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I assaulted a fan last night

#41
#45
Evidently, OP, you sized up the situation well, based on the comments of the drunk guy's friend. No harm, no foul. I'm sure you would handle it differently if the guy was an obvious threat to your safety. But you never really know what drunk people are ready to do.
 
#48
Kmonk said:
In some states, kicking someone is a felony. There are many states which use the term "shod foot" which basically means you were not barefoot at the time. Kicking someone when you are wearing any type of shoe, sneaker, boot, etc can be considered assault with a dangerous weapon. If a steel toe boot is involved, charges can be upgraded to assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted, it will almost always result in several years in prison.

In any event, the OP was way out of line. He should have gone to the manager of the club and had the guy who was blocking the door removed.
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Yeah, and here in Fort Wayne, the bouncer would've either beaten the living crap out of the guy, or shot him.

He should be thankful the OP did the right thing, and gave him a little kick, instead of your solution.
 
#49
People standing at the load-in door taking a smoke break annoy me too. Though, even the drunkest most oblivious ones move out of the way quick when I come rolling behind them with my 2x15 sunn cab on giant casters. Sounds like thunder when rolling it.
 
#52
Among the many reasons why I don't love bar gigs: nobody is at their best at 2 in the morning. There's nothing good going on in or near bars at the time of the night. I hate load out and the drive home.
 
#53
I worked in a dive bar for years as a cook. All the bartenders were women. Being the only guy in the place meant I was a de facto bouncer and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to kick the crap out of somebody, sometimes for things just like this.

You really shouldn't have kicked the guy and next time you should have someone with the bar deal with it but were all human and sometimes a swift foot in the ass is the only thing a drunk person understands.
 
#55
Rick Auricchio said:
Yes. Nobody but you and I seem to have considered that lots of people carry deadly weapons.
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My first thought was that the guy calls the cops and the OP has a fortune in legal bills. My second thought was that it's not too bright to admit to a crime on a public forum. The fact that the drunk might have a gun was my third thought.

I'm glad the OP got away with this, but in today's litigious society laying hands on another person is very risky.
 
#56
Plectrum72 said:
Seems to me an awful lot of folks in this thread are fretting over not much of anything. :rollno:
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Well there are a ton of people in the ground or behind bars that would beg to differ you have no idea who that drunk is? or how crazy their friends and relatives are? twenty-two states have adapted some form of the "stand your ground" law and concealed carry licenses are being issued at a record rate you would have to be an absolute fool these days to attack or escalate anything there's a person in the news lately who just went to the movies that isn't coming home ever again over something as stupid as not using a cell phone in a theater. I carry and I would still avoid it I value my life and freedom too much.
 
#57
Lo-E said:
We all make poor judgments.

The fact that it's still bothering you suggests to me that you've already learned everything you needed to learn from it.
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+1. A big guy kicking a little guy, drunk, in the way or not, could've resulted in worse situations. You could've lost the gig in the future, the guy could've grabbed the .45 under his seat, he may have rallied his friends , or if he had an existing injury that you made alot worse could've resulted in a law suit against you and the club.

I did chuckle a little, though. My bad. You apologized and that means alot as well.
 
#58
Wow, I would have grabbed the tire iron. Just being honest. I wouldn't have used it unless necessary and I figure its presence would have backed him off. Your approach of apologizing and calming him was real manly.
Very NLP with the whole hand on the shoulder, and the respect it garnered from the youngster's friend was obviously genuine. You're a father figure, not a felon.


fnord!
 
#59
Rick Auricchio said:
Yes. Nobody but you and I seem to have considered that lots of people carry deadly weapons.
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Edward G. said:
...you never really know what drunk people are ready to do.
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Just so. I'm reminded of a night back in the 80s, we had just ended the gig and there was a homeless-looking drunk scooting around the bar guzzling down every leftover drink he could grab, before the waitresses picked them up. He was strongly encouraged to exit the building, and he did so. A minute later, we heard a string of shots fired in the parking lot. It was the same drunk. Turns out, under his baggy plaid shirt, he had an automatic pistol in his waistband. Thankfully, he didn't hit anyone.

I've been a lot more careful since then. You never know.
 

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