Sunday, February 17, 2013

Woo: Lawmaker wants to curb fee-based pub crawls


The Post reports today that Democratic Assemblyman Micah Kellner has introduced "a bill that would pull the plug on pub crawls by yanking the liquor licenses of bars that promote the boozy block-by-block odysseys."

"It creates mayhem," Kellner said. “We’re not trying to legislate common sense. What we can legislate is licensed liquor establishments promoting and enabling dangerous behavior.”

According to the article, "his bill targets bars that sponsor organized pub crawls requiring a fee to participate. Informal gatherings among friends would not be outlawed."

The article includes the classic "if people don't want" quote:

“If people don’t want to live around nightlife they shouldn’t live in Manhattan,” said Kevin Barry, a 27-year-old Upper East Sider. “It’s incredibly shortsighted.”

Speaking of pub crawls, a reader asked us if we saw the pub crawl last night that featuring a group of bar-hopping thrill-seekers all holding onto a rope and wearing wigs on Avenue A. So sorry that we missed it. But someone must have photos.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pub crawl ban brewing?

23 comments:

ahoy polloi said...

Kevin Barry go back to the UES and take your frat bros with you. Or maybe I can stand outside your door and scream "wooooo!" to my heart's content at 3am, and we'll see how fast you changes your entitled tune.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Micah Kellner!

Shawn said...

"Upper East Side" LOL

VH McKenzie said...

Ahhh to be in my 20s and utterly oblivious to all those around me -- ignorance was such bliss.

Dumbass.

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

I feel bad for anyone who considers "Santacon" nightlife.

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for any public official who considers this reasonable and worth his time. Find something productive to do.

Brian Van said...

I totally understand that a 2,000 person even is a menace, but if 10 friends are out doing a bar hop, why does anyone care? Why did you move here in the first place? You moved to a densely-populated trash-covered city where the delivery trucks try to murder you 6 times a day, and you're complaining about a bar crawl? I just think some people want to make sure no one does anything amusing in public. It's not that the revelers aren't obnoxious at times, it's that I'd think you'd have so much more to worry about in this environment. Like flooding, inflation, nuclear weapons...

Anonymous said...

I wonder if these kids would still terrorize the EV if the bars stopped promoting these crawls? There are bars all over town would they social media themselves to another part of town? I would not miss the woo-ing for sure or the trash, partial costumes and vomit littering the streets the day after.

Anonymous said...

There has always been nightlife in NYC and it was a draw for me when I moved here 25 years ago. But the sheer amount of bars in the East Village now is insane. And it used to be that we could go to the bars to hear music and see shows. But these days it's just bros drinking until they're wasted and stumbling around the streets screaming and fighting.

Anonymous said...

Can someone answer this question: WHY do the WOO-HOO bros feel the need to WOO-HOO? Are they just really drunk and screaming just seems right to them? Is it some kind of frat mating call? I've seen girls screaming and cheering in the same way so it's not exclusive to the bros. WHY?

Anonymous said...

And I don't understand why people are comfortable with thousands of people invading the city several times a year to get hammered and terrorize the place. The fact they all dress like Santa and conceal their identies with wigs and beards grants allows them to behave in ways they normally wouldn't because they are in disguise. They're not accountable for their actions and they know it. And making things worse is the NYPD who all seem to go on vacation during pub crawls because they have zero presence. They are not here to "have fun" they are hear to get totally shitfaced, act like animals and go back to the outer burroughs and New Jersey. Much like Friday and Saturday night except on a grander, more destructive scale.

Anonymous said...

If you read the article it says informal groups are not affected, this is only for fee-based pub crawls.
And to 6:33, I think people can worry about more than one thing at a time- people screaming and vomiting and acting like fools disturbs the whole neighborhood whereas nuclear war is a hypothetical threat that doesn't affect my daily life- yet!

Uncle Waltie said...

These kids never terrorized me...they just kind of look stupid and eventually will be either going back to suburbia or become really cool like most of the commenters on this blog.

JM said...

Brian Van must be a relatively recent arrival. For those of us who have been here for 20, 25, 30, 40 or more years--pre-whoo--we must have patience with his moronic, insensitive belief that New York was always like this.

Barbara L. Hanson said...

Brian Van does not even entertain the notion of native NYers. I didn't move here.

Anonymous said...

People acting like children must now be treated like children.

Jason said...

The neighborhood was like a college dorm 20, 30, or so years ago too. It was just more comparable to a dorm full of low income kids at an art school. More creative, less entitled, but still young people who love to party.

Anonymous said...

Unlike previous generations, this bunch are extending their teen years into their late 20s before getting married and settling down. Its a shame they are a bunch of obnoxious alcoholics who don't know how to conduct themselves in public. I can't remember any other generation so nihilistic.

Crazy Eddie said...

Anony 5.25 PM-Nihilistic and Narcissistic, a potent double brew.

Walter Sobchak from the The Big Lebowski: "Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."

Anonymous said...

Why would members of this younger generation be nihilistic? Let's see, could it be (i) they have unprecedented levels of student loan debt because of failed policies, (ii) 40+ years of mindless military involvement hes retarded their respect for their country, (iii) that hippies are now baby boomers or (iv) inevitable austerity will stagnate the economy? But at least they will have pensions, SS and Medicare to fall back on when they retire.

Anyway, I'd love to see some facts showing that they drink at higher levels than previous generations. Surely some information should be readily available showing that Generation (Whatever they call it) is composed of "obnoxious alcoholics" a higher rate than their predecessors.

It's just more of the same shit we grew up with a generation and a half ago about walking uphill both ways in the snow to school and how we would never have won WW2. Feeling superior doesn't actually make you superior.

Anonymous said...

I have worked in bars in the East Village for the last 20 years. The pub crawls don't even announce themselves when they show up (sometimes 100 people all storm in at at once, leaving a lone bartender completely overwhelmed for the duration of their visit). I find it strange that the focus and responsibility is on the bars rather than on the participants who organized it in the first place. I haven't even heard of a single bar in this neighborhood who has "sponsored" a pub crawl. The focus should be on cops finally ticketing people for drunk and disorderly conduct. It shouldn't be acceptable to scream "WOO HOO" at the top of one's lungs at 3 a.m.. That should be a $200 fine, right there. I see cops drive right by hoards of fratties misbehaving and never do a thing about it. Give them a freaking ticket! I got a ticket for drinking a glass of wine on my stoop 15 years ago with my 72 year old neighbor (and we weren't making any noise, and it was 8 p.m.). Why the leniency now? I want a representative who will focus on the people acting lke imbeciles and hold them responsible for it!

glamma said...

the EV/LES on a friday or saturday night is a f*cking loser parade nightmare of vomit, piss, sluts and roid rage
Anything they can do to reverse this awful trend is highly welcomed.
BRING BACK THE JUNKIES AND BROKE ART STUDENTS.
PLEASE.........

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

@glamma The intensity of your comments always bring a smile to my face :)