Letter: Bad experience at Giggling Gator

Katie Christiansen
Winter Park, FL

Dear Historic City News editor:

On Sunday afternoon, March 12, 2017, my girlfriend and I went to this bar because we were looking for things to do in St. Augustine and we love to find little bars off-the-beaten-path.

It was great until we ordered our last shots before getting ready to find another place to explore in St. Augustine on our day off. I finished my food and took my last shot. My girlfriend took her last shot and, ten minutes later, said she did not feel well and excused herself to the restroom.

Fifteen minutes passed by and she had not returned, so I took my shot and went to look for her. Thank God I did. She was not opening the restroom door, so I asked the bartender for a key. I found her inside, passed out on the ground.

According to her, the last thing she remembers after using the toilet was washing her hands. Then she passed out and hit her head on the floor. If I had not found her, she could have died. She tasted cocaine and Xanax in her mouth and still felt drowsy and weak. I made her vomit, drink water, then vomit again.

As we left the bar, we heard someone say, “Oh shit, they’re leaving.” About 30 minutes later, I began to feel drowsy and cognitively numb.

As women, we both know not to leave our drinks or even turn away from them at the risk of someone drugging us. However, someone at this bar put drugs in our shots with the intention of hurting us. How? I have no idea.

When I called to confront the bartender and let him know what happened, James answered the phone and said how “silly” I sounded to him for such an accusation. To me, he sounded very much like those people who promote rape culture and blame the woman for being raped.

Ladies, please be careful if you go into this bar as someone might try to drug you if you are pretty or a sexual fantasy for them, whatever the case was. The rest of our night was spent being high on those drugs, when we wish we could have spent it enjoying St. Augustine.