The undercover cops didn't even wear pink!

Scene report from the Pink Party, Fall '06, almost exactly fifteen years after we moved in and threw OUR first Pink House party. The more things change... I love how these girls told the Chapel Hill fuzz which end was up re why kids scattered when the blue lights arrived - "you see a cop and you duck...you just don't want to be around cops." Priceless!

From The Pink House of Chapel Hill:

"Our first Pink House party was fabulous. It was a pink theme, and I am happy to report that a lot of people followed the rules. It is Chapel Hill, after all, so it shouldn't have been too hard. The girls and I spent all Friday late afternoon decorating. Seriously, we went all out. We doused our house with pink streamers and balloons. We strung up white lights in the backyard and in the shed. Put pretty pink table cloths over the beer pong table and the flip cup table.

Our house was so cute. We made pink pj, got a keg, got some pink wine and made pink jello shots. About 150-200 people showed up. We all dressed really cute in pink (pictures coming soon), and everything was going perfect.

Then the Chapel Hill police show up. They check mine and the girls' IDs, then tell us that there had been a noise complaint about our party and that we shouldn't have underage drinkers there. I responded that most of our invitees were 21 or over, but the cops retorted that our guests must be underage since 3/4 of them left.

I told them that's just instinct. You see a cop and you duck. regardless of whether you're doing something wrong or illegal. You just don't want to be around cops.

Well, I was a little skeptical that there was really a noise complaint. We live right beside a fraternity that keeps me up every night with their music. We live behind three very large bars, and there are students up and down our streets. I highly doubt that anyone complained. The cops stayed across the street for a while, and some undercover cops had even been chilling at our party for some time. They even cited two of our underage guests in our backyard!

I walked across the street to ask the cops if our party's noise was up to par since they cleared out 3/4 of our guests and since we turned down the music. It was only 1:30 am. Then, we got to talking about how and why they busted our party. Apparently, one of them told me, there was a "911 call" about the Pink House party. The cop even used the lingo, "the Pink House."

That makes me think that they were just on the prowl for parties that night. That, and the fact that today's police log shows the police activity from Friday night and it seems like every party in Chapel Hill was busted. One observation: when there's a noise complaint called in by a neighbor, I highly doubt the Chapel Hill police scurry up all the undercover officers they can and come chill at a party. Seriously. And the undercover cops didn't even wear pink!

From today's police log: society victim of loud music/party/other noise, at 130 north street, chapel hill, nc, between 00:18, 09/16/2006 and 00:18, 09/16/2006. reported: 09/16/2006."

- "cops don't like pink" by Shanny (aka Shannan Bowen)

Regardless of the facts, I still suspect Larry Short made the 911 call. Thanks to Shannan for the photos and on-scene reporting, and co-hosting (along with her 2006-07 roomies) such a worthy addition to the house's long line of legendary parties!