Must Have Been Something in the Water

Last night was, hands down, the most violent night I've ever worked. As I sit here writing this, my body is actually sore and my arms feel similar to tendinitis from all the people I had to pull out of the bar last night.

Things started off great with UGA coming from behind to beat Alabama in overtime. We all believed this would help the night be busier and keep everyone in a great mood. As expected, as soon as the game was over, the bar filled up quickly and shortly after that, things went downhill very quickly.

The first situation to kick off the night involved a coworker trying to talk someone out of the bar for one reason or another. I noticed what was going on and walked over to help him out. Out of nowhere, it seemed, came a guy throwing wild haymakers and attempting to attack my coworker. This obviously escalated the situation and he was tossed out hard, as anyone should be who attacks a coworker of mine. A later witness said I "carried him out like a briefcase".

That alone would have been enough for me, given we were fairly short staffed, but it was only the beginning. Not 30 minutes later I found myself pinning a guy against the wall who had taken a swing at another floor staff member. The group of guys were unceremoniously thrown out as well, with small tussles here and there on the way out. The guy was arrested.

And things got worse after that.

Every turn I made for the rest of the night I found myself in the middle of some altercation. Every time we proclaimed things couldn't get any worse, they did. The police, apparently, were overwhelmed as well, as they quit arresting the people we threw out because of the numerous fights occurring all over downtown. One officer said they simply didn't have the manpower for the irregular night that apparently was happening at every bar downtown.

We never had a chance to catch our breath. I was soaked in sweat for the last hour and a half of the night. Every time I walked inside I'd get another call that a fight was happening. Every time I walked out I was dragging someone with me.

It was one of the strangest nights I've ever worked and I, for one, am very glad that it's all over.