Crackdown coming for rowdy party buses

The party could soon be over for party buses decried as "rolling tinder boxes" filled with inebriated patrons dropped off at bars and nightclubs to drink even more.

At the behest of downtown Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd), the City Council's License Committee on Thursday advanced a crackdown that would literally require those bus drivers to take "corrective action" that ranges from evicting the inebriated offender to terminating the trip and returning all passengers to the "point of origin."

Reilly described a harrowing incident that occurred over Labor Day weekend at the Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's in River North to justify holding party bus drivers, and ultimately company owners, responsible for the behavior of their customers.

"Two trolleys were side-by-side in the lane of traffic and the guests on each trolley were taunting each other and yelling at each other and threatening one another and ultimately, a firearm was discharged. Police were very responsive and they managed it. But they also had to deal with 80 very drunk trolley passengers," Reilly said.

"These trolleys, at a certain point, might literally turn into a rolling tinder box full of inebriated individuals who are then delivered to the doorstep of bars and nightclubs. The people are already inebriated and overserved. This becomes an issue, not only for the venue's security team, but ultimately the Chicago Police Department."

Reilly called party buses a "major drain" on already strained police resources. He noted that the crackdown was inspired by a plea from police brass.

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