Teen reenactor dead - alcohol involved

[FloridaHoosier]

The purpose of this post isn't to debate the merits of who drinks at what age, what laws are in affect, or what parents should or shouldn't do. The purpose is for the collective hobby to see that someone died, at a historical event, where the intial investigation shows that laws were broken. This post is a wake-up call and a cautionary tale, not an invitation to speculate about the social mores of other countries, individual states, or society as a whole.

[PrattStreetRioter]

Gents, besides the obvious sadness in this story be warned by it too! Be aware of what the kids are getting into after taps and by kids I mean underagers. Not just for the moral reasons but the liability ones too!

[CameronsHighlander]

It is sad and unforntunate that a young man lost his life in the Hobby.

[hanktrent]

Im actually suprised it doesn't happen more often. This falls onto everyone who saw it and did nothing to stop it.

How does an "outsider" stop it, though? In my experience, people who are into drinking at events are really into it, and will defend it pretty angrily and vigorously, even when sober. It's what the hobby is all about to them. So I don't mess with them and just let them do their thing, because I've had nothing but bad experiences even hinting that maybe focussing a little less on booze would be good.

I can't imagine any way for an outsider on his own to stop people giving alcohol to minors, due to that attitude, especially since there's no way to know for sure if someone who looks underage is underage. If you ask, he'll lie, or those around him will lie.

So let's say a reenactor sees a bunch of drunks at an event, whom he doesn't know, and some of them look borderline underage. What the heck could he do, without getting himself unwelcome at the event or worse?

And don't say, tell the organizers or officers--lots of times they're included.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Rob Weaver]

In all reality, if you feel that the alcohol use at an event has gone over the top, you do the same thing you'd do if it were your next door neighbor: alert the authorities. Very few sites are out of cell phone coverage, and the local or state police should be able to reach you shortly.

[hanktrent]

In all reality, if you feel that the alcohol use at an event has gone over the top, you do the same thing you'd do if it were your next door neighbor: alert the authorities. Very few sites are out of cell phone coverage, and the local or state police should be able to reach you shortly.

Good advice, for someone with a different personality than me. Not something I could ever do, unless I was personally the victim of a crime. Judge me negatively if you want, but that's just the way I am.

For one thing, I don't think it's up to me to decide what risks other consenting adults should be allowed to take, to enjoy their leisure activities. Drunks apparently think drinking is a hobby like mountain climbing or white-water rafting, and a few injuries or deaths every few years don't scare off those participants.

Without knowing the age of those drinking, or actually testing exactly what's in the cup of an obvious minor, there's no way for an outsider to tell whether what's going on isn't actually among consenting adults. Mistakenly calling the cops on somebody doing something perfectly legal doesn't sound real prudent, in a small and protective hobby where news travels fast.

Has any participant (not organizer) actually called the cops to an event, to control other participants? How did it turn out?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Micah Trent]

It's sad to read this. I too have been amazed that something like this does not happen more often. Hopefully lessons are learned here to many who read this.

[Rob Weaver]

Good advice, for someone with a different personality than me. Not something I could ever do, unless I was personally the victim of a crime. Judge me negatively if you want, but that's just the way I am.

For one thing, I don't think it's up to me to decide what risks other consenting adults should be allowed to take, to enjoy their leisure activities... Mistakenly calling the cops on somebody doing something perfectly legal doesn't sound real prudent, in a small and protective hobby where news travels fast.

Has any participant (not organizer) actually called the cops to an event, to control other participants? How did it turn out?
hanktrent@gmail.com

Although I've never called the cops to a reenacting situation, I have called them for domestic disputes in my neighborhood, and once when my neighbors were partying hardy late into the night. THat's not the behavior which prompts me to pick up the phone, though. It's the point where obvious wrong is going on. Loud obscene verbal abuse, cinder block throwing, threats of bodily harm. If they would simply drink themselves into peaceful stupors, we'd never even know each other. I have mellowed into a pretty longsuffering soul, but when I've had enough, well, I've had enough.
I do know of a time security at Gettysburg called the State Police ona gent who would not listen to them. IIRC, it was in 2000. I know he went out in handcuffs. I'm reluctant to share more because I'm not certain how it came out, but I believe it went very expensively badly.

[CameronsHighlander]

there are ways to handle it but it could open a whole box of problems. Speaking with the Units commander but as you said they are involved. In honesty just to let it happen in the end its a catch 22 danged if you do danged if you dont. One 18 year old get Alchole poisoning dies and we say goodbye to reenacting in general. As for going to event cooridinators I went to an event cooridinator over a different safety issue at an event and hopefully by 2012 the issue will not happen again.

[lincolnsguard]

Local news article:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/comm...icle547485.ece