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| Sometimes, the beatings come outside the ball park |
It
was the end of the game and the three of us were waiting outside Comiskey Park
for our pre-arranged ride home to show up. We became aware of the fact that a
couple of guys appeared to be eyeing us a little too closely.
BEFORE
ANYTHING COULD happen, the three of us decided to walk around and mix in with
the crowd that was leaving the stadium. We literally took a lap around the
ballpark – which put us right back in the same spot.
By
then, our potential attackers had moved on. Our ride wound up arriving a couple
of minutes later, and the night ended without incident.
It
stands out in my mind solely because it reinforces the fact that the
stadium crowds usually are harmless. Some people overserve themselves. But, by
and large, they are a hazard solely to themselves.
So
what should we make of an incident that occurred at U.S. Cellular Field last
season that has resulted in a lawsuit recently being filed.
FOR
IT SEEMS that a couple attending a ball game last year left the ballpark, only
to find that a trio of men were publicly urinating in the parking lot – and chose
their car as the place to spray their piss.
When
the couple tried telling the men to get lost, the men allegedly took offense
and started beating up the couple.
As
it turned out, the three men were arrested a couple of days later. They all now
face criminal charges in Cook County court. Those cases are still pending.
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| Where the legal fight is now taking place |
But
the couple has now filed their lawsuit against the White Sox and the Illinois
Sports Facilities Authority – the state agency that owns the stadium.
Admittedly, they’re also suing the men who allegedly did the beating – claiming
they incurred medical expenses because of the incident.
THE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE reported that the couple said in their lawsuit that the ball
club’s security did absolutely nothing to try to intervene to prevent the
beating from taking place. They argue that since it was ballpark property, the
ball club is responsible.
Now
aside from those whiny losers who look for any excuse to take a White Sox pot
shot, what amazes me is to read some of the (anonymous, of course) Internet commentary
that implies the couple themselves should have known better.
As
though they should have let the trio finish their public urination and go
staggering away, then drive their vehicle to the nearest car wash to have the
stink of piss removed.
There are those who think the couple got what they deserved.
OF
COURSE, THERE also were those who felt the need of the multiple stories of
public urination that has taken place throughout the decades outside of Wrigley
Field. Which is about as irrelevant to this incident as is possible.
Personally,
I’m inclined to think of anyone who can’t control where they piss as something
of a loser. Particularly at U.S. Cellular, where there are actually public
restrooms accessible from outside the stadium.
I
can see where a couple would be upset to see nothing being done about such a
scene being made all over their automobile. Why security would deliberately
ignore such actions is beyond me. But it will be intriguing to see how the
courts ultimately rule with regards to this lawsuit.
Do
we need to have the Piss Police patrolling the areas outside of both of our
ballparks? Or is an occasional coating of urine on our automobiles now an
occupational hazard, so to speak, of attending a ball game and watching our
hometown teams get their butts whomped once again?
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