Pubdate: Mon, 31 Dec 2001
Source: Savannah Morning News (GA)
Copyright: 2001 Savannah Morning News
Contact:  http://www.savannahnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401
Author: Jim Eshleman

BACK-ROW SECURITY WENT UP IN SMOKE AT ALLMAN CONCERT

My wife and I decided to attend the Gregg Allman concert at the Johnny
Mercer Theater on Dec. 27 and opted for tickets in the back of the
theater.

We didn't know that our tickets would include forced second-hand
marijuana smoke from the dozens of teens that fired up around us
immediately when the lights dimmed for the concert's duration.

It was both overwhelming and dangerous since the kids were trying
poorly to hide their fires. I had to leave my seat and ask an idle
police officer to do something about it.

He went up and rounded up two boys, who returned minutes later
laughing. There was no further security efforts to stop the smoking.
The problem was only on the back row and could have been easily
stopped by simply posting an officer there throughout the event
instead of by the entrance ramps.

Surely the police know the back row is a sanctuary for illegal drug
use, so why they refused to anticipate or deal with it is a mystery.
The experienced kids bragged to each other that they had seats
elsewhere but grouped in the back for this reason.

I have no problem with people who want to smoke anything in their own
privacy, especially before entering a public building. But why force
it on others?

The stupidity of the kids was bad enough, but in my opinion, the Civic
Center tops it with its gross negligence.

JIM ESHLEMAN

Hilton Head, SC
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake