SFist: National Book Award Winner's North Beach Verbal Assault Turns Sopranos-esque

Willo

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:14:17 -0800

Oh. The employee's comments and more info have appeared in the comments on Mark's blog.

Willo

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:05:59 -0800

I just did a check-in at Yelp and they deleted many, many reviews of the one-star. Including mine. What's their policy for that?

Vigilant One

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:40:02 -0800

Looks like "Yelp" has been editing like mad - about twenty one-star reviews have vanished along with that employee response mentioned above

Pete

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:08:21 -0800

one of the employees responds (on yelp) http://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-macaroni-san-francisco-3#hrid:LnVQ4CU3WCXqzVFbuKum9w

RollingJ415

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:20:56 -0800

If anyone cares to look at Caffe Macaroni's website (http://www.caffemacaroni.com/index2.shtml), there's an email address where one could either express their displeasure, or, if anyone feels like playing reporter, ask the owner for his side of the story. Given the general vibe of North Beach, I don't doubt Doty's story in the slightest. But still, might be nice to give the owners a chance to respond--and show his true colors, if he has the guts.

aj

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:18:10 -0800

They died with newspapers.

perlerorneq

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:26:30 -0800

good call miumiu

miumiu

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:51:43 -0800

sounds like a job for guerilla queer bar!

fizzandpop

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:05:08 -0800

I hear you, but it used to be that you could pick your targets and feel relatively safe. Obviously calling out a teen for being a tit is a no-no (they're all packing). But I've been attacked by two middle aged women in the past year. One keyed my car after I gave her the finger in traffic (followed me into the parking lot, waited for me to go, keyed my car, then paid for parking and left). The other started throwing punches in a supermarket line when I told her to quit her fucking power-yacking on her cell phone (the store called the police and I left them with her to deal with it). It's the HRT man, it's driving the cougars nuts.

Kevin C.

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:00:37 -0800

Her actions started the altercation, him standing up for others is getting involved. Good for him. Something more people in this city should do. Not saying that every time you see something bad happening, get involved, that not safe at all. However, looking at his account, she went off the deep end, comparatively hate crime, probably not. something that needs to be dealt with, yes.

Kevin C.

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:51:04 -0800

Really I think, that two dudes being threatened and told they cant be north beach they are gay, is very news worthy. You might not care, but I sure as hell do. Grammar sometimes slips with high emotions or compassion. Try it sometime.

porkbun

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:50:05 -0800

Sure, it hurts a gay man more and people should recoil when they hear it, but that doesn't change the intent of the angry prick saying it. Don't you know that angry straight guys WANT to call other straight guys faggots to start fights?

Joel

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:48:06 -0800

Who's to say this woman initially knew Doty and his partner were gay? I believe most times when people use the word, especially to strangers, it's as an insult to question the masculinity of the recipient, not necessarily their sexuality. This isn't excusing any use of it, however, and clearly, once the men confronted them at the restaurant, it was certainly being used as a slur.

Quinn

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:45:21 -0800

This is so not newsworthy and poorly written as well. What ever happened to grammar and punctuation?

bennyinsf

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:43:20 -0800

Porkbun: does it mean the same thing to the non-gay man when he's called a faggot? I really doubt it.

porkbun

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:39:32 -0800

I posted two contrary replies on this thread so I want to reassure everyone that I'm not a homophobic apologist. I wish the perps had gotten kicked in the teeth!

porkbun

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:38:08 -0800

non-gay men get called faggots all the time. It's something that assholes yell out when they get mad.

porkbun

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:33:35 -0800

you've gotta know that "yelling shit" like that all the time will occasionally lead to an altercation. Those people misbehaving aren't looking to be corrected and will get even more riled up when a third party gets involved. Fortunately, no one got hurt this time but they could've just been lucky. Being right isn't a magical shield from physical violence.

bennyinsf

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:33:13 -0800

According to the story, he went into Caffe Macaroni in North Beach. Looks like it's time for another boycott. Doty didn't begin the altercation. Telling someone who's being a public nuisance to "behave yourself" is not provoking an altercation. Also, how often do LGBT people endure being verbally harassed and physically threatened? When will it NOT be okay to call LGBT people faggots?

Joel

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:30:33 -0800

Actually, when you yell stuff at people that hadn't previously engaged you, yeah, it is starting the altercation. I see people driving and/or acting like assholes in this town every day, but know that I'm the one stirring shit if I'm gonna call strangers out on it to their face. He also apparently didn't do the best job of trying to diffuse the situation after she went off her nut and came to confront him on foot, since, in his own words, he was verbally abusive in return. That of course doesn't excuse the homophobic language used by her or these guys that confronted them, nor does it excuse this woman's behavior as a driver or a human being, but I also don't think it's the "hate crime" it's being painted as any more than me being called a cracker a couple times on the 3 bus was.

alphabetagaga87

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:26:07 -0800

Apparently the guys were owners of the Caffe Macaroni. If you go on Yelp you can see that the place as been bombarded with bad reviews! Also Michelangelo Cafe has been getting bad reviews for the same matter even though they had nothing to do with it....this is because of some confusion...people jumping to conclusions.

TeamAwesome

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:24:28 -0800

@Kevin C. Agreed.

TeamAwesome

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:22:54 -0800

wow...that makes me really sad. I yell shit like that at ridiculous people all the time. @joel, perhaps you mother never told you to respect your elders? GET OFF MY LAWN!

Kevin C.

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:20:03 -0800

telling someone to "Behave yourself!" its not starting an altercation, i believe speeding though china town and going crazy with the horn is a little more of a starter. I really want to know what cafe they went into.

Joel

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:59:02 -0800

You neglected to mention that Doty essentially began the altercation. Not excusing what happened, but the commenters on Doty's blog are making it seem like some unprovoked just-shy-of-Laramie lynching.