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

[rob]

As a San Diego resident and Comic Con attendee, I am sorry that this happened to you. Fortunately, you weren't injured beyond what you described. Sadly, in any large urban area (especially late at night walking alone), you become a target to the thugs out there.
It's important to practice "street awareness" at all times, being mindful to avoid any potential threats. it seems that you accidently bumped into this individual while talking on your cell phone.
If it were me walking alone at night, I would tuck my phone away until I got back to my hotel room. Especially if I came across a group of punks covered in tats with shaved heads (i.e., gang). Punks like that look for vulnerable people walking alone who are distracted. You should consider yourself lucky to be alive.

[Geoff Boucher]

Hey Michael,
Well I had already said excuse me, pardon me, no offense and all that. And by the time I said the "dumb comment" as you call it, these were already circling me. I think i was going to the emergency room no matter what, at that point. These guys were looking for someone to punch. They blindsided me, laughed and ran in unison. This was a game to them.
And again, I covered crime for years at the paper. I've been sent to crack houses and prisons, jails and riot zones. I wrote a 1997 book on gangs that required three years of interviews with the same kind of guys that hit me. Maybe you think you could have talked your way out of the spot I was in San Diego, but I don't think so.
-Geoff

[Armin Tamzarian]

As much as I hate to hear about this, I'm not surprised. San Diego has always struck me as a bit of a weird place, based on my limited experience there. Have had great times at Comicons in the past, but was there about six years ago for the big street fair/music event and a guy in our group -- quiet and polite and totally harmless -- was cold-cocked by an enormous thug whose "pack" was moving through the crowded park terrorizing concertgoers. Nothing like a little random violence to ruin the event for everyone.

[Hector]

I grew up in Boyle Heights here in L.A., what you'd call inner city, and I never had any problems with any thugs, gang members, muggers. The closest I have come to being accosted has been in so-called tourist areas.

Geoff, I hope they catch these jerks. I think you're absolutely right, someone was headed to the E.R. that night. And of course like hyenas, it helped that they were working in a pack. You had no chance.

I hope you got a good description of them, or that some of witnesses did(there had to be a l ot of people who saw this). I'm guessing none of these guys was wearing a "Slave Leia is My Booty Call" t-shirts, huh?

[Del Simmons]

One more example of why it always pays to be ready to defend yourself, if needed.

I'm glad you're going to be OK, Geoff. God Speed!

[Dman]

Okay, San Diego is a military town. It might not help matters much that a good portion of the folks who would normally help protect the city are in Iraq. The divide has also grown much wider between the haves and have nots over recent years. Certainly that's no excuse for your experience, but it might help explain a few things. These fools might be a little less aggressive if they had any hope for a future in San Diego whatsoever. They probably couldn't even pool their money to buy a converted apartment for 200k in that town.

I know it sounds like I blame Bush for everything, but honestly I feel our leader does indeed help set the mood of the entire country. I moved from San Diego a couple of years ago and I am still adjusting to my new surroundings. It's been difficult to make new friends, as we all dread the inevitable, "where do you stand on the war/presidency?" question. The whole country is tense and ready to fight over very little. Republicans are not interested in hearing criticism of Bush, and Democrats have nothing but contempt for the mans ineptitude. All this certainly adds to the bad mood everyone seems to be in.

When the top law enforcer in this country still has his job after lying under oath, what kind of behavior do we hope for from criminals? Form corporate thieves to street thugs, the message is pretty clear: The cats are away and the mice should play.

San Diego has it's good and it's bad just like any big town. For those who think it's really horrible, I challenge you to walk the streets of Detroit any time after the sun has set. San Diego really is a pretty safe place for being so large, and compared to a city like Detroit, it's heaven.

Sorry you had a bad encounter, Geoff. It sounds like you are chalking it up to random dumb luck, and I agree with you on that one. Get better quick, and give us a follow-up if they ever catch these jerks.

C-Ya

[Pete]

Geoff, two simple words of advice: Krav Maga.

[Donna Barstow]

Geoff, love it how you dismiss me, saying adios and thanks! Had a blog for long?

Perhaps you didn't understand my first post. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. When I said you were whitewashing by letting San Diego and ComicCon off the hook, I said BOTH were definitely on the hook. By San Diego, I mean the city, of course. The city. Who hires police and probably part time security people when they need to. Of course they would have to work in tandem w/ComicCon because the money goes to both of them.

But it is ComicCon who has been advertising how SAFE the city is for years, who is morally responsible. I have talked with people down there the years I attend, and have dozens of friends who go even more regularly.

But I think you are narrowly focusing on who hires more police because you are ignoring my main point: that someone has responsibility here for the horrible crime against you. That seems to interfere with your idea of the universe!

You are the opposite of SKDuncan above. You seem to enjoy the position of being a victim! With no bad guys, just an innocent victim! And your attitude from your comments seem to be: nobody could have done anything. These things just happen. Such is life....Etc.

Gosh, how can I argue with such a well-thought out passive view of the world?! In your little universe, no one can do anything to change things. Least of all you, as a journalist, with the potential power to make changes. Ugh.

In your comment to me you signed it "Geoff Boucher, LAT." Hmm. Does that mean we should all sign off with our list of publishers and venues and features? Cause that's a new one to me.

[mhr]

I was sixteen years old and working in a liquor store one Saturday night when three men entered. Before long each of them trained a gun on me and the two other store employees. I didn't answer the question one thug directed to me to his satisfaction and he hit me on the head with the side of his gun which discharged right next to my ear. The three men were black. I was and am not and I became a target for the many angry black patrons of the store some of whom tried to get me fired so the owner could give my job to a black boy. Eventually he did. It is a sobering experience to be the target of violence. One never forgets it.

[Michael Hirtes]

I stopped going to Comic Con several years ago. It seemed that in their obsession to be "legit" in the eyes of the "mundanes", they catered more towards the big-time movie studios and media moguls and less and less attention was paid towards the fans. It's more like "Comic-Cannes" now.

The hotels (even the crummier ones) that fleece the fans by jacking up the rates through the roof that weekend don't help matters either. Sorry, but if I had to choose spending X amount of money on a three-night stay at a Best Western or buy a nice new plasma TV, I think I'll go with the latter.

And less than 24 hours after you've flown home, what do you have? A bag of tacky crap and you feel like a wrung-out dishrag from all the stress.

After reading this, I now know that Comic-Con has officially slid down the tubes. Any lingering urges I may have ever had about going back there have now been thoroughly extinguished.

[geoff boucher]

Donna,
No you're exactly right, I have not had a blog for long. This is my first experience doing it, maybe that's why I wasn't prepared for your sour and accusatory tone. I was also posting through a haze since I'm still trying to recover from all this.
I was "signing off" on our conversation because this blog, as its name suggests, is specific to Comic-Con, and I'm not sure how long it will be going. I also was signing off because I'm taking a few days off. Sorry also I put my name and affiliation at the end of the item. Again, I'm new to this. Thanks for mocking me for it, it certainly must mean you're smarter and more worldy than me.
In your intitial posting you said nothing about Comic-Con advertising the city as safe. That's interesting to me, perhaps the most interesting thing you've said. Do you have a specific citation? Please send it to me, thanks very much.
I think it's fascinating that you know what my world view is based on a few paragraphs. But maybe it's true. I can certainly tell a lot about you by your postings as well.

[Edward Padgett]

Hi Geoff,

I can feel your frustration with Ms. Barstow, but have to hand it too her for using her real name with a link back to her blog. Many brave users enjoy throwing barbs behind that commonly used online name, Anonymous.

My online experience goes back before the Internet with bulletin board systems, so I have seen it all, or at least think I have. The days of readers mailing in letters is over, today you will have an instant reaction to what you send out into the Blogosphere, some good and some not so good. With time you will develop a thicker skin to it all, and take it in stride.

I have been accused of being a drunk, and called a man-whore (a name I enjoy at my age) among other things, but it comes with the territory.

And you’re doing a fine job as a new blogger, welcome to the club.

[Geoff Boucher]

Edward,
You know I actually am enjoying it, and I think if my face and head didn't hurt so bad I might be less sensitive about people taking shots at me. And it's proving useful; I honestly didn't realize how many incident have happened in Gaslamp and I'm in touch with the police now to try to get some more data and context.
I don't mind people criticizing my work; I've had more than 2,000 stories published in The Times and you can't do that and be thin-skinned. But some of the comments here have been about my culpability in the attack or suggestions that I'm a passive or naive person. I'm not going to let that pass without taking exception.

[Bernd]

Violent crime rates in San Diego are lower than they've been since the '70s. Aggravated assault rates are the same as the early '80s. It's too bad what happened to Geoff, but a few incidents can't dispell the fact that San Diego is safer than practically any other big city in the country.

[Scott Mercer]

Singapore is not a democracy.

Singapore is a police state where you get brutally whipped for chewing gum and throwing it on the street.

Or was that caned for spray painting graffiti?

I won't be moving there any time soon, thanks.

The fact that some of you people posting comments here don't know the difference, and are pining for those type of tactics to be employed in this country, makes me fear for the future of the USA. You are not Americans.

Geoff, none of this bile is directed at you. You seem like a reasonable individual and I am truly sorry for your terrible encounter.

[marc]

i really love pikachu i am in love with him i wanna meeth him sometimes give me an email when he reading this and give pikachu ferry match kissis he has also sweet voice

[maureen argon]

My nephew Dane Williams was killed while attending a convention in January 08 in the gas lamp district. He was last seen walking back to his hote at 1:30am l and was not seen again until 3 days later. He was found dead in an alley 8 miles from the area. We do not know what happened to him. He was such a great guy. Where were the cops that night. It is not a good area.

[Terrance Neal]

I was there and saw this really cool presentation Stephen Stern is doing called Ninja Zombies

www.ninjazombies.com