How did we ever manage without tasers?

clipped from www.tmz.com Zachery Ty Bryan, who played Brad Taylor on "Home Improvement" -- is suing Choice Hotels International over an incident back in April 2008. Zach claims he was staying at a hotel in San Diego when he and a few friends went across the street to grab a Gatorade. When he came back just after midnight, Bryan's lawyer claims the hotel wouldn't let him upstairs, since the room wasn't in his name. Bryan's lawyer claims Zach tried explaining his wife was in the room, but the hotel refused to call her. He claims an off-duty manager, who was not involved in the initial argument, came out of nowhere and tasered Zach in the neck. Cops came but no charges were filed. A hotel employee tells us Zach went nuts on the staff, a lot of alcohol was involved, and tasering the dude was the only safe bet.

Choice Hotels and Noble House Trust may be learning to do that soon - as well as a hard lesson as to the price of turning your good name into a rapidly spreading oxymoron. "Oxymoron" is not a snide reference to Rush Limbaugh. It's an inherent contradiction in terms. Kinda like "Military Intelligence," and (in certain lights "Family Values."

As my sarcastic headline implies, I do wonder how the hospitality industry ever managed to deal with (allegedly) drunken guests who have forgotten their room keys. I am not entirely sure, but I'm fairly certain that assistant managers did not carry Glocks, as a general rule; certainly not in your better establishments. I believe they relied on... oh, what was that device? Oh yes.

A telephone.

Repeating:

Bryan's lawyer claims Zach tried explaining his wife was in the room, but the hotel refused to call her. He claims an off-duty manager, who was not involved in the initial argument, came out of nowhere and tasered Zach in the neck. Cops came but no charges were filed.

More on this as the story develops, as they say. I've contacted the firm representing Ty for specifics. It is worth noting that TMZ is an AOL thing and, if you are familiar with AOL culture, the hand holding the taser is never wrong.

For myself, I am very dubious that an off duty assistant manager is in any way authorized security personel or trained to judge when a "situation" has become an "incident" requiring force.