Long Beach Couple Shocked (Shocked!) At SJC 'Debauchery'

By Spencer Kornhaber Tue., Mar. 31 2009 at 11:18 AM

Categories: Gunkist Memories, Long Beach

Stephen Glauser / Flickr / Creative Commons

The Capistrano Insider posted last week an entertaining, slightly depressing exchange between Capistrano Dispatch editor Jonathan Volzke and a Long Beach husband and wife who were considering moving to San Juan Capistrano. That is, they were considering moving there until they came down to Camino Capistrano on the night of the Swallows Day parade and saw some awful stuff. Just awful. They sent the Dispatch an email to carp:

As we made our way through downtown alll we found was filth, broken beer bottles, rowdy crowds and a sea of drunkards. What kind of city allows this? How can you advertise your city for tourism without disclosing the nightmare it becomes on Saturday nights?

Volzke came back with a pretty reasonable response: Guys, it was parade day. Cute little San Juan Capistrano doesn't go crazy every Saturday night.

The visitors didn't buy it, responding:

I've been all over the world in many different events and I haven't seen the debauchery I saw in SJC over the weekend.

Wait, seriously? This couple is making the case that San Juan Capistrano is one of the most debauched places in the world? I mean, yeah, there's that gang injunction thing, and recently one city council members went all Wild West and advocated the random shooting of birds, but still: This is a city more well known for hosting equestrian Show Jumping Hall of Fame conferences than for the boozy crowd that sometimes spills out of the Swallows Inn. San Juan should take this couple's astonishment as a compliment. South OC is finally edgy!

Bonus comment on the Insider post:

I guess you have to take the day for what it is, Swallow's Day. For those that don't remember the 70s when Tequila was in squirt guns because booze was banned from the parade route.

Tequila squirt guns! San Juan Capistrano... you were awesome all along.