Posted on 06/28/2013 9:15:38 AM PDT by llevrok
MAYNARDVILLE (WATE) - A local bar patron is claiming he was discriminated against because of his tattoos. The incident happened Saturday evening at Bubba Brew's on Norris Lake in Maynardville. The restaurant says some of the tattoos were offensive to families dining there.
Bubba Brew's is a floating sports pub and grill attached to Beach Island Marina, so there's not much of a dress code. People come off the water to eat and drink in their swimsuits and flip flops. It has the only full bar within a 30 mile radius so it draws quite a crowd. But employees say before the sun goes down, it is a family establishment.
"It's a beautiful place. It's on the lake, good food," admits Mike McKeown.
But when he stopped by Bubba Brew's on Saturday, he says the owner's father made it clear he wasn't welcome.
"He said, 'I can't have that "I love strippers" tattoo showing. You're going to have to put your shirt on,'" recalled McKeown.
"There were some kids trying to figure out what he had written all over his body. You know, it's real simple. We pay the mortgage, we pay the insurance, we're going to make the rules," said Ned Bass.
He says the restaurant doesn't have a problem with tattoos; Bubba himself has several. The issue was this specific ink, some of which we can't show you.
"In a family-oriented establishment, you can't have the obscenities he has on his body. That's free speech. He can go to the beach, but he can't come to Bubba Brew's," Bass said.
McKeown admits the cartoon on his side is a mistake from his younger days, but he says he was unfairly singled out from others he's seen at the bar in the past.
"I've seen Nazi tattoos on people. I've seen naked women tattoos on people down there," McKeown claims.
"That's incorrect. That's totally incorrect," Bass countered."In the five years I've been here, I don't think I've ever seen tattoos that bad, quite honestly."
We showed the tattoos in question to Mark Bradley, who's vacationing on the lake this week with his family from Indiana.
"Some of the things on there were a little inappropriate for my two daughters to see because obviously they can read and spell and all that. I think those kinds of things, if you're going to come into a family establishment, you better cover them up," Bradley said.
Bubba Brew's has banned McKeown for the next year, but McKeown said he has no desire to go back after the way he was treated.
We asked 6 News legal analyst Greg Isaacs about the dispute. He said the restaurant was within its rights since people with tattoos are not protected under anti-discrimination laws.
How come folks often discuss verse 28, the one you quoted, and not verse 27? You know, the verse about not shaving one’s beard.
Why are the ones not following verse 28 offensive (as has been stated several times on this thread) but no one is called to the carpet for shaving?
He can't be both?
Good to see so many agreeing. Body piercings are just as digusting.
What I don’t get is people change their hairstyles often. They go shopping for the latest fashion and have a closet full of all varieties of clothes and assessories. They change the style of their glasses. People wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same shirt day after day after day but they get tattoos that last a lifetime. Makes no sense. I have to smile at those tv shows like Tattoo Nightmares where idiots have embarrassing tats they need covered up. Sadly, they really didn’t learn the first time around so the new one is 2-3 times larger and darker than the old one and one day they’ll want the new one covered up.
I’ll be at Norris Lake this weekend and Bubba Brews was already a intended meal spot. It’s a pretty cool bar. Very large and floating on the water. They even have their own smoker for Ribs, pulled pork, etc. Yummy
Unless they happen to be tobacco users, which is another travesty.
I had tattoos as a kid in the 50s, but the wettable paper-tat transfer came with the bubblegum and washed-off in the sink. Never got any real ones.
I’m no role model, at least I won’t pretend to be, but yeah...
The world would be a much better place if they followed our lead.
Momma, what’s a “Stnppers” ?
And liqueur sales on Sunday, and...
Yeah. I know.
Lawsuit abuse and mission creep in government go hand in hand. Goes back further than the $1M cup of coffee too.
I don't find that ridiculous.
“Momma, what’s a “Stnppers” ?”
Letter spacing is the least of that tatoo’s problems. If the questions persist just tell him its a type of bass.
He’s probably spent more than a few pesos at a men’s club trying to tap that bass.
Long hair in ageing white hippies tied up in a ponytail-—folks in their 70s and 80s looks a little ridiculous you must admit....like grown men wearing earings. I am a believer in age and gender appropriate. Call me old fashioned if you like, I don’t care. One fad that has THANKFULLY passed: Rember the 90s? Attractive young women chomping on cigars? I’m glad I no longer see that anymore.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hot%20women%20smoking%20cigars&FORM=BILH
The heart of the problem is that normal thinking people need to double check with a lawyer to see if something is legal.
Maybe he didn’t enough money to pay the tattoo artist to complete what he really meant:
“I love strippers clipz”
I don’t have a problem with tattoo’s but, can’t stand chicks with tattoos....
I got one on my pizzer: it says” Shorty”. When I show it to woman in the bar it says “Shorty’s Towing and Wrecking Service, Wausehegon, Minnesota, 619-555-1471.” I’m lonely.
I feel the same way about tattooes that I do about graffiti. It is simply wrong to deface a human body like that. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. As mentioned in the Bible.
I am not advocating outlawing them. I do wish this digusting fad would end some day. A lot of young people who sport them now and think they’re being cool and hip are going to have a rude awakening when they discover that their tattooes don’t age so well. Those who can afford it will end up going to great expense having them removed.
Then you want to avoid Vermont like the plague...nude beaches, naked bike races in the frickin' State Capitol, even a town or two where you can walk around in the altogether. Think Rosa DiLauro or Pelosi sans clothing.
Bring a vomit bag. Or two.
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