Alt-Media and blogs once again drill down to a local issue that seems to be overlooked: Underage club hopping Uptown.
In fact, I’d love to wave a magic wand and have all the under 21 club goers turn bright green just to be able to see how dependent Charlotte’s hipster nitelife might be on the underage crew.
Creative Loafing stirred up a mess of trouble back in January with a single column on underage club hopping. The tab efectively backed away from the topic after unbelievable outrage greeted the story. And, although I have no evidence of this, I have to wonder if club owners who advertise in the paper also weighed in on the topic.
Now, a 15-year-old girl has disappeared while the head of security at The Forum niteclub has been arrested for giving alcohol to three underage girls at the club. Crime in Charlotte reports:
One of the girls, 15-year old Bethany McSwain, posted photos of herself her MySpace page drinking at the club. He mother saw the photos and contacted police. On Wednesday, police went to the club and arrested McSwain and two other teenage girls for drinking underage. The girls are ages 14, 15 & 16.
Two days after her arrest, Bethany McSwain disappeared. Police believe she left on her own, however she is considered missing.
Not good, not good.
Update: Here’s a WSOC story that adds the detail that the Forum manager arrested, 39-year-old Matthew Bolick, also provided alcohol to underage girls at his South Charlotte home, according to CMPD. If true, that is downright creepy.
As ever — Where the hell are the parents?
