Out of the bars, into the streets
As watering holes wind down, city police wind up for nightly ritual
By Brian Hicks
Previous stories
Downtown residents vexed by noise, vandals, published 07/06/08
Mullen: Safety is Job 1, published 07/13/08
There's a woman passed out on the sidewalk, a guy's revving a chopper loud enough to wake the dead and some knucklehead is running alongside a cruiser and bragging to his buddies that he's "faster than a police car."
Then a call comes in from dispatch, like clockwork, at 2 a.m. — somebody's reporting loud noises in the French Quarter.
The Post and Courier
A man stumbles out of a bar on North Market Street as bars closed early Saturday morning.
Video
French Quarter
Police try to keep the peace after residents in the French Quarter neighborhood of Charleston complained about the behavior of bar patrons in the area.
It's closing time in Charleston.
There have been a lot of changes in the city's night life since 2003. Bars that used to close — or rather, stay open — at their leisure are now required to lock their doors at 2 a.m., dumping as many as a couple of thousand people onto city streets at once. The smoking ban keeps a steady crowd on the sidewalks throughout the evening and Police Chief Greg Mullen has put a lid on open containers.
Despite all these changes, police keep Charleston remarkably calm. Officers manage sizeable crowds politely, professionally and with an ample show of force when zero hour falls. They casually check out a good many people before they get in cars and drive, and point the rest to taxis. They aren't storm troopers, but they aren't pushovers, either. They tolerate the goofballs, but gently push people to keep the noise down, keep the sidewalks clear, the fun clean.
Police officers say they aren't especially looking to write tickets or lock up everyone who's had a drink ("The jail's not big enough," one jokes), but they are not about to let the Holy City turn into one big long Bourbon Street.
"We have pretty much a zero tolerance policy for public drunkenness," Sgt. Dale Wilson says. "We're not going to have people who can't walk out in the street."
The city started the 2 a.m. closing in January 2003, claiming it would cut down on noise and rowdy behavior in this Southern city of manners. Bar owners groused, bar patrons griped, but five years after the fact, most say it's no big deal.
Police get the credit for changing the city's lifestyle. DUI checkpoints cut down on the number of folks trying to drive off the peninsula after a bout of drinking, and undercover officers have busted a guy who was robbing drunk kids as they staggered home. A bit of community policing has made allies of most bar owners.
That's obvious when Wilson, a Team 2 supervisor, walks East Bay, calling doormen by name, stopping to ask if they've had any problems.
"It hasn't hurt them, but it's improved the city," says Wilson, who's been patrolling Charleston for 16 years. He says bar owners are now largely cooperative, putting up lines to keep the crowds corralled and sidewalks passable.
"Now when they get a fake I.D., they give us a call," he says. "That never used to happen."
Lately, the biggest problems have come in the neighborhood just beyond the bar. Ironically, they are the very problems that the city wanted to curb with the 2 a.m. shut-down.
Off upper King Street, people sometimes hang out in parking lots after closing time, partying, chatting, leaving a mess. Residents of the French Quarter have complained that vandalism and noise problems have plagued the historic downtown neighborhood.
The police have sent in parking enforcement officers and beefed up patrols in the Quarter, and it's apparently working: locals say the problem has dropped off noticeably; police have written hundreds of tickets for illegally parked cars.
Still, somebody has heard enough on this night to complain.
A half-hour before last call on the Market Friday, Wilson sent two officers on bicycles into the Quarter to head off any problems before they started. When dispatch called with the loud-noise complaint, Wilson decided to check it out himself and it takes him about a minute to find one of his guys at the corner of State and Cumberland.
The bicycle cop sees Wilson pull up, shakes his head and says "Nothing."
Wilson notes that it happens all the time: police get a call about loud noise, but when they get there, the people have moved on. Mostly it's just people talking too loud, their voices bouncing off three-story homes and echoing down the street. When officers do find them, they ask them to keep it down —folks are trying to sleep. There's nothing else to do.
"It's not against the law to talk," Wilson says.
Ralph Ledford, a French Quarter resident and member of the neighborhood association, concedes as much, and brags that police have completely changed the place of late.
"We're going to have some noise," he says. "It doesn't take but a small percentage to cause problems. So many people coming through making noise and doing their dirty deeds is what makes the residents upset."
A mile north, Rev. Joseph Darby, pastor at Morris Brown AME Church, says he still gets broken bottles, condoms and the occasional needle in the parking lot of his church just off King Street. But he says Chief Mullen is running things well.
"It's not as bad as it was. We don't have as much parking and debris piling up," Darby says. "This is the effect of progress on King Street. It's a changing place, a neighborhood in transition, going through gentrification."
Lt. Charles Mitchell, the commander of Team 2 — which covers downtown Charleston from Cannon Street south — says his officers have fallen into a good rhythm of keeping the peace. Police must juggle the business of keeping people safe from those who have been drinking, and keep those who imbibe from becoming victims. The bars, he says, play a large part in this new strategy.
"The bars have a responsibility to stop serving intoxicated people," Mitchell says.
But there is little remedy for Mitchell's biggest concern: a concentration of bars on Market and East Bay Streets that puts so many people in one area at once. That's what has led the police to their nightly standard.
About 1:30 a.m., officers shut down Market Street to cut down on traffic when people come out of the bars — the sidewalks would never hold them all. With the crowd spread out, police can keep a better eye on what's going on.
By 1:45, bars either give last call or, as is the case with many, just start shutting down. Wilson notes that at 2 a.m., several places already have their doors locked. Officers chat with many folk, keeping watch on those who have had too much to drink. A surprising number argue that they are fine, but few test it when police warn them not to get behind the wheel.
The guy running along the police car talks a bit too long. When Wilson asks if he realizes how stupid he looked, the guy notes once again that he outran the police car. Wilson suggests he run down to the corner and catch a cab.
"I'm not smiling anymore," he says.
Of course, not everyone is crazy about the earlier closing time, say that it's more trouble than it's worth. Some folks on the street say it hasn't made much difference. When the bars closed at 3 a.m., the drinkers were just hanging out in the parking lots even later.
"It's very orderly," says Kevin Ash, a doorman/bouncer at the Purple Tree Lounge on Market Street. "I don't think they anticipated all this. There are too many bars to have everyone coming out at once. But for the most part, everyone's been cool."
Nobody can complain they aren't allowed to have fun, though. The Market scene is like a concert letting out, folks in various states of fatigue and sobriety spilling into the streets and heading home, or somewhere else anyway.
By 2:20 a.m. Saturday morning, the Market is mostly clear, King Street is quiet. Wilson cruises the French Quarter then drops by the Morris Brown parking lot, finds a few cars, the remains of a small party and a guy trying to get in his car. Wilson tells him to walk to his friend's house, get the car in the morning. The guy says he's had nothing to drink — well, five drinks.
By 3 a.m., the last of the revelers have passed through or passed out. A young man dressed in khakis, a pink button-down shirt and dress shoes, is lying on the sidewalk at the corner of State and Chalmers, snoring. His wallet and phone are lying on his chest, a free gift for any passing robber.
Two nights owls spot him and call 911. Within two minutes, one of the Team 2 guys is on the scene. When it becomes clear pink shirt can't answer a few simple questions — like, what he's doing there — Officer Joseph Dela Rosa cuffs him, puts him in the car.
And the streets of the French Quarter are, once again, empty.
Reach Brian Hicks at bhicks@postandcourier.com or 937-5561.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly versionComments
Neponset (anonymous) says...
The..
Good point
Also, this will bring him great embarrassment this morning when friend and family see his picture in the paper. Perhaps the P&C should do more of this.
July 27, 2008 at 5:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
watchdog (anonymous) says...
Was that Thomas Ravenel laying in the street......
July 27, 2008 at 5:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ForPnC (anonymous) says...
Are these people and their families not embarrassed? Hopefully they will be after reading this.
July 27, 2008 at 5:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tallblonde (anonymous) says...
watchdog - No - Thomas Ravenel would be the guy running along side the cruiser - F*A*S*T !!!!!!! ;-)
July 27, 2008 at 7:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paul (anonymous) says...
Correction: That would be our esteemed and respected Senator Ford; after all its okay, everyone does it ...
July 27, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
From the vidio its obvious that the majority of the patrons are from the college. Thank god that most are walking. At that age they are probably drinking for real for the first time in thier lives. The mini bottle is much to strong of a drink when served with a small cup,ice and a little juice or soda. Even an experienced drinker such as myself find that it doesn't take long to get a buzz and the next thing I know I'm getting silly. Its then time to back off, but theres still the whole evening to go. I start drinking water cause I can recognize it. Alcohol is a devious demon though. Sometimes the effects will sneak up on a person. Blam thier drunk. One doesn't care anymore, thier having fun. I would like to see drinks poured from bottles in the down town area and smaller doses of alcohol served. I think this would help a lot.
July 27, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodkarmasc (anonymous) says...
Anyone that works downtown on the weekend KNOWS what an embarassment these children are to decent folks and our tourists. (Yes, children...just because you're 21 and can drink, but don't do it responsibly...you're a CHILD)People puking in the streets, pedestrians falling in the streets, jay-walking, fighting, and in general, bad manners.
I know the police are not equiped to dole out manners, but helping to keep the public safe would help us keep our tourist trade and maybe keep someone from getting run over.
July 27, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iopturbo (anonymous) says...
Collards, Where are you going where they still pour from mini bottles? The law changed and most bars have switched, I miss those little bottles, you knew exactly what you were getting.
July 27, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
Its been a while since I was downtown drinking. LOL I'm glad they did.
July 27, 2008 at 7:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Meant to say, this looks like New Orleans! Every corner someone is passed out in their own vomit! Nasty place.
July 27, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justiceforsome (anonymous) says...
The CPD does a good job with the drunks, all things considered. However, as most of us know, they are at the beckon call of the wealthy, South of Broad crowd. True, this is the heart of the tax base, but the West Side continues to have deadly violence every evening.
"They aren't storm troopers", yeah right...
Certainly they could be worse, but Team Two is a bunch of jack-booted thugs.
July 27, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ForPnC (anonymous) says...
Moonpie said: "...this looks like New Orleans! Every corner someone is passed out in their own vomit! Nasty place."
I totally agree. I was there once about ten years ago. What a disgusting, smelly, place. I'll not ever go back nor will I ever recommend it.
July 27, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Human77 (anonymous) says...
Friday and Saturday night people are going to party, perhaps the French Quarter residents should loosen up a bit. I was at a party on Friday downtown where the cops came and kicked everyone out because of noise, most planned to stay the night but they were forced to hop in their cars to drive home. What's worse, responsible drinking or a DUI. I would go with the first option. I thought the police overreacted, perhaps they should go to Romney st. where a different kind of noise is heard.
Last time I checked it is legal to drink when you are over 21, stop judging these people for having a good time.
July 27, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
I think we would be better off if we still had an all night eatery downtown.To my knowledge,there isnt one anymore.They used to have a place called Fannies(if my memory serves me correctly).It was great and within walking distance.People ate and talked for hours,giving themselves a full belly and a chance to sober up.It also prevented all of the loitering when the bars closed.Now it seems like they are so anxious to get people out of the area,they don't care how.I have to say it can't be cheap for a cab from downtown to Summerville.We need a feasible transportation idea to cut down on DUI.
July 27, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chucktonian (anonymous) says...
ahh yes...a new generation of alcoholics and dopers, who think drinking is "cool." maybe when they're dead at 40 from liver disease, their girlfriend won't be impressed anymore
July 27, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
STREETLAW (anonymous) says...
If cops and politicians weren't afraid of bikers, childish creeps on noisy motorcycles would never be allowed in Charleston or anywhere else.
And public drunks should be put in jail until they sober up. Heck, even Sheriff Andy did that in Mayberry.
Trouble is too many policians, beauracrats, judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers, reporters, and others in high places and their families are charter members of the Alcohol and Drug Cult (ADC).
So the play is to maximize the profits and taxes associated with the cult while minimizing the social disruptions and number of people sacrificed in the process.
July 27, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
The secret is out. People drink and pass out. This is news??? It's been going on for years and will continue to go on HOPEFULLY!!!
Lil' Joe is probably eating hiw Wheeties right now trying to figure out how to stop even more fun. Where can he move everyone???? Hmmmm....he has a busy day.
July 27, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HighDef (anonymous) says...
I think Charleston may smell worse than NOLA, NOLA is pretty clean in the quarter these days. Horse piss is everywhere in Chucktown ! It doesn't bother me though.
You can't just focus on the bartenders, you need to hold the bars responsible and I think the city has been great at this over the years and in more progressive parts this has been the norm since the 80's but hey we're in South Carolina where we do things last !
July 27, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Smart_Enough_2_Know_Better (anonymous) says...
"undercover officers have busted a guy who was robbing drunk kids as they staggered home"
Hmmm. Seems like just the deterrent they needed to keep drunks out of their neighborhood. I'm surprised they didn't give him an award and hire him an assistant!
July 27, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Myabe each bar should be required to have a breatherizer installed so they can be responsible and not over serve anyone. When looking for a place to live, look around the surounding area and make note of what you have to live with.
July 27, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
americanheretic (anonymous) says...
Drinking and passing out is fun? Boy! these people really are babies. Stay off the streets and go back to your Mommies.
July 27, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Osgood30 (anonymous) says...
I strongly feel that the 2am closing ordinance has made this problem worse. Instead of a slow stream of people leaving the bars between 2 and 4am, everyone is literally kicked out of the bars at 1:55. What did the city expect to have happen. Forcing thousands of drunk people to leave at the exact same time is stupid, pointless, and counterproductive.
July 27, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
Perspective-You are very correct.Bars will serve anyone with cash in hand.I have personally seen people who couldnt stand get served.It's such a me,me,me generation of spoiled self entitled brats.
jeff61-Ive always thought BAC checking in bars would be awesome.I'm not defending DUI offenders at all.But a lot of people don't realize they are over the legal limit.There is a difference between being wasted(and knowing damn good and well you can't drive)and being over the legal limit.Yet both are illegal and considered DUI.(rightfully so)Also it takes approximately 20 minutes for your last sip of alcohol to effect your body.Causing some to feel ok and then feel "all of a sudden" quite drunk behind the wheel.
July 27, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SeaSaw (anonymous) says...
Being a Charleston native, I never knew that Charleston had an area called French Quarter. Has this area always been called that?
We all know that New Orleans is famous for their French Quarter. Is this why someone started calling it that?
July 27, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
Unless the city council members (of whom I am NOT a fan) are pouring the alcohol down the throats of the drunks, they are not responsible for the behavior of the bar patrons.
I agree with you, Thomas1776, about the Ravenel investigation. If there were more indictments, I'm sure we would be shocked (well, maybe not) at who was involved.
July 27, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LutherVanderhorst (anonymous) says...
I hear ya. French Quarter?
Let's at least call it Huguenot Way.
Is there a Times's Square, or London Bridge in this town too?
July 27, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Why is it a gay idea? At least I suggested an idea instead of re running the Thomas Ravenel case which really has nothing to do with this story.
July 27, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
Thomas1776-I'm with jeff61.Why is that a "gay idea"?It seems responsible to me.And it would encourage accountability.
July 27, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
a_set_love (anonymous) says...
"Then a call comes in from dispatch, like clockwork, at 2 a.m. - somebody's reporting loud noises in the French Quarter again."
If you hear strange noises coming up the ally, just keep moving on past. It might be a couple of "Charleston" bubba's getting it on.
July 27, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Osgood
My neighbor said the same thing this morning - rather than folks leaving the bars as the action slows down or they have had enough, folks are shoved out in mass at 2:00 am sharp - kind of like the Colosseum when the show/even ends - plenty of folks around to show you're ass to.
July 27, 2008 at 12:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Some asses may be kind of nice to be shown.
July 27, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Many of these problems arose after the demise of the big sanded area across East Bay at Market. The area provided the perfect area to park freely and sleep it off afterwards and not to have to bother residents in any way. The loss of this area through progress caused the problems seen today.
July 27, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
a_set_love (anonymous) says...
Some Female asses are really nice, when they come to light, in the day or night.
July 27, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
So the answer to all of this is a new sand box? Cool,, It seems charleston is willing to spent 1.3 mill on a lot. Maybe they can find a cheaper one for this purpose... Just a thought.
July 27, 2008 at 12:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Human77 (anonymous) says...
You can't lock everyone up, fine bars for serving to drunk people, and conduct undercover stings. This is a part of town that makes a ton of money off of tourists and nightlife. They should have more cabs to help patrons return home safely. If you want to solve some of the cities problems why aren't we talking about the hard drugs and shootings on the peninsula, oh wait rich people don't live around it.
July 27, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Those were the asses I meant.. I should have clarified
July 27, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stephansdad (anonymous) says...
If the French Quarter is major income source for the city then good luck trying to curb the party scene. The only way you will be able to put a stop to any of this is for the city council to show some guts and begin zoning changes. It's a shame that such a beautiful town as Charleston has to put up with the headaches caused by a few thoughtless, uncaring drunks.
July 27, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Yes Jeff61, the loss of the sanded parking area through progress caused the problems. We used to disco down and get funky in the seventies and eighties and hear songs that were actually played by musicians and not just computerized bass riffs. "Do the Hustle!" Market Street was alive with the sounds. When leaving we headed toward the harbor not residential streets. The free parking sanded lot was replaced by a plus sign shaped building you can see on Google Earth. It is between East Bay and Concord. Google Earth has a Port Authority tag near the building.
July 27, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
candygirl (anonymous) says...
Nice front page P&C, highlighting "white drunks", :-),
And people wonder why there are so much DUI's.
July 27, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
green123 (anonymous) says...
Why worry about the the petty crimes? tailgating, open containers (hey in small district Savannah allows it), seems like Charleston is trying to make itself look better than it really is. People get robbed and shot here everyday. I think the police department needs to get its priorities straight.
July 27, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Well then maybe the city should look into buying a lot for that purpose instead of buy a lot where a former store use to be and is in an area that no one would probably visit.
July 27, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
guidedbystewart (anonymous) says...
Oh, how new. College aged kids getting drunk at bars. Who would thunk? Sensational journalism at its best(or worst)!
July 27, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Nice front page P&C, highlighting "white drunks", :-),
I agree all races of drunks should have been represented here. Sound like discrimination to me. I am sure there will be protest they where not represented.
July 27, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CMLMADDOG (anonymous) says...
Why didn't they arrest the guy revving up his motorcycle? Isn't that illegal downtown too?!
July 27, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
jeff61-pink is the new black
July 27, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
What I don't understand is why someone would want to live this way. What is pleasureable about going to a bar and staying until 2AM, getting drunk, then getting nauseated and vomitting in the street, and possibly passing out on the sidewalk? Why would someone want to look like an alcoholic bum passed out in the street? And to top it all off they will have a pounding headache the next day.
I used to go to the dance clubs when I was younger (I'm 30 now) and always enjoyed myself without getting wasted. Usually we would have a couple of drinks and that was it. Today when I go downtown to have a drink I go to places like the Market Pavillion rooftop, Vendue, High Cotton, Charleston Place or the top of the round Holiday Inn. Great view of the city from up there. Get dressed up, go for the ambience, listen to some jazz music, and afterwards head out for a walk on the beach or stop by Starbucks and have coffee.
Why do people need to get wasted to feel like they're having a good time?
July 27, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
OK.. but some pople like to get wasted and maybe pass out on the side walk and have a pounding head ache the next day. To each his own. Nobody was hurt in the making of this article and I am sure this will be the last time this young man finds himself in this situation. At his mistake not attempting to rob a Food Lion with a pellet gun. His only mistake was drinking too much and being found in a pink shirt. no harm no foul.
July 27, 2008 at 7 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Ice
Some people can handle it and some can't. Folks like you probably don't really like to drink and just get a weak drink or two and nurse it/them all nite. Folks like me like to drink and do not nurse a weak drink all nite - we are active drinkers and sometime drink too much. Fortunately most of my group get home safely without incident.
What to do when the party is over - get breakfast - the greasier the better, go to bed and when you wake up the next day and feel terrible, work on your cure - mine is the hair of the dog (a few cold buds and I feel better).
July 27, 2008 at 7:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dogwoodroad (anonymous) says...
Why do people get wasted? Well, because sometimes its better than reality dude....I'm getting wasted right now...I'm just doing it at home!
July 27, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
farfallaspeaks (anonymous) says...
Southern City of Manners? Holy City?
This city is anything but holy.
And that's why I love it!
Mua ha ha ha ha
July 27, 2008 at 11:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
I could lie and say I haven't maybe just sat down to wait for someone latenight downtown and ended up asleep on the sidewalk, but I won't do that because it has happened to me. I never got arrested for it and I sure as hell never ended up in the paper!
But, he did and he owned up to it. Good post above (assuming it is really him). I don't judge him - though this pink shirt thing does show questionable judgement!
Also, on the general topic, my impression is that downtown nightlife was a lot more hectic when bars could stay open all night. I definitely walked out of some places down there at 7am when the sun was up (Radio Room, AC's, etc). This was all 10 years or so ago though.
Lastly, the Market / E Bay area is the sole definition of "downtown" to many people who don't go there much, driving in from Goose Creek or Summerville or wherever, plus toursts. That part of downtown is the last part I would go to.
July 27, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
farfallaspeaks (anonymous) says...
Ok, aftrer reading this a little more, I'm realizing that people in this french quarter need to lose that attitude.
Calling the police because people are being too loud?
I live downtown and have at least 20 college kids live next door to me, and am 3 blocks from the bars. If they're being to loud, I ASK THEM MYSELF TO KEEP IT DOWN, and they do. I never call the police, because it's POINTLESS!
THE END!
July 27, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SeaSaw (anonymous) says...
It started being called the French Quarter in 1973. I found the following on the internet.
French Quarter (Charleston, South Carolina)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The French Quarter of Charleston, South Carolina, is a section of Downtown Charleston. It is considered to be bounded by the Cooper River on the east, Broad Street on the south, Meeting Street on the west and Market Street on the north. The area began being called the French Quarter in 1973 when preservation efforts began for warehouse buildings on the Lodge Alley block. The name recognizes the high concentration of French merchants in the area's history.
It was settled as part of the original Grande Modell of Charles Towne in 1680. It is famous for its art galleries; it also has many restaurants and places of commerce as well as Charleston's Waterfront Park.
Charleston's French Quarter is home to many fine historic buildings, among them, the Pink House Tavern, built around 1712, and the Slave Mart, built by Z.B.Oakes in 1859. Also in the French Quarter are the Dock Street Theatre, arguably the first site of theatrical productions in the United States, and the French Huguenot Church, a beautiful Gothic-style church which houses the sole-surviving French Calvinist Congregation in the United States. St. Philip's Episcopal Church, the first congregation in Charleston, whose current building dates to 1835, is also in the French Quarter. St. Philip's cemetery is the final resting place of Edward Rutledge, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence, and U.S. Senator and Vice President John C. Calhoun, whose large tomb is empty; his bones were removed during the Civil War to protect them from capture by invading Union forces, and have never been recovered.
July 28, 2008 at 1:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
farfallaspeaks (anonymous) says...
Downtown used to be a lot more fun 10 years ago.
I remember when I could hang out with my friends on King Street and nobody would send us home. There was a little bench we could sit on and watch people go bye.
Then the police would start sending us home because we looked like a bunch of punks hanging out on the street.
Why put a bench there if we can't sit on it?
Well, they took that bench out. In fact, there are very few places on King street that have a bench you can sit on.
I remember when fraternity boys were dared to run down King street naked, and it was ok because there was nobody out anyways. I came here as a tourist, and that's the town I fell in love with, and I've been here for over 10 years, downtown.
This town has turned into a corporate hell hole. Less and less local businesses. Pushing residents out and making more room for the tourists. The people across the street are buying their house only to resell it for an extra 100,000 the next year. So the real estate value is sky rocketing, and so our the taxes of our house. Our house hasn't been painted in 10 years, and it won't be so long as the taxes go up every time something is fixed.
Yet, the carriage companies keep bringing tourists in my neighborhood to look at my old, broken down, unpainted house, and letting their horses crap in front of it.
I wish I could just yell at the tourists and say, do you like what you see? We can't afford the taxes on this house, and that's why it's unpainted and looks like a dump.
Oh, and the horse that's pulling your fat ass is dying 'cause it's over 100 degrees outside!
I know, I was a tourist too once...
July 28, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yeayea (anonymous) says...
Why is this a story? Charleston Police have this on lock, alright? If you F up while having a good time drinking, you're going to get arrested. If you have a drink and do nothing wrong the police are your bestfriends to have on a walk home. BELIEVE ME most of those kids leaving bars at 2am are going for a short WALK home. I'm willing to bet there are a lot less DUI's that involve reasonably young people in downtown Charleston than that of you're responsible "grown adult" anywhere else.
July 28, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
farfella, Yes!! I agree with you completely. It appauls me when I see these horses pulling carriages in the 90+ degree heat. Maybe some of those "fat" people on them could do something novel and walk instead. Who knows? They might actually lose a few pounds.
July 28, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jessamine (anonymous) says...
Ah, farfallaspeaks, you got me all nostalgic. From 1983-1988 I was a frequent visitor to that King Street bench. We ALWAYS got harassed by the cops for sitting there and we were never doing anything wrong!! I mean, we weren't angels all the time but on that bench we were never doing anything other than sitting and just hanging out. All of our friends knew that was the spot to find us if we weren't at our apartments or up on "Pebble Beach" - this is of course back in the days before cell phones and we were all to broke to have phones in our apartments.
We'd just watch the tourists go by (okay, we'd occasionally laugh at the Spolidiots). I guess bleached or dyed hair or mohawks was a crime back then... didn't want to scare the tourists.
So yeah, "my" Charleston is gone, replaced by a "mall" in the form of King Street. I hate coming back. It's lost any personality it ever had.
July 28, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
Yeah, but time moves on. My dad's Charleston from the 50's was another place entirely, which didn't exist anymore in the 70's. You have yours in your head, that's what matters.
July 28, 2008 at noon ( permalink | suggest removal )
knowsfood (anonymous) says...
Jessamine, why are spoleto goers "idiots" in your opinion? Are you that "anti-establishment" jeez...!
July 28, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OneOpinion (anonymous) says...
I'm curious why the P&C doesn't go down to the Charleston streets and take pictures of the winos, vagrants, drug dealers and whores that hang out on the corners on the northern part of the city and post those pictures.. It would just seem to me that THOSE people are a MUCH bigger problem than these people.
July 28, 2008 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sheeple (anonymous) says...
Complaining about noise in a city? Good grief.
It's still a free country for a few more months; sell to someone to likes the atmosphere and move yourself to a stodgy subdivision somewhere.
July 28, 2008 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
In the past week we have had headlines for several DUI fatalities and accidents. Is it really such a bad idea to have the cops in the market? If you are not making an azz of yourself or getting behind the wheel of a car, you have nothing to worry about. I know some bartenders and restaurant workers who have been assaulted by drunks, and they don't mind having the police there at all.
July 28, 2008 at 8:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LB (anonymous) says...
I don't think it's so bad that the bars close early, but I do think that patrons should be allowed more time to hang out IN THE BAR after "last call." The mentality among people I know is: "bars close early so let's drink as much as we can - really fast - before last call!" So people are doing just that, and then immediately being sent into the streets.
When I have a little too much to drink, I like being able to hang out in the bar a little longer and have a couple waters before having to make the decision about how to get home. If people had this option - for example, if last call was at 1:55 but bars closed the doors even later - there wouldn't be such mass confusion. People would trickle out during that time period. Some people would hang out in the bars for a few minutes, allowing them at least a little time to sober up, allowing at least a little time to call and wait for a ride at the bar instead of waiting on the street.
July 29, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
LB
Just a thought - when the cash register stops ringing, close up - time is money.
July 29, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Andrew (anonymous) says...
REQUIRE BARS TO BECOME A RESTAURANT WITH DRINKS..
CUSTOMERS REQUIRED TO ORDER FOOD ALONG WITH ALCOHOL...
BUSINESS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 50% FOOD.
CLOSE AT 2AM OR POSSIBLY LATER.
July 29, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
Thank you for your interest in this story. The comment thread for this article has been closed.
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- S.C. losing port traffic to other states
- Out with old ...
- Water — 'The smell is gone'
- Cart gives Buddy new lease on life
- Schools plan to update visitor-security system
- GenPhar site 'red-tagged'
- Man, 17, killed in motorcycle wreck
- Off campus
- Historic manor house used by Girl Scouts is among buildings that might be torn down to make way for future
- Tough times have taught comedian's sister to love life
