MARCH MADNESS…..SPRING BREAKERS WILL INVADE KEY WEST…..A CERTAINTY

The barbarians were not stopped at the gates of Miami. An uncontrollable mob. Miami Beach was the place to be this season. The spring breakers came in droves. More than anticipated, more than ever before.

Short of a death occurring, all has been bad. So bad that Mayor Dan Gelber announced a new curfew yesterday. Eight o’clock in the evening. The party over at that time. Bars closed. Students relegated to their hotels. God help the hotels!

Thursday and Friday fights occurred in some South Beach hotels. Tables, chairs and other items of furniture used in the melee. Damage done.

I can only imagine what last night was.

In addition to the South Beach 8 pm curfew, the causeway was shuttered. Cars stopped by police. Only those with homes or hotel reservations permitted through. The rest turned away.

The best way to understand what was occurring is contained in the words of Miami Mayor Gelber when he announced the 8 pm curfew yesterday: The crowds were “more than we could handle.” The spring breakers came “without intention of following the rules.” The result “a level of chaos and disorder that is just something more than we can endure.”

Referring to the two previous nights, “it feels like a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks.” South Beach “feels like a tinder, it feels like just any match could set it off.”

The police are in danger of being “overwhelmed.”

A “state of emergency” is declared.

The purpose of the curfew and causeway restrictions were to protect the community from personal and physical damage. A further consideration was COVID-19. No social distancing. Too many people. Crowds jammed together. A coronavirus field day in the making!

I compliment Mayor Gelber. Only a few days earlier, Governor DeSantis had lifted all restrictions on businesses and other activities. Also advised fines would be waved for those who received tickets for failing to wear masks.

Mayor Gelber stood up against higher authority in order to do the right thing. His attitude my town, my way. An attitude required against the most inept governor in America. A man who followed Trump religiously. A person who has permitted vaccine be given to his rich and wealthy donors, while others went without. A man who has screwed up the Florida distribution of the vaccine royally.

Now to what I perceive will be the end of this dilemma. Key West will be invade next!

Do you think these young adults are going to remain in Miami if they have to be home by 8. Mom and dad never imposed such a ridiculous curfew on them.

They came to Miami to have fun. If not Miami, somewhere else. Key West the logical destination. A mere 140 miles away.

Over one of the 3 day holiday vacations this past year, things were getting out of hand in Miami. The city was effectively closed down.

The students were not to be dissuaded. The y came for fun and were going to have fun. The cry went up…..Key West, an open city!

They came in unexpected droves. Our police authorities handled the problem well. This time however the crowds might be just too big to control.

Key West has a problem. Its normally sensible bar, restaurant and business people have deviated from good judgment during the crisis. They have fought state wide and locally for business to go on as usual. Local elected officials have had a hard time protecting their interests and those of the rest of the community. In a few instances, the Key West City Commission has acted above and beyond. In most however, sucked up to the money people in this town.

Key West’s Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission are going to have their hands full the next two weeks. Extraordinary steps will be required to stop and/or keep the hordes under control. It may not be possible.

Interestingly, I spoke at length re the problems the spring beakers would bring to Key West this year. I spelled out in my blog talk radio show Tuesday night that Miami had a midnight curfew running to 6 in the morning. I doubted the college students would be happy about it. They would not. That is their nature. And probably the way many Americans think today. Feel they can do what they want. This is a free country. Rules do not apply to them.

Ergo, onward to Key West! The open city. The cops won’t bother them.

May they find a surprise in store for them.

One last item. A further comment by Mayor Gelber. He blames among others the airlines’ recent cheap flights program: “Last month you could get here from Philadelphia, New York, or Chicago for $50 round trip.”

A separate issue. The Miami Herald reorted yesterday that Key West has decided not to enforce its strict ordinance requiring people to wear masks in public.

This was a day or two before the Miami problem began occurring.

Miami-Dade County did the same thing several days ago. Then on thursday Miami announced its police would resume enforcing a mask and curfew law despite Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order opening Florida businesses 100 percent and  canceling payment of mask fines.

An example of standing up to superior authority when that authority is blatantly wrong.

The Key West police are handling the mask problem differently. They will ask those not wearing masks to wear them. If the people refuse, the police will walk away. No attempt will be made to enforce Key West’s mask ordinance in view of Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order.

What will the police do the next few days when the anticipated Miami onslaught arrives?

Now to the important. Syracuse/West Virginia at 5:40 this afternoon. March Madness at its finest on CBS.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

59 comments on “MARCH MADNESS…..SPRING BREAKERS WILL INVADE KEY WEST…..A CERTAINTY

  1. Hi Lou, As you stated, not many wearing masks on Duval St. early yesterday evening. I tuned in to IrishKevins.com street cam for a while. Lots of people on the street. Most older than college age very few wearing masks.
    I did see the rare site of 4 policemen police on Duval St. Those that I saw were making no attempt to suggest wearing a mask, though the police were wearing masks.

  2. The great and mighty America, demoralized and defeated by a formidable enemy—- the mask. Imagine trying to get through the sacrifices and hardships of WW-2 today?

    • Or Polio

      Or Tuberculosis

      Or a Gas crisis

      I suppose you could blame it on “Kids Today” but it isn’t them, it’s these selfish right wing zealots, who are so easily led by their political masters, or those with cult tendencies.

            • Willie, you are wrong again, I said these selfish right wing zealots were responsible for the mask issue. YOU on the other hand, play the VICTIM and tried to make my response into more than that with your wining.

              I’m beginning to think that you right wing zealots are responsible for most of the lies we hear now a days too,and definitely all of this VICTIM sh*t you constantly want to hide behind!

              Well Willie, if the shoe fits…..

              • What you said is a long long stretch to do anything with masks. You specifically mentioned 3 regarding these bad ole right wing zealots.

                • You are really reaching to try and make this fit your narrative, but don’t forget, this was my post and not yours. Attack my predicate cowboy and stop dancing around your twisting and shouting. The problem is mostly due to right wing zealots and their faux outrage. Just to be clear – it’s the right wing zealots who are causing all the problems.

                  • Let me get this straight. The following occurred above:

                    Willie P on March 21, 2021 at 12:25 pm said:
                    Yep, all our problems must always be those darn selfish right wing zealots.

                    Reply ↓
                    Site moderator responded on March 21, 2021 at 1:25 pm said:
                    No one said that Willie, you are just trolling to agitate and provoke.

                    And now the site moderator writes:
                    Just to be clear – it’s the right wing zealots who are causing all the problems.

                    Ok, got it. A real Dandy you got workin for ya Lou.

  3. god help key west. i remember when i lived there the brikers annualfest. a good cause for chairites but i lived on simington the noise was horriffic at times.

        • Quite awhile actually. First because those bikers usually traveled in bunches often with a straggler extending everything for a block or two. Then there was the frequent problem where these loud, often unmuffled bikes would set off car alarm, which went on for sever more minutes.

          The biker crowd was a inconsiderate group, unlike just about every other group who would come to town.

          Bikers, including those sympathetic to them, are probably the most unselfaware people I know.

    • I remember those days too. Couldn’t let the kids go outside and you couldn’t really go anywhere yourselves. The only safe places in town were church and the laundromat.

  4. Its Key West. It does get noisy at times. We were in Truman Annex and could usually hear everything happening at the Parrot. Usually when it got to be too much we would just walk over and join in.

    • Willie, you poser.

      You are not allowed at “the Parrot” as you would like people to be impressed when you call it that. How pretentious.

      …besides, the Green Parrot is not really in the Truman Annex or really a typical residential neighborhood, now is it. But then a poser troll wouldn’t know that would they.

      • Do you mean the other side of Thomas Street, close to Emma? I stayed there too. I never heard any noises, ‘cept of course when the bikers or the speedboat people were in town.

        You should stop sniveling. My husband hated it there. He always said that Truman Annex wasn’t really staying in Key West and that it was more like staying in a Walt Disney sanitized version of Key West. I don’t thing they even allow gecko’s there do they?

          • Probably should have gone to Disney World where your vacation could have been even more “safe” and bland. I stayed in one of those places in Truman Annex once. It was like staying in a Toledo suburb – cheap and uninspired, not the Key West I had once loved.

  5. So, now we have unruly mobs of uncontrollable protestors who are flagrantly breaking the law and legally endangering each other and everybody around them. Shouldn’t they be treated equally to those BLM protesters in Portland and other cities?

    • Not a good comparison. The BLM and antifa thugs in Portland can do as much rioting and damage as they want, and get away with it.

      • You do know that Trump’s own hand picked FBI director and his own Justice department both said they could not find any evidence or antifa involvement. That was just a wet dream the right wing had, just like when they tried to blame the January 6th violence at the capitol on the nonexistent antifa, too. Never happened.

        ..and you knoe that!

        • Google “Rose City Antifa”. Also read s Reuter’s news report dated Jan 21 and a Washington Post story dated Jan 23. There’s lots more if you keep reading.

          • NOTHING in either the Jan 21 Reuters or Jan 23 WaPo articles you refer to says “Antifa” as you say. Both refer to “Anti-government and anti-fascist protesters in Portland and Seattle…”

            Can you find even a single instance, from a legitimate news source that can show ANY direct “Antifa” directive (ie: a Facebook post calling “to Arms” or “to Violence” in these protests), like I can with regards to say “Proud Boys” ?

            Yes, you can to “left wing extremists” or “right wing extremists” but not to “Antifa” per se.

            That’s because there is no “Antifa” organization that did that! Stop trying to scare people with false and misleading Boogieman” Bull Sh*t

  6. Fake and Misleading post – No Antifa found with the connection to violence in Portland, however plenty of false flag and trumpted up accusations. The 2007 founder “Rose City Antifa” played NO involvement in the @019 Portland Violence, in fact that group completely distanced themselves . There was however plenty of false flag schannagins, just like what was tried on January 6 in Washington DC, going on, most if not all are documented. Read the “Willamette Week” (local news) reporting from that time for a more accurate accounting.

  7. Being a anti right wing protestor, counter protesting what one believes to be fascist pigs, or fighting off fascists protesters, or even just being BLM, or just protecting peaceful BLM protesters, is not the same as having anything to do with Antifa.

    “Antifa” is just the right wing’s way of trying to transfer blame and culpability for their violence. It’s the oldest cop-out in the world, blaming someone else.

    Portland has one of the largest groups of Proud Boys in the country and they were very up front about being at the Portland BLM protests. Blaming “Antifa” was all over their Facebook posts to show up.

    I know, I live here.

    • I should move there. It sounds like a very peaceful, non-violent city where everyone respects the property rights of others.

      • Antifa exists, according to any online dictionary you care to consult. They are far-left politically, and oppose far-right organizations like white supremacists, skinheads and proud boys. I see nothing wrong with a left-wing organization opposing right-wing organizations. The problem is that antifa doesn’t stop at peaceful protests or demonstrations. They are known to use violence and destruction of property as tactics. This makes them no better than the violent right-wing organizations that they oppose.

        What I find interesting is the people here on Lou’s blog that will quickly jump in to defend or deny the existence of a far-left organization known to use violent tactics. Isn’t antifa the same as proud boys in that regard? How can one be more righteous than the other? Why not admit openly that far-left organizations can exist in opposition to far-right organizations. Just condemn the violence.

        • Please find me ONE official (and credible) “Antifa” call to arms or violence, in America.

          No false flag BS please.

          • Antifa doesn’t work that way as you know. No calls to arms, no command structure, no hierarchy of authority. It’s reminiscent of the way underground military operations have been conducted since the Civil War. In a free society there are many other ways to communicate – a cell phone for instance.

        • How gratuitous of you “NO One” to admit that it is OK for there to be Left Wing organizations in opposition to far right organizations, just no violence – but never condemned or criticize right wing organizations (far right, or actual members of congress) for the violence THEY cause, participate or protect.

          Don’t you think you should clean up you own back yard instead of coming on Lou’s post and posting a gratuitous sob story that makes no denunitatilon of right wing violence whatsoever, nor actually showing where any (American) “AntiFa” organization has ever organized, incited, or promoted violence, despite your insistence they do so. The Portland “Rose City Antifa” group is a case in point. They specifically called for “No Violence” for anyone and everybody, during the Portland riots – look it up. That was not the case with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

          NO, Antifa is NOT “the same as proud boys in that regard” as you would like to make them out to be. Antifa is a concept, not an organization. False equivalency reflects a weak mind.

  8. Let me get this straight, “No One” – right wing violent extremists come from all parts of the country in an organized and armed mob, attack the capitol in Washington DC, where people died and then tried to blame it on “antifa” then ran home and hid, are now not even acknowledging that at all, rather blaming only antifa for being OK but not for the violence “they” have (not) caused with “their” efforts to counteract right wing extremists?

    NO ONE, you should shut your faking mouth and crawl under the couch with totally self absorbed embarrazzsment. You sir are a jerk !

    Don’t lecture us anymore about this crap.

  9. Thank you all for making my point. You so quickly defend or deny the existence of a far-left organization known to use violent tactics. I have already said that the right-wing groups out there are known to be violent, and should be condemned for that. There is violence coming from the left as well, but no one here will admit to that. I wonder why.

  10. no No NO!

    Just STOP – you are embarrazzing.

    There are NO violent left wing groups that even begin to compare to what is being don on the right, NONE.

    It is you that will not accept this FACT [ NO we do not need to talk about violence on the left, right now – it is a HUGE right wing problem.

    Stop, there is no problem with ANY antifa issues.

    They, anything on the left is not burning churches, killing Chinese people, swastikas on Jewish graves, threatening congress people,

    and there is nothing wrong about me, or anyone else, defending your false and unnecessary lies about left wing violence.

    Clean up your own problems and then we’ll talk.

  11. She often changes her name on her posts, often in the same thread, thinking it gives her street-cred to have “other people” support her lame arguments.

    Junior high stuff.

  12. Yeah, Lou’s blog is full of nothing but Junior High sh*theads who will only accept that they are causing all the problems when they get a bullet through the head.

  13. MAGA on March 22, 2021 at 12:54 pm said:
    Yeah, Lou’s blog is full of nothing but Junior High sh*theads who will only accept that they are causing all the problems when they get a bullet through the head.

    Not even that would do it !

  14. Antifa is a bunch of nerdy college students that are usually ridiculed as being snowflakes by the right. Lately they have shown that they are not afraid to swing when provoked by neonazi, white supremacist, armed militia meatheads. When I think of antifa I picture the gang from big bang theory. Hardly a terrifying image.

    • I think those on the right are smart to label anyone who opposes them as “antifa” they have created the perfect boogieman for everyone to be afraid of and fear. Another Willie Horton, if you will. Thing is, they seem more afraid of them (Antifa) thand really everyone else.

      Why are the wacko’s on the right so afraid of “Antifa” ?It’s not like ANY antifa have ever been arrested for anything. They have no guns or bombs or cable ties, or bee and hornet spray, or fancy fatigues and goggles or anything. Why is the wacko right so afraid of these nerdy college students they usually ridicule as snowflakes all they want to talk about. Don’t seem to me to be all that scary to me.

      • The Wacko Right, which nowadays is most Republicans, created the smear on “Antifa” because they (Republicans) are the Fascists and their natural enemy would of course, be anti fascists. It is natural and logical order of things.

        It is the anti fascists who want to maintain a Democracy, the traditional and long standing American way of life.

        Fascists, on the other hand, want to change that and have repeatably shown they are perfectly willing to use violence to accomplish those goals and create a new America with authoritarian rule and other fascist forms of government (suppression of those they disagree with being only one priority).

        If you wanted fascism, you too would be worried about anything anti fascists, wouldn’t you?

        Beware of anyone trying to suppress anything anti fascists and that would include anything anti antifa, here on Lou’s blog.

        If you are a real American, you have to be anti fascist – by definition.

  15. Sandy P. has learned that posting dishonest garbage on Lou’s blog, is more satisfying than shooting Chinese aroma therapists and results in less STDs. Besides, that way he doesn’t have to deal with women.

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