Tuesday, January 26, 1999
Nightclubs don’t always provide the scene hipsters seek
VIOLENCE: Fights, sexual harassment frequently part of evening
festivities
By Karla Y. Pleitez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Concern about nightclubs has become an issue in the Los Angeles
area after seven people were injured when a man fired gunshots at a
crowd outside a club last week.
Though shootings aren’t a frequent occurrence, some students
still feel wary about their safety in the night scenes.
"It’s a little scary to think what situation you are putting
yourself in when you go into one of these scenes," said Vicky
Salerno, a first-year undeclared student.
However, women at nightclubs said that violence is not as
prominent an issue as sexual harassment.
"Sometimes you’re just enjoying the music and dancing with some
friends when some jerks just grab you," said Stephanie Williams, a
student at UC Riverside.
"That scares me because there’s no security around or anyone
except your friends, who are just as scared," she added.
But club owners say that their security is top-of-the-line, and
when a fight breaks or sexual harassment is reported, their
security guards take care of the situation as quickly and safely as
possible.
"We care about the safety of our customers, especially the
safety of the young ladies," said Kate Nelson, the owner of the
Palace, a nightclub in Hollywood.
"We can’t always see what happens, but if anyone is threatened
there are plenty of security guards to turn to," she said.
Many clubs are also starting to add female security guards to
try to make women who have been sexually harassed feel more
comfortable by giving them someone of the same sex to turn to,
Nelson added.
Frequent clubgoers say that exceeding the club’s maximum
capacity can also lead to a dangerous environment, because fights
are more likely to break out with more people.
"Different beliefs and alcohol in one room can lead to a small
fight, but sometimes someone’s ego is hurt and they can take it to
a new level," said Yolanda Rosado, a customer at the Grand Avenue
nightclub during the shooting on Jan. 19, in a press release.
"The whole incident only happened because of a little fight
inside and the security guard tried to break it up," she said.
The unidentified gunman fired into a parking lot next to the
nightclub. About 150 people were outside the club during the
shooting. Seven people were injured, including a nightclub security
guard.
The police believe the gunman had been involved in a
confrontation while in the club and had been asked to leave.
Another issue of concern for those who go to clubs is the
accessibility to parking near the venue. "I don’t leave the scene
until about two in the morning. It gets dark and it’s kind of
dangerous," said Shawn Kent, a high school student who frequents
the Arena. Club managers, however, say that customers have nothing
to worry about.
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