at clubs with parking lot security and/or valet parking; but nothing is guaranteed. Your friend is proof that we never know what life is going to bring. Wow.

[josephga]

this happened last week in atlanta. i never go to the club haven't been in 8 years

 

[video=youtube;AU3TLIrqLRI]

[JoeyBryant]

Well, thing is I've never had a car broken into in my life...so its only natural to become a bit slack. In addition, having gone to bars since I was...um, lets just say 18 I've never had an issue with a break in either. It also was not random because no other cars nearby were targetted.

 

Regardless, I just try not to regret it too much and move on. Its all replaceable, but unlike my friend I don't think those injuries can be un-did. I generally never felt safe leaving things in people's cars anyway but I was more concerned with them being stupid and drunk and driving off with all my stuff. But since he was a friend of 6 years, and I had his house keys and we were temporary roommates, it just didn't dawn on me of any impending danger.

 

As per Joseph's story...whats up with guns? I mean...its starting to get out of control. Are guys these days that much of pussies that the only way they can solve an issue is pulling out a gun? Anybody can pull a trigger nowadays, as we see in Tuscon recently.

 

I know every place can't afford security like Wal-Mart, but seems like even Wal-mart has upped their parking lot security. They have the security company AND the city police on standby just waiting for some idiot to do something stupid. I came out of Wal-Mart today and thought the police was going to run me over he was flying thru the parking lot so fast. People attack bars more often because they know the only person guarding is a friggin bouncer with a flashlight and shirt that says SECURITY

 

Of course, I guess shit can happen anywhere...sometimes its nobodies fault. It feels good to blame someone, but who can you? Some of his acquientences and relatives were mad at me because I couldn't spend 7 days a week at the hospital hovering over him in tears day and night. I've known him for 6 years and I KNOW for a fact that he would NOT want to watch me hovering over him in tears day and night. We had a very close but very platonic relationship and we've been through lots of things together.

 

...Well, I'm going to walk over to my blog because I can write a chapter about this LOL. Be safe everyone!

[instudiocity]

Congratulations, Joey, you've achieved INCOHERENCE with thus blog.

[RM]

I've had my car broken into more than once. Anything that looks valuable should be out of view in the trunk.

[+ deej]

I've had my car broken into more than once. Anything that looks valuable should be out of view in the trunk.

 

As a 20-something living in the DC area I routinely had to park in public lots literally in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. We were told not to leave so much as an empty pack of cigarettes visible in the car because it was such a poor area somebody would break in to get it.

 

I've always sort of stuck to that rule. Nothing to see, nothing to get.

[+ FreshFluff]

Joey, I'm so sorry about what happened to you and your friend. Is there any word about whether he may recover the use of his limbs?

 

This sounds like more than just a simple theft. Thieves don't typically wait around for their victims to return and then shoot them. Even if they think the victim has money on him, shooting him dramatically increases their chances of getting caught.