The serial killings in Baton Rouge are affecting many women’s lives, causing many to carry Mace, and for some, like Debbie Merrill, changing the way they go out on the weekends.
Psychology senior Merrill said since the serial killer surfaced she looks differently at men who flirt with her in bars.
“I’m definitely not going to call a guy I meet out a bar,” she said. “It’s just not safe.”
While Merrill said she goes to bars where she knows many people, she does not feel as comfortable going to clubs as she did at one time.
Fellow psychology senior Brigette Gallet, Merrill’s friend, said she doesn’t go out as often anymore. When she does, instead of driving to meet friends, she carpools.
“It’s made me look at every guy and think he may be the serial killer,” she said. “I won’t go home if there is not someone at my apartment. And I stay on my cell phone the whole time with someone in the apartment.”
Gallet owns Mace, but when at a bar people often only take in what they can fit in their pockets. This means the Mace either hangs out of someone’s pocket or stays in the trunk, like Gallet’s does.
“Yeah, that [hanging Mace from pockets] is just tacky,” she said. “I know that’s bad, but … ”
English freshman Russ Rhodes said he advises women to avoid bars where they have to walk in the dark. For example, Rhodes, Merrill and Gallet mentioned not going to The Chimes because there are not well-lit, close parking spots.
The serial killings also are causing women to go out in groups more often, and the groups are getting larger, said sociology senior Lakeisha Green.
Green said some of her friends formerly went out in groups of two or three; now they go out in four- and five-person groups.
“A lot of my friends, they’ve bought Mace. A couple bought guns,” she said. “I think they try to be more aware of their surroundings.”
While lives may have changed for some students when they go out, for bar owners, workers and managers, business is not noticeably different.
Frank McManis, owner of Red Star downtown on Laurel Street, said he has not seen behaviors and activity around the bar change much since the serial killer surfaced.
“Occasionally I’ll be asked or someone else will be asked to walk someone to their car,” he said. “And that didn’t used to happen.”
McManis said he believes it hasn’t affected his bar because there is a perception that downtown is an unsafe area of town, so the bar was concerned about safety before the serial killings started.
Also, the bar and its patrons are “tight-knit” so someone loitering in the parking lot would be noticeable, he said.
“You never know what’s going to happen next,” McManis said. “We’re not doing anything different, but we were always safety-conscious.”
Blair Offner, a bartender at Bogie’s on East Boyd Street, said she hasn’t seen business change — the bar is still busy — but some bar patrons have seen changes.
She has been bartending for four years, and lately her tips have increased because there are more men at the bar, she said. That’s not to say women don’t go to Bogie’s.
“There are still some die hard regulars who are going to come, no matter what,” she said. “But I have noticed more girls coming out in groups and getting people to follow them home.”
Chris Lundgren, talent buyer for The Varsity, said ladies’ night has not been as busy as in the past, but concerts, which are the bar’s focus, still are selling out.
“If there’s a band you really want to see, you’re not going to miss them,” Lundgren said.
People need to be cautious, but they still are going out as they should be, he said.
“If everyone’s sitting in their homes, what’s the point of living?” he said.
Psychology freshman Krystal McMorris agreed people should not stop going out because of the serial killer.
Going out is when people are supposed to be relaxed and when people are too paranoid, the anxiety can cause a lot of stress, she said.
“They should look around more, but that’s about it,” McMorris said. “They shouldn’t let things change them.”
But it’s not always about change. People who were careful going out before the serial killing started probably will not need to change.
Anthropology graduate student Helen Bouzon said the serial killings don’t seem to happen at night, so she’s not sure how concerned people are about going out.
If they always were cautious in the past, they wouldn’t necessarily need to change. However,f not, “If students are not concerned when they go out at night, they should be,” she said.