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Boston's just no fun anymore, Barstool says
By adamg on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 7:30am
The Herald reports Barstool Sports will be moving its college Blackout parties somewhere more festive, like Worcester, after state and local authorities let in only 500 of the 2,000 or so people who'd paid for tickets for a BC party at the House of Blues, for some like totally bogus reasons, like, oh, the 300 fake IDs collected by state inspectors.
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Comments
Good Riddance
Though somehow I don't think Worcester will be any more, um, "welcoming". They should try Providence [snicker].
I'm no Barstool fan...
...and bouncers certainly should confiscate fake IDs, but the article also mentions that people of drinking age with out-of-state IDs were denied entry. I've seen this happen to friends from out of town who were a lot closer to 30 than 21, and it's right up there with the happy hour ban as far as ridiculous Boston alcohol policies go.
I guess the idea is that it's harder for bouncers to spot fakes from other states, but shouldn't it be the establishment's responsibility to train them better? I'm guessing the pressure to deny out-of-state IDs comes from the licensing board, but do they really believe all the visiting college and grad students should get MA IDs or licenses, even if they have no plans on driving while they're here?
It's stuff like this that makes me embarrassed to have friends from New York or Chicago visit. It's one thing if you can just go to another bar, but I feel for these kids who paid 20 bucks for a party and couldn't get in because of an ass-backwards policy.
private business
I was denied entrance to the lounge area at a Chinese food restaurant in NH with a valid NH driver's license. I was not drunk or acting disorderly. The person checking id's simply didn't believe that I was 21. Of course I was pissed since I was with 3 other people with valid id's who were over 21 and we had to go elsewhere. However, under the law, isn't it a private business' right to make these decisions?
I feel bad for the kids who paid $20 to get into a party too, but for a different reason...
Alcohol ID
Mass. law has a funny approach to IDs that are preferred. As I understand it, Mass. establishments have a greater level of protection if they rely on the documents below, rather than any others.
Valid Massachusetts Driver's License
Valid Military ID
Valid Passport or US Passport Card
Valid Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Liquor ID Card
What's missing? Green Cards (and other government non-military ID), Mass ID (not liquor ID) and out-of-state ID/DLs. It's not illegal to accept them as proof of age, but a lot of places have set that as their own law.
I think it wasn't until the World Cup was in town in 1994 that they started allowing foreign passports as ID.
Warehouse Parties
This was a sad imitation of a warehouse party. Then again, a lot of warehouse parties are pretty strict about admission and don't serve alcohol, either.
On the other hand, the out-of-state ID thing is stupid. Also seen people denied with US PASSPORTS! MA needs to get over itself in this regard.
Which raises the question: why are we using drivers licenses for non-driving ID at all?
Also not a barstool fan....
But what someone writes on a website should have nothing to do with their ability to host a legal, organized event in the city. When the Herald wrote a story about how "dangerous" these parties were....and the last line noted there were no arrests and no injuries, I read up on it a little. The Barstool guy has held close to 50 of these I believe and there have been very few incidents that would make one thing they should be banned. A few fights, a few overserved minors...basically what happens every weekend in Boston, but some reporter calls city hall and all of a sudden the police are out in force. It's a sad reminder that people who run this city HATE anything new, fun, and that they don't understand. Do I want to go to a de facto rave (which is why it's called a blackout party...they turn the lights out and use black lights)? No. Should others be allowed to go? Sure. Do I want to smoke cigars/hookah? Not really, but should the city ban these establishments? Absolutely not (and I still believe they will be in '13 or '14).
The city and state of firsts
Boston is well known for it's many firsts. From the first public school, first college, to the many medical and technological discoveries. The Revolutionary War started here, with the shot heard round the world. We have the oldest Constitution, the document, not the frigate. Although the frigate is close to my heart.
It's not that we do not embrace the new, this is the first state to legalize gay marriage, a state full of abolitionists, a state that honors Crispus Attucks, and John Brown.
Some how your whine about not being allowed to wander around a room lit with black lights and drink to your hearts content, regardless of age, maturity or intelligence does not pass the new idea we should champion test.
Don't forget
First last call for alcohol so drunken revelers won't disturb old fucks like you.
Nothing you said has any relevance to the discussion, and nobody is claiming underage kids should be allowed into this party. Just move to the suburbs (if you haven't already) or hurry up and die so we can have some fun in this town without bothering you.
Ugly disagreement
I enjoy a spirited disagreement. But ugly disagreement hurts all.
Personal attacks are worthless. Personal attacks that rely upon lowest common denominator cuss words are gross and ugly. Then rejecting someone who disagrees with you by suggesting that they "hurry up and die" demonstrates contempt for the person who disagrees with you. To add so that you can have some fun asks whether your ability to have fun is dependent on the death of others?
Disagreement is good; disagreement can help ferret out lies from truth. But disagreements wielded with the force of a sledge hammer in the form of ugly personal attacks diminishes the conversation for everyone.
The ABCC says that licensees
The ABCC says that licensees can only use certain types of IDs as a defense, but that passports are explicitly among them ("A valid passport issued by the United States government, or by the government, recognized by the United States government, of a foreign country").
http://www.mass.gov/abcc/faqs.htm#j2
OK TOMMY
Mumbles is trying to put a stop to youth having fun, but still sees no issue with the Mac Miller Concert at city hall that he put on which shut down the Red & Orange line because of fights. The issue is that the mayor is so out of touch he believes that BarStoolSports.com is trying to promote binge drinking by the name of their parties, "Blackout Tour" which in reality is in reference to the fact its a black light party.
Its a similar instance to the mayor placing a ban on flavored cigars because he believes kids are smoking them because of the low cost (in comparison to ciggs) and because their flavored. AAAA Tom kids are buying them because they use them to smoke pot.
OUT OF TOUCH!