The Windjammer Gets Pulled Into A FaceBook Brawl!

Facebook Drama! Sooooo much fun.... It’s better than reality TV, isn't it?

Last week, my FaceBook feed lit up with a little drama that involved the Windjammer—which happens to be one of my favorite places to play gigs in town. A patron posted this on the Jammer’s timeline:

“Dear Management: To our dismay, more than a dozen children (under 10yrs old) were permitted into your BAR tonight. They were permitted to run amok, distracting us from the game, and none of your staff intervened. At one point 2 boys were bellied up to the actual bar...is that even legal? I grew up on IOP, and looked forward to celebrating my 40th bday there tonight...in the BAR I've known since it was in "Satisfaction". I wasn't aware you had become a "family" establishment. I vote with my wallet. You got $13 of my money tonight. You could have had ten times that amount...”

I read this and saw the poster’s profile photo. Oh no. If I followed this discussion, I was going to be reading tasteless jokes about how saving the $130 bar tab, she was doing her liver and waistline a favor. So, yeah, like bad reality TV, I had to follow this one.

Soon after, the Windjammer posted this on their own timeline:

“Please see a post by (NAME DELETED) complaining about kids in The Windjammer. What are your thoughts? We are a beach club and I know of many kids that have been raised at the Jammer that now bring in their own kids. We do have age restrictions after about 8 or 9 PM depending on the circumstances. I know there were not kids here when the band started.
Thanks WJ”

Ahh, the battle was on. In one corner: a woman who wanted to tie one on at the Windjammer during the SC-Georgia football game in honor of her 40^th birthday. In the other corner: the beach restaurant/bar in the center of a family and tourist community.

Within five posts, logic was out the window. Arguments were made. Punches were thrown. Bottom line? She was a Georgia fan, and her team lost. Ooh. She only spent $13 during an entire football game? Cheapo—the wait staff must have loved that tip. Would have spent $130 if the kids were not there? Dang, drunk driving victims everywhere applaud the kids. One response was: “Sooo, your plan was to get slam-running drunk and drive back to Hanahan? Sloppy drunks are way more annoying than 10 year olds.”

Only glancing blows hit the club. Maybe kids should not be there to late. Duh. Up to the parents to decide. This wasn’t like it was the Bikini bash, or Dropkick Murphys on St. Pat’s Day. Just good old American football on network TV, complete with erectile dysfunction ads.

A showing of Peanuts at the Jammer. Is this even legal?????!!!!! (Arrggghhhh)

For the most part, the responses to this woman’s post and to the Jammer’s reply were very much on the side of the 'Jammer.

For those who do not know, in order for an establishment to have a liquor license in Mt. Pleasant, they must also show a certain amount of food sales. In other words, you can’t be just a bar. And a great way for a bar to sell food is to allow and encourage kids as patrons by providing a full menu and proper seating. Belly up to a bar? Sure… as long as little Danny doesn’t toddle up there and order a “Dirty Girl Scout for me and a Jolly Rancher for my friend,” every seat in the club is food or beverage.

Common sense may suggest that a restaurant/bar right on a tourist beach would have kids in it. Life on a family beach can be a bit of a vacation every day. If this person actually grew up on IOP, she might have remembered that. She might also know that the 'Jammer did not suddenly become a family place. It’s always been that way.

But get this: I found this little-known website—it's like a Facebook, except for kids. And I found this post particularly interesting:

“Mom and Dad took me to the Windjammer for the SC Game! So cool—you know, the place with the volleyball courts? The ‘Jammer that gave my Cub Scout troop FREE hot dogs after we cleaned the beach! That place. AWESOME time. Huge screen! We had chicken fingers and soda, and played tag with my buddies. But man, some of those adults are stooooopid. Like this one old lady who kept drinking what she called “shots” for her 40^th birthday. Man, if I was that old, I wouldn’t be telling nobody. And then she gets all POed and starts telling management on us cause we was having fun. She’s all wearing her Georgia shirt and yelling “’Cocks suck.” I heard my big brother say something like that once, and my dad tanned his hide good. But she kept on whining that we were messing with her game. Man, if the Windjammer keeps letting old people like that in there, I’m gonna tell my parents to not take me there anymore. Ya know.”

So I guess there are three sides to every story.

Let me know what you think.

One thing the original poster may want to consider—if you post something negative about a bar on their Facebook page, you’d better hope they simply delete it.