Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The Tampa City Council approved a curfew for minors in Ybor City today. LDOML has suggested that the problem down could be discriminatory power-hungry cops, but I don’t buy it. I’ve seen the kids wilding on Seventh Av., and it’s not safe for them or other visitors. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a damn shame there is now a curfew in Ybor, but the city had to do something.

Last January, Ernest Hooper noted that Ybor’s teen scene was getting to be too much, and called on the clubs to look out for their long-term benefit by NOT catering to the kids. He followed that with a report that some of the businesses there were attempting to attract an older crowd, and the problems they were having in that regard. Dan Ruth blames the parents, Judy Hill faults the parents. Hell, Steve Otto wants to arrest the parents. And I’ve said in the past that this is a parental issue. Unfortunately, you cannot arrest people for being bad parents. But at least now they might be fined $500 (we’ll see if that holds up). Enforcement begins in two weeks.

A side note: I do agree with Hussey that the city never should have allowed an underage club to open there in the first place. That was stupid. You don’t see a Chuck E. Cheese in Ybor, and there shouldn’t be a Club Bling either.