28 replies to this topic

[Mr. Sinistro]

Was anyone else at the TOC last night? Anyone near Buckingham Fountain around 7 ish when some pretty big gang fights broke out? We were just standing there and things turned into stampede away from there. Had to hop up some small fence and take cover in some Zagat booth. There were totally not enough police down there. Not nearly enough. Roving groups of people were there obviously to just cause trouble, it was pretty surreal. If you saw the news, there was a gang related shooting at Congress and Dearborn after the fireworks and what's to say that would not have happened near the Fountain? It was like every gang in the city just decided to meet up there and look for fights. I felt really bad for any older people caught in all that panic, really f'ing sad that this crap happens and keeps people from having a safe and enjoyable time. It was so absolutely overcrowded down there, thank God the weather was nice. I felt stuck for a while after the fighting and nervousness died down and we figured out how to get out of there going north instead of against the flow of people from the west. There were some shootings and deaths within the TOC last year, right? This was the first time I'd gone in years and, yeah, I know that the night of fireworks it gets extra-extra crowded, but after 7 it was just pointless to be there. You couldn't even walk between food booths.

[Hewletts Daughter]

There were some shootings and deaths within the TOC last year, right?

I don't know about last year, but I know about three or four years ago there was one on the third during the fireworks. I was down there for the Taste and then went to some show at the House of Blues and while I was at the show, there was a shooting. My mom apparently tried calling me a bunch of times because she heard about it and was worried and my phone wasn't getting reception inside the HoB. Then eventually my signal got screwed up and when my mom called, the signal wound up getting mixed up, leading to some black woman answering her phone and my mom going in to full on panic mode. Luckily I saw her 72 voice mails after the show, called her back, adn we shared our stories before I went home.

But yea, my experiences with the Taste is that it's always been overcrowded and flled with ignorant people. It's a large part of teh reason I've stopped going these past few years.

[without_opinion]

we could easily turn this thread into the spiraling out of control violence & shootings that seems to be taking over our fair city. it's getting ridiculous.

[Mr. Sinistro]

we could easily turn this thread into the spiraling out of control violence & shootings that seems to be taking over our fair city. it's getting ridiculous.

Yep, indeed. It was just so totally obvious who wasn't there to even buy tickets and eat food. It made me think of The Warriors, like someone just put out a message and said "Every gang, thug, troublemaker across the city, show up down here. I can't even imagine what other fights took place besides the two that I saw.

[no magnets]

i can't imagine today will be any better with crowds. and i really want to see alejandro escovedo and old 97s. but i don't want to deal with the masses that'll congregate there all afternoon.

[sKinnY]

we were down there last night but didn't go inside. there was a pretty good police presence outside of the park on the city streets and stuff. i did see quite a few cops standing around with their hands on their gats, most likely from that cop getting shot and killed in roscoe the night before.

[Ashy Larry]

hopefully not as crowded headed down in about 15 min. today's lineup vodka lemonade sangria beer i ate like a pig yesterday no food till sunday

[SpacemanSpiff]

The ignorant masses will appear at anything this large and free. The fireworks night is, without fail, the worst experience one could possibly have at the Taste. If you're down there during the fireworks, you may also notice about half of the people not even paying attention to them. Seems pointless, no?

[Hero]

Aly & AJ are playing at the Taste on sunday.... i think i might actually go, since the worst of the crowd will just be lil kids

[pong]

I do not like the Taste of Chicago.

[Spiz]

I do not like the Taste of Chicago.

..but...giant turkey leg...

[yancy]

I've never been to the taste and that's not likely to change after reading this thread.

[Rob Gordon]

Ah yes, Chicago. Now where's Avec who called Paris a dirty little city.

[musicgurl]

I didn't even go see the fireworks but I was ticked off about dealing with the crowds. Trying to get to Union Station at 7:15pm on Thursday night was a NIGHTMARE!!! Stupid people everywhere. I can't even imagine how bad it was at the actual Taste. Dealing with the holiday weekend crowds on the Metra these past few days has been hellish and dammit I still have two more nights to deal with all of the suburban assclowns. When I lived in Texas I would miss not being able to attend the Taste every summer. Now I've been back for two years and I still haven't gone. I may brave the crowds and go today before work. I needs me something fried and on a stick.

[JeffTweedysFatStomach]

I took the red line south last night and got on at the Jackson spot. There were some serious dudes with serious weapons all over the place - automatic weapons (including automatic shotguns),headsets, night vision shit, dogs, knives, the whole deal. It was scary as shit.

[fabulous muscles]

Went to the Taste once, and that was enough for me. BS. Check this, my friend stood me up on Sunday when we had planned to go to the gay parade, and instead he went to the Taste to see Plain White T's play. What an asshole.

[Hero]

I didn't even go see the fireworks but I was ticked off about dealing with the crowds. Trying to get to Union Station at 7:15pm on Thursday night was a NIGHTMARE!!! Stupid people everywhere. I can't even imagine how bad it was at the actual Taste. Dealing with the holiday weekend crowds on the Metra these past few days has been hellish and dammit I still have two more nights to deal with all of the suburban assclowns.

Metra has been packed this week, but they've beefed up security and have done a great job recently. Thursday, they had security checking bags to get on the train to keep idiots from getting drunk on the train.
Then, the security (actually cops with guns) rode the train to make sure nobody got outta control

[crash]

That sounds shitty. Never been to Chicago, but I hit Taste of DC once, it was just as bad as y'all have described.

[Duff.]

Went to the Taste once, and that was enough for me. BS. Check this, my ex-friend stood me up on Sunday when we had planned to go to the gay parade, and instead he went to the Taste to see Plain White T's play. What an asshole.

Fixed.

[Damo Suzuki]

I can't think of anything more enjoyable than paying for tickets to eat food on a stick/in a paper plate while standing in the 100 degree weather of Chicago summers. Oh and if it can be loud and overcrowded with the possibility of gang violence all the better.