Bars hit with tickets for overcrowding during SXSW

AUSTIN (KXAN) - South By Southwest crowds are packing downtown clubs and venues to capacity. The long lines and crowded bars make for dangerous situations in the case of an emergency.

Since the start of SXSW Music, eight downtown bars have been hit with tickets for letting too many people through their doors.

Inspectors with the Austin Fire Department are taking steps to keep party-goers night of fun from becoming a nightmare.

Lines to get into downtown venues can be seen going through doors and wrapping around corners. Some bars even have to implement a one person in, one person out rule to avoid overcrowding.

With thousands of people in town spending multiple days partying, overcrowded bars are the norm for attendees.

"I mean sometimes you walk in and you cant move," said Daniel Seligman, visiting from Montreal. "I mean safety should come first definitely."

That's where AFD's night inspectors step in. They're continuously checking bars and concert venues to make sure they're not over capacity.

"We check for blocked exits," Battalion Chief Joe Limon said, "and we also check any kinds of safety hazard that would make it difficult for the customers to exit in the case of emergency."

Bars found in violation receive citations and fines. So far, eight different bars have received the class "C" misdemeanor charge. That charge comes with a fine of at least $200.

Club Port, located on West 5th Street, was forced to shut down Wednesday night after inspectors gave them two warnings.  

Some bar patrons say safety isn't even on their mind when attending venues downtown. 

"I guess I hope the fire marshal is doing their job and keeping us safe, but when I go in, I only think about the music," said Barb Kimberlin, visiting from Chicago.

Fire inspectors say paying extra attention at crowded venues could save your life in an emergency.

"If you are in bar and don't feel safe you need to exit," Chief Limon said. "When you do go in there don't be complacent, look for two ways out, and just take care of everybody."

Last year,  the fire department gave a total of 30 citations for overcrowding. At least nine were from Formula 1 weekend.