thedrifter
02-04-06, 07:31 AM
Marines denied access to Wilmington bars
Feb 3, 2006, 03:52 PM
WWAY NewsChannel 3, NC
WILMINGTON -- An upset woman came to NewsChannel 3. Her boyfriend is a marine and was told he could not go to a local bar because of it.
In downtown Wilmington there's more than one bar that doesn't allow marines or other members of the military in.
Ashley Kidd says her military boyfriend was denied bar access. "They are being denied access to even enter a bar. It's just not right. It's discrimination. It's wrong," Kidd said.
Ashley Kidd's boyfriend is a marine at Camp Lejeune. She says he recently tried to get in a popular Wilmington bar and a bouncer told him "no marines allowed."
One of the managers at Rum Runners says they aren't the only bar that has strict rules about entry when dealing with the military. He says they were actually one of the last to allow them in until things started getting out of hand.
Dan Dalessandro is a former downtown bar owner who says it's a common practice downtown and there is good reason.
"I can see their frustrations sometimes. But we have to do what's best for the business. There is liability," Dalessandro said. He says more military usually means more fights.
A WWAY employee who served in the military before working as a bouncer agrees. "These guys are, you know, taught to be that they are invincible and then that's what happens when they get drunk. And a lot of them are young too. And they have just come out of basic."
Both bar workers had problems with underage marines trying to get in and others disturbing the bar's environment.
Charles Stewart is a former downtown bar bouncer. "We would get a lot of girls coming up to us saying they didn't feel comfortable because these guys wouldn't leave them alone. Or they would go and destroy stuff in the bathrooms. Break the mirrors. Punch walls," Stewart said.
Ashley Kidd says there is a simple solution: tighten security.
"When an incident happens they should be able to handle it and ban those individuals. Don't punish all marines for a couple bad eggs. It's just not right," Kidd said. The "no military" mandate is unfair in Kidd's eyes because these guys put their lives on the line for our freedom.
Ellie
:mad:
Feb 3, 2006, 03:52 PM
WWAY NewsChannel 3, NC
WILMINGTON -- An upset woman came to NewsChannel 3. Her boyfriend is a marine and was told he could not go to a local bar because of it.
In downtown Wilmington there's more than one bar that doesn't allow marines or other members of the military in.
Ashley Kidd says her military boyfriend was denied bar access. "They are being denied access to even enter a bar. It's just not right. It's discrimination. It's wrong," Kidd said.
Ashley Kidd's boyfriend is a marine at Camp Lejeune. She says he recently tried to get in a popular Wilmington bar and a bouncer told him "no marines allowed."
One of the managers at Rum Runners says they aren't the only bar that has strict rules about entry when dealing with the military. He says they were actually one of the last to allow them in until things started getting out of hand.
Dan Dalessandro is a former downtown bar owner who says it's a common practice downtown and there is good reason.
"I can see their frustrations sometimes. But we have to do what's best for the business. There is liability," Dalessandro said. He says more military usually means more fights.
A WWAY employee who served in the military before working as a bouncer agrees. "These guys are, you know, taught to be that they are invincible and then that's what happens when they get drunk. And a lot of them are young too. And they have just come out of basic."
Both bar workers had problems with underage marines trying to get in and others disturbing the bar's environment.
Charles Stewart is a former downtown bar bouncer. "We would get a lot of girls coming up to us saying they didn't feel comfortable because these guys wouldn't leave them alone. Or they would go and destroy stuff in the bathrooms. Break the mirrors. Punch walls," Stewart said.
Ashley Kidd says there is a simple solution: tighten security.
"When an incident happens they should be able to handle it and ban those individuals. Don't punish all marines for a couple bad eggs. It's just not right," Kidd said. The "no military" mandate is unfair in Kidd's eyes because these guys put their lives on the line for our freedom.
Ellie
:mad: