This is why we can't have nice things... March 28, 2010
This is why we can’t have nice things... er... nightclubs.
I am a big fan of law enforcement, and those that make sure that the laws put in place to make sure I don’t drink turpentine or get trampled to death because the bar or club is so far out of code that we might as well be dancing on top of a giant mouse trap. And as someone who has lived in less than savory areas, I’m pretty solidly behind common sense application of law enforcement – if you’re in a residential neighborhood, quality of life is more than just buzz-phrase, it’s a huge, and often under-appreciated factor in how you are able to live your life. Having been on the ass-end of some ridiculous behavior, all in the name of “fun”, sometimes having the cops come down hard is the option of last resort.
I’m not going to fall in line with the get-off-my-lawn crowd either – because what can be found in San Francisco’s nightlife isn’t just drunken revelry, but some of the most amazing celebrations of artistic joy I have ever had the pleasure and privilege to witness. It is, quite simply, some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life, and given me memories to last a life time.
And apparently, someone has a problem with that.
Somewhere along the line, the general gripes of law enforcement causing problems and being a buzzkill became something more, and rumbled at a higher volume. Somewhere along the line, it stopped being about law enforcement, and turned into a grudge, and ultimately, into a vendetta. Enter Bertrand and Ott, the self-styled batman and robin-esque crusaders against immoral and unpleasant behavior… or at least, there definition of. It’s gone far beyond simply ensuring the health and safety of the patrons of SF’s nightlife, and into a full-fledged push to make life so unpleasant and so difficult, that the cost and hassle of continuing to operate a legitimate, law-abiding business becomes untenable and/or unworkable. They do this by always bring the same arsenal of tricks: enforcing the law in the most heavy handed way possible, through intimidation and fear – and timed in a calculating way to cause the most difficulty.
I like being protected – not just from outright criminals on the streets, but from those business owners who would take advantage of me as well… especially when my guard is down because I’m out to have a night of fun. But in this day and age, moral crusades, especially those at the expense of the taxpayer, and waged through a proxy of harsh interpretation of ill-defined laws, is outrageous. And these officers, backed by their superiors, get away with it because who cares about night club patrons, employees, and owners?
Because the employees and owners are the same cross-section of small business owners that you can find out in many industries. There is definitely a share of unsavory characters, and likely more than the usual share of per-capita sleazebags – but there are also people who are just trying to make a living with the only marketable skills they have… and those that do it for the love of fun, of being part of something more than just a weekend party, but a venue for celebration of life, culture, and yes, fun. And the patrons that go here are people – people from everywhere, all over the bay area, from all professions and all walks of life.
In the age of budget deficits and concerns about revenue, it’s stone-age thinking to make it more difficult to come into San Francisco and spend money at local establishments. Enough – enough of the heavy handed tactics, of law enforcement agencies desperately trying to justify their existence, and of delusional bullies who think they’re fighting some good versus evil crusade.