Keeping The Parade Safe

Family Fun To Be Ensured, Thankfully And As Always, By Police Effort

by David Lion Rattiner

It's never a good thing when the acts of a few ruin things for many. But this is what happens in Montauk on occasion during the St. Patty's Day parade, when nearly 50,000 people descend on the little hamlet to watch one very entertaining parade, which will be held Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The parade is one of the best events in Montauk. There are more than 100 floats. It's colorful, brings the community together, and lets people really get a taste of the Irish culture in Montauk. It's also great for Montauk's economy.

For some, however, the parade has turned into an excuse to drink excessively, which is never a good thing. That is why this year East Hampton Town Police are working with other police departments from Westhampton to Montauk to create a new Peconic-wide effort to monitor behavior at all the train stations. Open containers of alcohol will not be permitted either on the platforms or on the trains. Those who are drinking out of suspicious containers on the Long Island Rail Road will be asked to leave the train. Intoxication will not be tolerated, either coming to the parade or at the parade. This year, the police and Montauk Friends of Erin are doing this in an effort to keep the parade a family affair and not let it turn into a Mardi Gras scene.

Can you blame them? Of course you can't. As the writer of the police blotter in Dan's Papers I can tell you that some pretty strange things have come across my desk in regard to excessive drinking in Montauk during the St. Patty's Day parade. Here are a few of the incidents that have been cause for concern.

Who could forget Tyler O'Thompson's stunt two years ago, when he rode the LIRR from Westhampton Beach to Montauk and thought it would be a good idea to "surf the train." After a bit of coaxing from his peers, 21-year-old O'Thompson became the first guy to stand on top of a train and surf his way into Montauk. Before long, a spectator spotted him and police brought him down. He may have gotten the ride of his life, but he spent the day in jail to soak it all in.

Then there was the scuffle between the McFadden brothers that took place on one of the floats years ago. In honor of Evander Holyfield beating Mike Tyson, the two boxed down Main Street in the middle of a boxing ring on wheels. What most spectators don't know about the incident is that things had accelerated into fighting, and the two guys, shirtless, were now bloodied as the float passed by. When the fight continued even after the parade was over, the police moved in.

Quite possibly the most memorable incident was three years ago when a woman who was advertising a hot tub company came by on a float wearing a bathing suit while sitting in a hot tub. As she passed the viewing stand, she whipped off her top and did a happy little dance. This was in 30-degree weather. The incident was all the talk in Montauk and gave the hot tub company some headlines, but it wasn't appreciated.

Some may argue that these kinds of stories are what make a parade a parade, but last year there were some serious assaults, fairly serious fights and underage drinking that simply should never have gone on. The wonderful police forces of the Hamptons will be keeping a very close eye out for preventing the kind of activity that you don't want to have in Montauk, and we are all very lucky to have them on the lookout. Although the above stories are funny, there were stories last year that were not at all funny, and the best thing we can do is keep the St. Patty's Day parade a good old fashioned family affair, with plenty of people having fun.

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