• Twitter
  • Facebook
News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Linger on the sidewalks . . .

Ryan Lengerich, The News-Sentinel's economic development reporter, passed along this press-conference announcement, which contains perhaps not the best downtown promotion idea that's ever come along.

Fort Wayne, IN — On October 12, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. the Downtown Fort Wayne Hilton and Grand Wayne Center will host a press conference to announce their new “Stay Safe...Stay With Us” alcohol safety initiative. The “Stay Safe” program was initiated to promote safe alcohol use Downtown by offering discounted room rates at the Hilton to those who cannot practically drive themselves home after consuming too much alcohol at a Downtown establishment. All details of the program will be announced at the press conference.

By promoting this kind of hospitality, the Downtown Fort Wayne Hilton and Grand Wayne Center's  “Stay Safe” program is another example of a Downtown businesses taking care of the Downtown customers. On hand at the press conference will be city officials, Downtown business owners and local law enforcement. All media are invited.

Yessss, let's all go downtown and get roaring drunk and stumble to the Hilton, maybe hit on a waitress or two at the bar before we accost a stuffy old group of out-of-town librarians here for a convention and show them how Fort Wayne parties, then lurch up to our cheap rooms to pass out and get in a good night's coma before we get up the next morning and try to find out where we left the car. Who needs a baseball stadium when we have that kind of fun?

UPDATE: Mitch Harper at Fort Wayne Observed has this common-sense question:


What we want to know - what are the standards the Downtown Hilton is going to use to deny the discount to prospective guests?

We can imagine this sort of thing being said: "I'm sorry, sir, you seem sober.  If you would like, you may go to the hotel bar, toss some back and then come back in an hour.  Also, I think the bar may still be open at the convention down the hall at the Grand Wayne Center; you could try to sneak in there."

Posted in: Our town
Quantcast