Pow! Bam!

In the 15 years I have been writing for The Times, I have covered wildfires, riots, gang murders and plenty of other mayhem. I never got hurt. This weekend I covered a comic book convention in San Diego and I'm going home with staples in my head.

I was walking alone to my hotel after late Saturday night interviews with Neal Adams and Darwyn Cook. I was also talking on my cell to Spencer Weiner, the photographer for The Times shooting Comic-Con. Spencer heard everything that happened next.

I (literally) bumped into a young guy walking with three friends in the Gaslamp Quarter. They were tattooed and wearing the street uniform of baggy pants, white T-shirts and shaved heads. The guy started mad-dogging me, rasping threats. I told him I was just walking by, no offense meant. He got in my face, and I told him it would be stupid for us to make something out of nothing.

"You calling me stupid?" "No, I'm not." Then I stopped talking, because my mouth was bleeding. One of his buddies, standing off to my side, cold-cocked me, and the ring on his fist took a chunk out of my face. I never saw it coming. I was at the emergency room until dawn.

They stitched up the triangular gash on my face and put staples in my scalp for the nasty cut on the back of my head left when I hit the curb. The cops at the scene said this sort of incident isn't that rare, and the ER folks said I was lucky the guys didn't kick me, which might have happened if the street hadn't been packed with closing-time crowds headed home.

Today, I talked to Bill Weakley, a Seal Beach antiques dealer who nodded solemnly when he saw my face. "A guy I know came down here for a show and got jumped almost the same way. He lost an eye."

None of this gives Comic-Con or San Diego a bad rap. It's just a reminder that the real world doesn't stop when the fantasy crowds wander the city with their convention badges marking them as new in town.

-- Geoff Boucher

Comments

[Todd K]

Sorry to hear about that. I hope somebody saw this and called the cops. They are punks, but they'll eventually make a mistake when they're alone and against the wrong person or when a cop is around. It's just a matter of time because they're idiots.

[Edward Padgett]

Geoff,

I’m really saddened hearing about your encounter with the thugs, and hope the pain subsides quickly. Here’s another example that cameras will be needed on every street corner one day soon in all major American cities.

Your colleague from the Olympic Pressroom,
Edward

[Marc Arsenault]

Ouch! No good. A friend of mine was actually stabbed in the back in San Diego a few years ago. We were working the Comicon and never expected anything like that. The crazy thing was this was around 6pm or so. Still light. right downtown. Luckily the were able to stitch him up and let him out that day. No permanent damage, except to a tattoo.

[L Joyce Croker]

I've heard about gay bashings in that area. Now it sounds like they pick on anyone alone and vulnerable. Terrible!

I hope those two pick on the wrong guy sometime and get what's coming to them!

[Bao Nguyen]

This is the type of thing that happens in the US. The thugs are red blooded Americans. Then we as a nation bitch and moan about how bad the rest of the world is because they're not free.

I went to China about two years ago, and saw two beautiful girls walking down a dark street talking to each other with no worries about crime. I took note because grown men in the US can't even walk down well lit streets without minding his surroundings.

[Isabella Clark]

Geoff,

So sorry. I have been following the ComicCon LAT blog here in Baltimore (Shaky Bacon, anyone?). Just this morning we were talking about the violence here in Baltimore---which areas are safe, which are not . But, now we have to worry about San Diego, too. The lawlessness is creeping in everywhere. What will we be ten years from now? Heal, and thanks for the great copy from the Comic-Con.

[John]

The first rule of safety in any urban environment is to always be aware of your surroundings, especially at night.

The second rule is to be as polite as possible to any angry and irrational people you come into contact with, and not try to dictate the terms of any encounter, and move along as peacefully as possible.

Wandering down the street, obliviously talking on your cell-phone and bumping into a group of thugs with shaved heads and tattoos, and then telling them that it would be stupid to make something out of nothing, when they were, in your words, "mad-dogging" you, is a pretty clear violation of both of those rules.

Obviously, those individuals were cretinous thugs who deserve to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but it seems like a little common sense could have gone a long way toward avoiding the encounter at the outset.

Just as nobody deserves to be robbed, but it makes sense to lock your doors, nobody deserves to be beaten on the street, but it makes sense to pay attention and avoid contact with groups of thugs.

Hope you heal up fast!

[Laura]

I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience in San Diego. I love this city but I have to agree with Rob D, Gaslamp is a magnet for stupidity. It's a very strange mix, people who just want a fun night out on the town and people who are looking to start a fight. A girl in a club tried to pick a fight with me once--and she spilled her drink on me!

I hope you come back to San Diego and I hope you are treated much better the next time.

[Al Negron]

Sorry to hear that. I grew up in New York and was never mugged, but the very day I arrived in Los Angeles, someone pointed a gun at me, perhaps thinking I looked like some vato that had dissed them. That at least was at night, but I was accosted in broad daylight, in a crowd, in our nation's capital. I had been watching coverage of ComicCon, thinking I might go, but now I will reconsider. Also, I am never going to agree that "safety" through totalitarianism is better that being a citizen in a free republic. Get well soon!

[ReelBusy]

San Diego isn't a safe city. especially their "Tourist areas" I know a guy that got stabbed in a similar fashion as your incident during comic con a few years ago. The police presence in this area is a joke.

[Steve Burgard]

My former LA Times colleague Geoff Boucher is gracious in exempting San Diego from a "bad rap" despite his horrible experience on its streets. However, the comment he includes from the antiques dealer about a similar incident ought to give city fathers pause. Surely those in a national audience of potential tourists who listen to football announcers wax poetic about San Diego eventually will take note. I often think of visiting the downtown baseball park with my sons when we come back to California. The Gaslamp Quarter cannot expect to draw visitors to its charms if it can't be made reliably safe.
Steve Burgard
Boston, MA

[Geoff Boucher]

Thanks everyone for the kind notes and sympathy. I get the stitches out of my mouth and cheek in three more days, the staples in my scalp come out next week. (Already dreading that.) I'm back at work today.
I know there was a posting that suggested that I should have shown more awareness and street sense. Well, certainly we all try to do that (and, in my case, covering gangs for five years makes me hyper-aware of these issues) but in this case, the sidewalk was crowded and I didn't see these guys coming. More than that, I WAS polite. And one other thing: If you had heard these guys laughing while I was on the ground you might wonder if there was anyway that anyone could have avoided this confrontation.

[Joe]

Should tourist areas have police cams? Like they do in Hollywood now and in Chicago? Might be able to catch and prosecute these cowards and losers. You got targeted by them, and if you'd used a weapon to defend yourself, you'd probably be in jail. Also, if the City doesn't have sufficient protection, you should be able to sue the City for the added risk of crimes committed due to their civic neglect. Like suing for tripping in an unrepaired pothole. Maybe a class action by all the cold-cocked pedestrians. Otherwise, the attack on you is not the City's problem, nor in their consideration. Good luck with the staples.

[sujata]

Geoff -

Really sorry to hear about what happened.
There are so many "what if's"....but in the end...
The good news from all this - you are ok and went home "healthy"...

[Shane Harris]

I am really sorry that this has happened. Wish I could have been there. I, for one, can vouch for Geoff's graciousness and street sense. If Geoff couldn't calm these young gentlemen down, no one could.

[Donna Barstow]

That is truly disgusting, Geoff. What lowlife creeps.

But why are you whitewashing this? Of course it gives both San Diego and Comic-con a bad name. You'd have a bit of an ego to think you're the first person this has happened to, don't you think? You write this as if "it's just one of those things." You speak as if wearing a badge for a professional event is like wearing a sign saying, hit me. That is bad reporting.

Comicon is one of the biggest moneymakers they have all year, if not the biggest. They could afford better security for FOUR FREAKING DAYS. In addition, I get their numerous huge bulletins all year long - every 2 months- to keep selling and promoting Comicon, and of course they never warn against anything like this. This is completely irresponsible and misleading on their part.

At least half of the event-goers are young kids, teens, and very young adults. They travel from all over. They should be cautioned in every single announcement and bulletin and newsletter and on the website. In other words, San Diego is NOT the safe city it says it is, and both attendees and parents should be warned about this.

[Chana]

I'm really saddened to hear that this attack happened. But I'm sure street justice will deal with the hoodlums.

[Geoff Boucher]

I'm not whitewashing anything. And I don't by any means think I'm the only person this has happened to, i even mentioned someone else in my original posting.
But I think for me to expect Comic-Con to provide security at 2 a.m. on a city street that was 7-8 blocks away from the venue is a little bit much to ask. In fact, if Comic-Con employees were patrolling the streets I think we'd be writing about that and asking provactive questions about their qualifications, legality and intent...
San Diego is the eighth largest city in America and has all of the urban issues that come with that. I saw lots of police officers that night, just none at that moment. They were on the scene in less than two minutes; the fellow that helped me didn't even have to call, he ran over to one he had seen on the corner.

[Elliott Owen]

SK Duncan,

You're absolutely right. We should take all our civil liberties-related cues from Red China and Singapore. What a brilliant legal scholar you are!

If only executed criminals' parents were charged for the bullets here in America -- everything would be hunky dory and there would be no more crime. That's for sure.

And Bao Nguyen,

Women can walk the streets relatively safely in the States as well. We don't need a totalitarian dictatorship to ensure that we're insulated from a few -- albeit grisly -- isolated incidents. And by the way, citing that one time you were in China that you saw two girls walking doesn't count as solid evidence for your argument.

You guys both might want to add anything by Ben Franklin to your summer reading lists. That guy was sort of smart about things like freedom. That Henry David Thoreau fellow probably could weigh in on this subject as well.

Geoff,

Heal up soon, but also welcome to the club. I've been jumped twice and was suckerpunched once so bad my lip was ripped cleanly open (the guy had a ring on). Chicks (and dudes) dig scars.

I'm glad you weren't more seriously injured.

Elliott

[Donna Barstow]

Why Geoff, how disingenuous you are! You speak as if 2 AM is bedtime for Comic-Con folks! As you well know, and forgot to mention, Comic-Con is 24/7, with lectures, movies, signings and parties ALL the time.

AND, CC encourages participants to leave the cars behind, and take the jitney or shuttle buses everywhere, or walk, because the city is so antiquated they have hardly any parking, even in their new convention halls. Meaning, they request and beg everyone NOT to bring cars, but to walk.

AND, the list of hotels that CC recommends, in every single PR blast, and sends out in their monthly 48 page publicity and sale booklets includes at least 8 within the 8 block radius you mention. I've stayed at one of them. They are within walking distance of the Convention Center to encourage people to WALK of course.

Yes, I do expect extra security during FOUR DAYS of several million dollar days for the city. Even at the unheard of hour of 2 AM!

If you saw Comic Con employees patrolling the area at 2 AM you'd be disturbed? Really, Geoff? How about Convention Center employees? Or security guards? Would they arouse your proactive questions, too? Of course, the City of San Diego is equally responsible, which Is why they should also have extra police around.

You see what I meant by whitewashing? Sadly, my view of your reporting has not improved by your response here...

[SGD]

Oh yes, because executing people for petty crimes is the hallmark of an enlightened society. Thats a pity that you got attacked, and while I am a bit surprised, the Gaslamp may be a thriving area now, but hardly 25 years ago it was one of the ugliest parts of San Diego. I guess it hasn't lost all of its lowlifes. Singaporean democracy is a sham and singapore is one of the most centrally-planned countries on earth. If you want to live somewhere where the government dictates how a person uses the restroom, go live there. Oh, and littering in Singapore equals a stiff prison sentence. The problem with heavily-guarded police states is that while one can argue, "you won't have a problem if you do nothing wrong" what happens if the authorities arbitrarily decide what is right or wrong and the citizens have zero recourse a-la China.

[geoff boucher]

Donna, I just don't think you're being very realistic. A private event is supposed to pay for guards that will be stationed on city streets blocks away from the venue, in the early moring hours, and somehow intervene in what happened to me? There are issues of liability that make that a little ludicrous.
Now if you want to say that Comic-Con needs to work with the city to pay for extra cops on overtime, that would be different. But with 130,000 people brought into a downtown metropolitan area (along with the people in town for "American Idol" and the thousands of random tourists in San Diego during the summer) there is no way to protect every person every moment. I saw cops within minutes of the attack. They can't be everywhere. They felt bad for what happened to me. They helped me. They tried to find these guys. I'm not angry at the police.
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this. You can continue to insult me if you like, but I have a hard time blaming what happened to me on the people that ran a comic book convention that was a cab-ride distance from the incident.
Take care, thanks for your comments and your time.
-Geoff Boucher, LAT
P.S. Shane Harris, if was a delight to see your name pop up in this queue. Drop me a note at geoff.boucher@latimes.com

[Michael B3324]

On LA roads you give that polite sarcastic ambiguously naive wave after rudely cutting someone off in traffic. Those are just the rules.

"Oops sorry, I wasn't paying attention", is what I always urgently say in the situation described in this article. Not because I'm a weak coward, but because these idiot thugs are consumed with pride, disrespect, and their thug drug culture. Throw beers into the mix, and " it would be stupid for us to make something out of nothing" was kind of a dumb thing to say.

[Billy T]

Elliot,

While I am certainly not for totalitarian government in the US, even the benign sort of totalitarianism they have in singapore, there is something seriously wrong in America...My wife and I have visted some 20 foreign countries, living in 3 (Moscow, Sarajevo, Hanoi) and yet the only place I have ever been randomly assaulted was Salt Lake City, during a city parade...The girls walking alone in China late at night is not as much a random event as a way of life...My wife has felt much safer alone or with a girlfriend late at night, in all the cities outside the US where we have lived...And we all know how bad Moscow is, right? The media tells us so...

I dont have the magic answer, and am generaly opposed to capital punishment, but when the US has the violent crime it does we need to figure out something, and maybe just maybe we can take some foreign ideas and tweak them for our society to get a positive result....or maybe a good many Americans are just supposed to behave like barbarians

[Charles]

San Diego: America's Finest Tourist Plantation.