Rheas (Rays) on N. May: THUG Magnet

[MikeOKC]

For the past 6 months, I have been living near the Electro Lounge on May Avenue. Friday nights (especially) are pure HELL between 1:30 and 2:30am. The police have to actually come out here and disperse the crowd nearly every weekend. It's getting ridiculous and seems to have become worse lately. What's the story on this place? I have gone over and looked around during the chaos and see a lot of (call 'em what they are) THUGS and their booming Hip Hop crap. They are rude, have no bother that it's 2:00 in the morning and they're yelling and screaming, they taunt the cops and tear out of the parking lot. Seriously, the cars and their music can be heard from blocks away.

I hate to see the OCPD having to use their resources just to disperse rowdy crowds of young, thoughtless thugs who are disrupting the entire neighborhood.

I'm pretty damn liberal on a lot of issues, but on some of the cultural issues I find myself being what a lot of people here would call downright old fashioned. This is one of them. There's nothing "progressive" "open-minded" or anything else to see this kind of crap every weekend. The young black guys in that parking lot act like punks from Detroit and cry "racist!" to the cops just trying to get them to act halfway CIVIL. It makes me sick.

So really, what's the story on this thug magnet?

[PennyQuilts]

Liberal or not, faced the reality of a bad situation, you have opinions based on actual experience rather than how you would like the world to be. It is a sad state of affairs when people are acting like thugs but they're out there and your frustration is completely understandable. What a shame. I feel sorry for the people who don't have the ability to move away from that sort of nonsense or whose neighborhoods turn into something similar when the sun goes down, everynight.

[MikeOKC]

Liberal or not, faced the reality of a bad situation, you have opinions based on actual experience rather than how you would like the world to be. It is a sad state of affairs when people are acting like thugs but they're out there and your frustration is completely understandable. What a shame. I feel sorry for the people who don't have the ability to move away from that sort of nonsense or whose neighborhoods turn into something similar when the sun goes down, everynight.

Penny, The sad thing is that the neighborhood isn't bad. I live just west of there and people lay down a quarter of a million dollars+ for condos.

[ddavidson8]

I just searched it on google and apparently it is in a building with another club that attracts the losers. The electro lounge doesn't sound like a place that caters to young black punks.

[PennyQuilts]

I don't blame you for being unhappy about it. I can't stand thugs. They tend to lack empathy and are completely self absorbed. We all want to believe that people will treat others with basic consideration and respect and it is hard to see that not everyone is that way. Grr!

[MikeOKC]

I just searched it on google and apparently it is in a building with another club that attracts the losers. The electro lounge doesn't sound like a place that caters to young black punks.

Huummmmmm. I might check into this tonight. I should add that the Electro Lounge seems to attract different crowds on different nights. That's why I said that about Friday nights. But another club in the same building? That has never crossed my mind and didn't know it, but I'll check.

[ddavidson8]

The electro appears to be a trendy place to go with a "great jukebox". I read a review of it and one of the complaints was that it was in a building with another club that attracted a bad crowd.

[okyeah]

LOL, I thought electro lounge was a techno club/lounge. they used to have "robotic" wednesdays, not sure if they still do there

[buckt]

For the past 6 months, I have been living near the Electro Lounge on May Avenue. Friday nights (especially) are pure HELL between 1:30 and 2:30am. The police have to actually come out here and disperse the crowd nearly every weekend. It's getting ridiculous and seems to have become worse lately. What's the story on this place? I have gone over and looked around during the chaos and see a lot of (call 'em what they are) THUGS and their booming Hip Hop crap. They are rude, have no bother that it's 2:00 in the morning and they're yelling and screaming, they taunt the cops and tear out of the parking lot. Seriously, the cars and their music can be heard from blocks away.

I hate to see the OCPD having to use their resources just to disperse rowdy crowds of young, thoughtless thugs who are disrupting the entire neighborhood.

I'm pretty damn liberal on a lot of issues, but on some of the cultural issues I find myself being what a lot of people here would call downright old fashioned. This is one of them. There's nothing "progressive" "open-minded" or anything else to see this kind of crap every weekend. The young black guys in that parking lot act like punks from Detroit and cry "racist!" to the cops just trying to get them to act halfway CIVIL. It makes me sick.

So really, what's the story on this thug magnet?

When I read this I thought of the movie Grand Torino -not suggesting that you take the law into your own hands but dang...the frustration must be so hard to take. I suggest a couple of things:

1. Personally met with the person on the city council who is over your area and hound, hound, hound them to do something about the problem.
2. See if you can locate the owner of the building. Call him/her constantly to complain. Especially call them at the most inconsiderate times to voice your complaint - maybe like....2:00 in the morning....
3. Call one of the newstations to see if they will do a story like "In Your Corner" if all other attempts to get relief go unheeded.
4. Round up as many neighbors who are of like mind to put more voice to your complaint.

So there are some things you can do. Yes, it will take time an endless effort to see results. But you and your neighbors can do it! Don't give up!

Hope this post helps....

[circuitboard]

It is actually the "ghetto" club on the other side of the electro.... That is why I don't goto electro anymore. Some thugs were outside, being ghetto and taunting me, so I was like....ok.....not coming back here.

[MikeOKC]

Thanks for all the good information that we first got here. I've been working on this with some others and are awaiting to hear back from one of the principles in all this and I'll post a report as soon as we know something. I might also make a special request to the moderators to change my subject title in all fairness to Electro Lounge. I'll post more tomorrow. It's interesting what can happen when a few people get together and realize that we all have common problems but, alone, we're nothing. Together, there's progress. Thanks again everyone for the information passed along in this thread.

[MikeOKC]

Our meeting fell through and will probably happen next week. There are several who would "like" to get involved in doing something about this but are actually afraid. Does that tell you anything?

A friend of mine dropped in on the Electro Lounge today and looked around and said it was a nice place and was definitely NOT the source of the problem. The trouble comes from another club in the building (where Joker's Comedy Club used to be) called "RHEAS".

There is actual FEAR in dealing with these people at Rheas. I can see it, the crowd is nothing short of ghetto thug, or at the least, a magnet for thugs in the parking lot when it's closing time.

We had already really established from the responses here that the problem wasn't with Electro, but the other club which is is unmarked (another clue to what goes down?). APOLOGIES TO ELECTRO LOUNGE!

Mods: If you could change the subject line of the thread, I think that would be fair to them.

[buckt]

Our meeting fell through and will probably happen next week. There are several who would "like" to get involved in doing something about this but are actually afraid. Does that tell you anything?

A friend of mine dropped in on the Electro Lounge today and looked around and said it was a nice place and was definitely NOT the source of the problem. The trouble comes from another club in the building (where Joker's Comedy Club used to be) called "RHEAS".

There is actual FEAR in dealing with these people at Rheas. I can see it, the crowd is nothing short of ghetto thug, or at the least, a magnet for thugs in the parking lot when it's closing time.

We had already really established from the responses here that the problem wasn't with Electro, but the other club which is is unmarked (another clue to what goes down?). APOLOGIES TO ELECTRO LOUNGE!

Mods: If you could change the subject line of the thread, I think that would be fair to them.

Thanks for keeping us posted. Anixous to hear how this plays out. I'm sure there are others in parts of town who might struggle with the same type of fears/concerns but don't know what to do about it.

[kd5ili]

This is one of the main reasons that I live in the country on acreage...no neighbors. Ahhhh, so nice to lay out under the stars...and actually SEE the stars...with no sounds but nature.

-Chris-

[ddavidson8]

Please keep us updated. Is there any chance that the manager of the bad club can be contacted?

[ddavidson8]

Any news?

[Martin]

mods: if you could change the subject line of the thread, i think that would be fair to them.

give me a new title and i'll make it happen.

seeing the title of the thread over the past week but not actually reading the thread, i was thinking that "thug magnet" was a band playing at electro lounge!

-M

[ddavidson8]

How about "electro lounge"?

[rcjunkie]

It's a long process, but if there's enough complaints to City Hall and Police, the Council can declare this place a nusiance and work with the property owner to close it.

[OKCisOK4me]

I could have told you years ago the name of that place! Ohhhhhh, how many Saturday nights I've heard the "ghetto bird" swinging full circle of Rhea's (Ray's). Personally, I'd burn that place down if it weren't part of an office building (which was pretty smart of the owner to rent this space out).

And how many times have I seen shards of glass in that shopping center parking lot because some thugs have broken in to peoples cars?!

I agree with you.

Recently I passed by the place--it was night time--and I saw no action. Place was dark and it was during the weekend too. I was hoping it was out of business or they had moved. Hadn't heard the whirl of the helicopter blades in quite some time now... You must live closer than me!

[MikeOKC]

give me a new title and i'll make it happen.

seeing the title of the thread over the past week but not actually reading the thread, i was thinking that "thug magnet" was a band playing at electro lounge!

-M

Thanks mmm - How about just replacing "Electro Lounge" with "Rheas (Rays) on N. May".

As for news, there isn't much. They are evading all questions and won't answer repeated faxes and voicemails. Several of us did talk to the police about it. They are just as frustrated with the place as we are. Apparently, many of the cars lined up outside when they close are dealers. The cops are very skittish about probable cause and being able to search the cars, etc. I asked why they can't just use undercover people and clean the place up. A couple of the officers looked at each other and said "That's what we keep asking." It appears there's some kind of politics involved (or fear) in doing what needs to be done to get this place out of here, at least that was the unspoken impression in talking to the officers. Thank God that, for whatever reason, the place is now closed most Saturday nights. Friday nights, it's just plain crazy, like a war zone.

[ddavidson8]

Thank God that, for whatever reason, the place is now closed most Saturday nights. Friday nights, it's just plain crazy, like a war zone.

Most of their customers probably haven't posted bail yet, so they can't come back on Saturdays.

[ksearls]

Note to self: Avoid places with Rays in the name.

Man, 18, Slain Outside Nightclub - Oklahoma City News Story - KOCO Oklahoma City

[Steve]

Couple of things I've noticed from past situations:
- Opponents of these sorts of clubs started with contacting the club owner. If not responsive, contact the property owner. If both unresponsive, I've seen some opponents publicly name the parties, post their information online as to shame them.
- Next step: I've seen people in the past not just call their council member, but show up on Tuesday and request a personal visit and show video of the offending parties. If that didn't work, the opposition then asked the council member to accompany them in watching the melee. OKC does have a public nuisance law.

[chekkie]

As an average-sized white dude who's actually paid the TWENTY DOLLAR COVER to get into Rhea's, just to see what was going on, I can tell you this much: That place is out of control. This was a few years ago, so I'm guessing that cover price has been reduced, because when I went (straight from Electro, naturally) it was actually sort of a "classy" clientele. Most people were in suits, and were just there to dance and have fun. But I've seen the parking lot scene you speak of, and it is entirely ridiculous. Rhea's is huge, and probably holds between 200-300 people, if not more, and when they let out at 2a, the parking lot naturally becomes another scene unto itself. Funny story: My [also very white] friend and I kept getting "advice" from the patrons as we mingled around the joint. We weren't hard to spot, I guess. We looked like two candles walking through a forest. But everybody was genuinely friendly to us, and pretty cool. They just wanted to have fun. I think the place has devolved quite a bit though. I fear for the OKC hipster crowd that Electro draws, because nobody can defend themselves in skinny jeans!