Plaza riot?

[PumpkinStalker]

One of the news stations reported that the groups of unruly teens seem to have arrived at the same time the movie theater relaxed its age restrictions.

[kcjak]

I'm hearing a lot of hype and little to substantiate it.  If there were a real riot, there would be a few dozen arrests, and a lot more property damage to show for it (i.e lots of smashed windows, vandalized cars, etc. etc. etc.).  The lack of a sense of safety is being perpetuated by blowing out of proportion events that seem to have been minor.  Just using "riot" for what seems like unruly teens makes the situation sound far more volatile and threatening than i suspect it actually was. 

Not to minimize the situation.  If this becomes a regular thing, we can kiss the Plaza goodbye in the minds of frightened suburbanites.  However, I have a feeling even with this minor media attention, the boot's going to come down hard next time there is a hint of disorderly crowds.  My fear is actually that the police reaction may go too far, and might create a real sense of hostility in these teens, and we'll start seeing real property damage and something resembling an actual riot.

The news I watched yesterday (KCTV maybe?) had video just after the police cracked down. A 12 year old was being arrested at 11pm and shown getting into a squad car.  Another teen was shown being loaded into an ambulance in the Winstead's parking lot from a fight, suffering from 'critical injuries.'  Manager of PF Changs said teens were coming in to the resto to use the bathrooms and disrupting his business by being unruly.  Also said his guests eating outside complained about the group and also got fumes from the pepper spray (he had to comp some meals.  Other witnesses say there was a strong armed robbery and someone got thrown into the fountain at Cheesecake Factory.  The Mayor said he was reviewing the situation, but called it a Westport-type situation.

Imagine people going to the Plaza from out of town and having a dinner at PF Changs (or a cone from Stone Cold) and witnessing whatever went down on Saturday.  This needs to be taken care of quickly.  Parents who had teens down there causing problems need to be pepper sprayed.  I wonder if they'll change the curfew for 18-under from midnight on the weekends to 11 (like that's ever been enforced).  It's not even close to summer yet and this shit has already started.

[chrizow]

Parents who had teens down there causing problems need to be pepper sprayed. 

[dangerboy]

Can we pepper spray patrons of P.F. Chang's ?

[PumpkinStalker]

I heard a rumor that it was a facebook invite for all these kids to be down there at the same time.

[dangerboy]

I heard a rumor that it was a facebook invite for all these kids to be down there at the same time.

yes, it was a flash mob. Philadelphia is starting to get imitators.

[kcjak]

I heard a rumor that it was a facebook invite for all these kids to be down there at the same time.

Now I feel bad - just last week I watched a news story on a facebook invite for a pillow fight near the Nichols fountain. GEEKS, I thought...but at least no pepper spray.  Maybe I need to get on that facebook group and sabotage next week's plans:  Saturday night group hug, 11pm @ Hooter's Independence. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

yes, it was a flash mob. Philadelphia is starting to get imitators.

Methinks facebook could carry some civil liability for this crap - time for city attorneys and class action litigators to sound the call to arms and finally put an end to the scourge of internet social networking.  

[DaveKCMO]

...and someone got thrown into the fountain at Cheesecake Factory.

i would give my left nut to see video of this. awesome!

[NDTeve]

End this or it it will end the Plaza.

[mean]

Methinks facebook could carry some civil liability for this crap - time for city attorneys and class action litigators to sound the call to arms and finally put an end to the scourge of internet social networking.

Surely you're joking...

[LenexatoKCMO]

Surely you're joking...

Absolutely not. 

[mean]

Wow. Color me surprised. I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure Facebook would be protected under section 230 of the CDA:

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

At least, I've seen it cited more times than I can count in situations where lawsuits have been brought against service providers alleging harm brought about by user-posted content. The cases are pretty much always thrown out.

[Thaine]

I don't imagine that FB would be any more liable for this type of thing than SW Bell would be when two people discuss and plan out a crime on the telephone.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Is this an issue with the content itself or a negligence in the design and operation of the interface?

[mean]

The content itself, obviously. "The interface" is simply the online event creation and invitation software built into Facebook. Extremely similar software exists on MySpace, Google Calendar, Evite, Anyvite, Crusher, Enclude, Invitastic, Microsoft Windows Live Events, on and on and on and on. Any of these could be used to create and invite people to an event with potentially nefarious intentions, and holding the software provider liable would be beyond ludicrous and set a frankly terrifying precedent. I would not, for example, want my name in any way associated with the administration of this (or any) site if that precedent were set!

[chrizow]

let's burn hug something!

[mean]

Sorry, chriz, gotta watch my back!

[mlind]

I've seen newspaper stories that say when stores play classical music outside, it drives teenagers away.  Or maybe they could try Barry Manilow.

[KCMax]

KCPD Chief Jeff Corwin on beefing up enforcement and the full police report on what took place.

http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/2010/04/p ... ident.html