I couldn’t afford to go to last weeks’ concert on the hill and was sad to be missing the Black Keys, a band I love. So I went down to the event on my bike in the rain on sunday afternoon, hoping to at least hear them from the edge of the event. I thought I could at least stand on the sidewalk and enjoy. So I took a bike cruise of the perimeter to get an idea of where the best spot for me would be. At the top of the hill I was told by security that I couldn’t stop, but had to keep moving. The man said that the entire area of the Citadel Hill had been rented and was no longer public property. So I rode on down the hill and back to the bottom, where I dragged my bike halfway up the side of the hill, to sit in the rain, hoping to hear the music and be left alone. I was about 10 feet from the fence. At this time a young bum from inside the event tripped up the hill and away from the event to where I was. Through the fence he asked me for a smoke. I could tell he was drunk. I said I didn’t have on. This is when he proceeded to swear at me and take him penis out and attempted to piss on me. He came very clos and I was trying to figure how to get up from the ground and away without being soiled. This is when two security guards came up and asked me to leave. One was on my side of the fence and one was on his. I pointed to the penis and said, “look at that!” But they weren’t concerned. (by this time his drunk girlfriend had arrived and was pulling him to the ground) The security men told me that I had to pay to watch (i couldn’t see the stage) and even said, “c’mon, surely you can afford a ticket!” I moved back but was fuming. What is the spirit of such an event? I just want the city to know what goes on when no one is looking. And thanks to the fascist morons who facilitate such summer fun!
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2008.
that annoys me. I’ve always thought part of the charm of summer outdoor concerts was their egalitarian appeal- if you can’t afford the ticket, you can still listen in, and hear them not-as-well and not see them as well as if you had paid, from a free distance. who were you harming? those peopel inside still paid for an experience you didn’t get- they were closer to the band, heard it more clearly, and got a visual to go with it. what harm did it do if your ears happened to pick up some of the musical fun? followed by my concern for how a public space like the citadel can so quickly become privatized…that bothers me. it’s public for a reason!
Reminds me of a time Skateboarding at the James Short Parkade in Calgary, we where getting kicked out by security when a friend of Mine Spencer pointed to a bum taking a shit not 8 feet away, right in a flower bed ,he said ” Isnt it funny youll kick us out for sk8boarding but he can take a shit right there,?” the Security replied ” No, you know whats funny? I hate n#*%as and Jews, theres no skateboarding here” and pointed to the only sign around, NO SKATEBOARDINGbeing the crazy kids we where back in ’95, anytime wed go downtown skateing and someone had the urge, wed make sure to publicly deficate James short parkade, and we never even got in shit
Reminds me of a time Skateboarding at the James Short Parkade in Calgary, we where getting kicked out by security when a friend of Mine Spencer pointed to a bum taking a shit not 8 feet away, right in a flower bed ,he said ” Isnt it funny youll kick us out for sk8boarding but he can take a shit right there,?” the Security replied ” No, you know whats funny? I hate n#*%as and Jews, theres no skateboarding here” and pointed to the only sign around, NO SKATEBOARDINGbeing the crazy kids we where back in ’95, anytime wed go downtown skateing and someone had the urge, wed make sure to publicly deficate James short parkade, and we never even got in shit
Perhaps we should all take a dump on the Hill. Careful not to let your ass touch that grass though, you don’t know what it’s covered in!