I attended two shows at this venue this week. One was Thursday, 8.6.09 and the other was Saturday, 8.8.09. On Thursday, my boyfriend and I purchased three beers each during the hour and a half we were at the venue. My boyfriend, who works in the boating industry and is on his feet in three digit temperatures for ten to twelve hours a day, went to the restroom.
Upon leaving the restroom, a security guard asked him if he had been drinking. He said that he had, and the security worker asked for his ID. (My boyfriend is 33 years old.) He asked him to leave the venue because he "appeared to be wobbly in the restroom." My boyfriend did not want to argue or cause a scene, so he left and called me from outside. He was FAR from intoxicated-he was TIRED.
I came outside to get his side of the story and once I did, I confronted the worker/security at the front, who checked ID's and tickets. (This was at approximately 11:10 pm) I asked what gave them the authority to throw someone out of the venue for suspicion of drinking too much. No tests, no proof, no slurring, just PERCEPTION. He could have just taken his band from his wrist so he could no longer go to the bar.
I pointed out the OBVIOUS and illegal smoking of marijuana that was taking place throughout the venue. The smell was very overwhelming from where we stood in the venue. Security was onstage and facing the audience and could EASILY see the offenders and should have been actively pursuing them and removing them from the venue, if not having Dallas Police intervene. The House of Blues employee said, "Oh they're gonna LET them smoke weed." I was FLOORED!
At that point, I realized that anything that I did at that point would only cause the situation to escalate, and not properly, so I told the worker that I'd be recounting our converation to management and left. Last night I returned to the venue, only to have the SAME security who threw my boyfriend out two days prior, confront my brother for smoking a cigar. He does not live in Dallas and is not aware of ordinances, so he promptly put the cigar out.
My brother told me there was no signage near the cigars, cigarettes, and lighters being sold indicating that all smoking must be done outside of the venue. Again, I mentioned to security that as we spoke, I was noticing HUGE smoke stacks of marijuana coming from the areas closer to the stage. I'm beginning to think that HOUSE OF BLUES is engaged in illegal activity.
At NO point did security EVER make their way through the crowds and remove the marijuana smokers. I was disgusted and offended by the employees literally turning a blind eye to illegal activity, but almost pouncing those who went against a city ordinance. I want to complain to as many agencies as possible until this illegal activity is no longer tolerated!
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