Bartender in Chicago gets beaten by an off duty cop??

Ok, this might be a long one.

I will openly say at this time that I'm totally against women opening a bar and working alone. If there's someone there with them that could handle a problem that might happen then by all means go for it. I'm not saying that it's the woman's responsibility to make sure that person is there. If anything, it's the management's.

The biggest excuse that I hear a lot is, "Well, how likely is it that something's gonna happen?" It's about as likely as I'll get shot or knifed in the gut for refusing someone entrance. All it takes is that one time.

Now. Just so I don't look like a sexist pig, let me clarify a few things.

As everyone knows through common sense there are many different types of people. There are those that can handle themselves and those that can not. Out of ten women that I know, maybe two of them could stand up and fight off a 6' tall 250lb man. The other eight wouldn't be able to even put up a fight.

This is not a topic about men being better or women being weak. It's a topic of common sense. I've had this conversation before because certain women want an early shift at a bar because that way they can get off early and still enjoy their night. My argument is that at most bars there isn't a doorman during the early shift hours. So I would prefer a guy working those hours because a guy can usually handle those circumstances better. Plus, let's be honest, a guy getting beat up is totally different than a woman getting beat up.

So here's where the whole topic stems from. In Chicago, a young woman bartender was beaten down by an off duty alcoholic police officer. I'll guarantee the only reason that it's getting a lot of press is because it was a police officer that was involved. I've known a few other people that have been beaten much worse just for their wallet as they walk home and it never hit the news.

Now I don't know what hours the bartender was working but by the video below I would guess that she was working the early shift. What's worse is to watch as the guy in the lower left of the video runs away.

How do you run away when you see a woman getting hit repeatedly by someone?

From an article that I read, the officer had just finished an in-patient substance abuse program on March 5th. Seems like that helped out a lot.

If you want the whole story you can try these links. I'm not sure which one will work for you as most newspapers won't let you see content unless you sign up for them. So here's a few different links you can try.

Chicago Tribune

ABC 7 - Chicago

CBS 2 - Chicago

The officer has been stripped of his police powers and has a huge bail amount set. The department is even looking into firing him now that he did something that got caught on camera.

I'll try to keep current on this issue since I know I haven't been around much.

Stress...

I have a lot of stress lately. Family issues, personal issues and then pile on the idiots at the bar, both certain employees and the people that come in.

I'm a fairly simple person. I don't let things bother me because it's a waste of time. Sometimes it all piles on and there's not much I can do.

The bar has a jukebox. It's got all kinds of different music in it. If you stand there and hit the side of it hard then the cd will skip. If you do that a couple times you get tossed out of the bar.

So this guy was standing there and hitting the jukebox. I saw Chucky start heading over there so I had Ron, one of the cooks, stand by the door and I headed over to the jukebox. I got over there and Chucky was talking to the guy. He saw me come over and pointed at the guy and walked off. I grabbed the beer out of his hand and put my hand on his back. "I need you to head out the door now."

He started walking and never said a word to me. It was a quick and easy extraction. Then his friends came up to the door. Two of them walked out and didn't say a word. The third one stood there with a full rocks glass and decided to talk about how his friend shouldn't have been thrown out.

"You know what? It's total bullshit that you threw my friend out of here. He wasn't doing shit you know."

I just stood there. I didn't respond to him at all. I stared over his shoulder and didn't say a word.

"So what? Now your gonna act stupid or something? Not gonna talk to me? You fuckin moron."

I reached up and grabbed the rocks glass. "Now it's time for you to go."

"What!? I didn't do shit! I'll leave once I'm done with my drink ya asshole!"

"Your done now." I held on to the rocks glass and turned it to it's side and dumped the entire drink onto the guys shoes. Before he could even say, "What the fu--!" I grabbed his shirt by the front collar and started pushing him out the door with one hand.

Once I got him out he let off with the typical banters of how he shouldn't have been thrown out and that he'll never come to this bar again. He stood there with his friends and continued to talk and I walked back into the bar.

As I was standing inside the bar the door opened again. This same scrawny little man was standing there yelling into the doorway. He rattled off a few normal insults and I stood there looking at him waiting for him to leave. Then he rattled off some insults towards my family. Still standing there with the door open.

Then I moved. I didn't even realize that I had moved. I took two steps towards the door and pushed it open with my right arm as my left arm came up and I grabbed him by the throat. Then I turned and slammed him against the wall and stared into his face. "You need to get the fuck out of here. Now." The guy reached up and grabbed my throat and I grabbed his thumb and pulled it back towards his forearm. Next thing I knew I turned and had thrown him to the ground.

His friends stepped towards me and I pushed my sleeves up to my elbows just standing there, staring at them.

Chucky came running out and stood next to me. "Hey man, let's go back inside. These guys aren't worth shit to us, let them go."

The guy on the sidewalk started getting up. His friends started walking off and trying to get him to do the same. I walked back inside and Chucky followed me in a couple minutes.

"Man, what was that all about?" Chucky asked me after everything calmed down.

"I don't know.. One minute he was working his mouth, the next I had him against the wall by his throat."

"Well... how bout you try going to a gym or something... or get rid of the stress you got built up."

"Sounds great Chucky, you gonna pay for it?"

Respect the waitresses...

I grew up in a pretty normal household by my own standards. As a pretty general statement this could mean that beating people and drinking all hours of the day and night are normal. Or that could be a really fucked up thing to say.

I grew up almost as a Southern Gentleman. I've always been interested in history and the codes of conducts that were the norm by that time. Chivalry is almost dead in today's society. A lot of men will treat women anyway they want and think it's ok and right. I don't really think that way.

Now I've never been a church type of person at all. I get nauseous at times when I'm inside of churches yet I love the architecture of many. There are certain passages that have stuck in my mind but I can't tell you where they came from or what verse or any of that crap. To me the bible was a good book. Nothing to fully believe in because the stories were handed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years before it was actually recorded. But there was a part that has stuck in my mind since.

That's the part where women were made from a rib. They were made from this because they were made to be our equals. They weren't made from our heel to be walked on, our hands to be beaten with, or our legs to be kicked around. Women don't deserve to be groped, slobbered on, or their asses pinched by men that don't have that type of relation with them. Granted there are some that think they should be worshipped but they weren't made for that either.

Now when one of the waitresses at the bar comes running up to the front door and is screaming that someone needs to be thrown out I don't ask any questions. Especially when the waitress is screaming. They've yelled before but this was a scream.

I'm not sure what kind of a man this was really, other than being a piece of shit. I get back to where Meg is and she's pointing out a black man that's about 5'9" and saying he had to leave.

I looked at the man, he looked over at Meg, and I starting pushing him out the door. When I got him to the door I shoved him through the front and past the line.

"Come on man, I didn't do shit in there."

"Take off man."

"Yo man. I didn't do shit."

"Get the fuck out of here, your not coming back in here."

I stood outside with the line and watched as the man left. The people in the front of the line asked what had happened and I plainly told them that he had been annoying one of the waitresses.

"That's all? He got thrown out for that?"

"Yep, so I suggest you don't upset them and tip well."

After that I walked back inside and hoped that Meg would come by to let me know what had happened. She never came around but one of the other waitresses, Sally, came over and told me what had happened. Which really made me wonder what kind of people are out there.

There is never a reason to grope a waitress. Let alone grab for her, as coined by Meg, 'hoo-ha'.

After work I told Meg that if that shit happens again in any way to let me know before I got him out.

"I know, I just wanted him away from me. I felt really violated and wanted him gone."

"Well, next time let me know first then I'll get him out and we'll get the cops on his ass."

Women are our equals in many ways. I've seen it everywhere I've been, no matter what kind of work your in. They deserve as much respect as anyone else.

Calling the cops on yourself is kinda stupid.

The weather has been great lately. It's been nice, cool and feeling like Halloween. My favorite holiday out of all of them. Yes, to me it is a holiday.

On nights like these I like to hang out by the door and enjoy the weather. You get to see the traffic, the people and occasionally something happens that could be funny or disturbing. On this night, the manager and I were both standing outside and noticed a group hanging out on the sidewalk talking, then they started walking towards us on the sidewalk and swinging around sign posts. As they got closer we could hear them talking.

"I can't believe they wouldn't let you back in that bar. Your not that drunk, I think that guy was just being a prick."

After hearing that Phil looked at me and told me not to let them in the bar. This is always a guaranteed way not to get into the bar your walking up to. Especially when I see you come from another bar that I know the guys there. Remember, I'm the doorman, I have the legal right to refuse you service or entry for any reason. This is one of the best reasons.

"Here ya go man."

"Sorry guys. You'll have to find another bar, there's a few others around here open late."

"What? We can't come in here? Why not?"

"We'll to start out, I heard you guys talking about how you weren't let back into the bar you were just at. Plus, my manager was out here and he heard you as well and said not to let you in."

"Bullshit man, I think your lying."

"That's nice. Have a good night guys, hope you find some fun somewhere else."

"No man, I wanna know why you won't let us in."

"I just told you. Have a good night."

After a few times back and forth the guy continues to stand there and then says, "I think you just want to fight man. Don't you? You just wanna hit me huh?"

"No, I don't get paid to fight. Have a good night."

Finally the girlfriend grabs the guy and starts to pull him away. "Come on, lets just take our money somewhere else. Fuck these guys, they don't deserve our money."

"Thank you. Have a great night."

She drags her guy away and I walk back inside. A few people came and went and about five minutes later the girl comes back and waves at me through the glass front door. So I walk over and see what she wants, expecting her to try and plead her way in.

"I thought I'd just let you know. We're calling the cops and telling them that theres underage drinking going on here."

"No prob, if you want to be a petty little bitch go for it. By the way, (insert big smile and hand waving goodbye here) kiss my ass."

I stood outside for a while after that to watch as the girls boyfriend jumps on his phone. Then after he hangs up they walk down the street and around the corner.

About five minutes later five police squad cars and a total of about ten or twelve cops are at my front door. So I walk outside to greet them. The sergeant walks up first and looks over to me. Then before he can say anything I simply say.

"Let me guess, you got a call about underage drinking."

"Why you say that?"

I then explain to him about the group and he asks for descriptions of the six people. Then he sends out four of the officers to look through the other bars for the people. Five cops go into my bar and look around.

"Actually, we got a call for a sixteen year old Hispanic inside the bar brandishing a firearm."

I gladly offer to walk through the other bars in the neighborhood with them to find the people but he says not to worry about it.

"Don't worry about it. We have their descriptions and they called 911 so we have their phone number. They'll be getting a visit sooner than they think."