Riot in Century Village

PUNCH UP IN MOTOWN.

 A near riot in the Century Village theater on Saturday night resulted in security being summoned to eject rowdy seniors. It seems that someone objected to an elderly lady who was inspired to get up and dance blocking the view of some of the audience. Harsh words were exchanged and an angry altercation ensued. Men jumped to defend their women and women added to the uproar hurling insults and angry words. Pushing and shoving accompanied by more angry words ensued resulting in ushers fleeing and security being summoned to eject the unruly parties from the hall while the band played on.

The Messenger Club immediately issued a press release denying any part in the melee. We thought it might be a good idea to issue a denial as we get blamed for all the disruption in the village whether it's us or not.

It might be a good idea to invite David Israel to the shows and tell him to bring his gavel. The whole thing could have been avoided if he had been there, banging his gavel in his usual manner and shouting “ SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP ! CALL 911” He's pretty good at that and has been getting a lot of practice lately. That approach may not work as no one listens to him anyway.

Rowdy behavior and mosh pits in front of the stage are not unusual at concerts where loud music accompanied by gyrating performers and dazzling light shows raise the emotional level of the audience to a fever pitch. It is a bit unusual for Century Village to see this occur at shows in the clubhouse. It could set a trend where audience members want to get in on the action.

WPRF who exert a considerable amount of control over activities in the clubhouse do have rules demanding decorum while attending shows. Anyone who has been to a show hear announcements regarding the prohibition of cell phones or recording devices such as cameras and the wearing of perfume, they hear admonitions to remain seated until the show is over, threats to confiscate cameras and have probably read the rules regarding the dress code prohibiting shorts and T shirts.

In light of the recent near riot among the audience, perhaps some measures should be taken to ensure the audience is controlled a bit better. A quick action response team could be put on standby, much like the teams in the penitentiaries who wear armored suits and possess tear gas and rubber bullets to maintain control over unruly inmates. Not a bad idea, I'm sure the UCO administration would approve as the team could be deployed at the delegates assemblies to maintain order.

The visible presence of an armored action team standing in formation in front of the stage would go a long way to deterring misbehavior. An action plan declaring martial law putting the village on lock down until disturbances are quelled and everyone settles down would ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable elders. The residents of the village would probably object to such stern measures and alternatives would be sought.

Shows presented in the clubhouse could be screened to make sure they don't have any material that would excite the audience. Music played onstage would have to be in the same vein as the music played on channel 63 while club announcements perpetually roll across the screen. That would keep a lid on anyone getting rowdy for sure. It's been known to put people to sleep. That might not work either, there could be a rule prohibiting sleeping in the clubhouse.
Neil J Moore.