Boviosity!

I'll post pictures of yesterday's Fourth of July celebrations as soon as I charge up the battery in my camera enough to download them.

Here's my response to a request for witnesses to "unruly behavior" at the events:

Most definitely yes! The event in the park was peaceful as far as I could see. I even waited through a 30-minute line to get a funnel cake late in the evening, and although some patience was worn a bit thin around me, nobody was violent. But afterward, once the action moved outside the park, was a different story.

My family was walking to our parking on Fairlie Street, trying to stay with the crowd for safety. As we walked up alongside the 101 Marietta Tower, we saw 50-60 youths shouting and bouncing and rocking a car that had stopped at the light at Cone & Marietta. We and a few other people stopped and sort of waited to see what the mob was going to do next. They let that vehicle go and it moved on. But the next time the light was red, a chanting started from inside the valet parking across from AJC and then, as if that chanting was a signal, youths came zipping along from many different directions at full speed headed toward the car that was stopped at the light.

I figured they were just being idiots and not trying to hurt anyone, so I decided to find a way past them and inside. Since I work at the AJC, I decided to try to get into there.

I calmly took my kids' hands and moved toward the crosswalk at Marietta St. I checked and the mob was still to my left, on the stopped car that was at the other side of the intersection. This seemed like a good time to make my move. Fortunately, I checked traffic - an SUV on Cone St. with terrified-looking occupants and a saucer-eyed driver was having the same thought as me - to get past the mob. With his eyes on the mob to his left, he gunned it right into the crosswalk where I was about to enter. I jumped back and pulled back my little girl, and pushed my family back onto the sidewalk. The SUV driver made it through and I was able to make eye contact with the next driver, who let us cross.

We made it into the AJC building where a man was berating the security personnel for letting him be attacked. While his attitude - that unarmed security guards could have done something to prevent 50-60 people from frightening him - seemed a little silly, I recognized his need to vent. Unfortunately, instead of letting the man vent, one of the security guards chose to escalate the situation by getting in the man's face, poking at him with his finger. Another security guard was able to prevent them from coming to blows.

The police arrived a few minutes later and, after some relative calm was restored, we made it home without incident.

This was a terrible situation for me. Having to try to figure out a safe way for my innocent children past a lawless and unpredictable mob of people is an unacceptable addition to the 4th of July experience. Unless a serious and effective plan is announced prior to next year's events, I'm going to find a safer place to go next year. No more Fourthnik for my family & me!