Bardog Tavern is giving away a hearse this month. It’s an ’86 Cadillac hearse with only 69,500 “soft miles” on it (driven from the funeral home to the cemetery and back). You can buy tickets all month for chances to win – $1 for 1 ticket, $5 for 8 tickets, $10 for 20 tickets. Drawing will be held at their Halloween party, Sunday October 31 at 11 PM.
I like it. It’s a fun, unique promotion. In all the years down here, no one has ever given away a hearse.
Apparently not everyone feels the same way. Aldo, the owner, got a letter asking him to move the hearse, which has been parked outside Bardog for two weeks. The letter was signed “Your neighbor” and said the hearse is tasteless and diminishes the attractiveness of the block and of greater Downtown. The letter said it was sent as “a courtesy” before contacting the city of Memphis.
I have a few comments to make about this.
1) I too am Bardog’s neighbor. Okay, well actually I’m around the corner on Main, but I once timed my walk from Bardog to my front door at 47 seconds. So I consider myself a neighbor. And my opinion as a neighbor is that the hearse in no way diminishes the attractiveness of Downtown. It’s a sign that this is a fun, hip neighborhood where residents think outside the box and have a good time. And for heaven’s sakes, it’s Halloween month – think of the hearse as a very large decoration. I have no problem with its presence and am happy it’s here. I hope it remains in its spot until someone wins it on Halloween.
2) The title of this blog is “Paul Ryburn’s Journal.” Every word I type on this blog is backed up with my real name. This neighbor, on the other hand, did not have the BALLS to put his or her name behind what was typed. Anonymous letter? What a coward.
3) Why didn’t you just go over there and ask to speak to Aldo face to face? Don’t you think that would be a more constructive means of resolving this conflict than a letter?
4) There’s a place for tight-ass old poots who get their panties all in a wad every time a neighbor does the slightest little thing that might affect property values. It’s called “Germantown.” If you can’t keep from getting upset over a little thing like a hearse, I suggest you move out there and live with all the other fantastic plastic people.
Resisting the urge to add point number 5), which would be directed at the anonymous neighbor and which would consist of two words, the first beginning with “f” and the second beginning with “y.”
To steal a catchphrase from Austin, keep Downtown Memphis weird… and leave the hearse where it is!