In West Roxbury, 'egg wars' are a crime
It is not unusual for teenagers to hang outside the Real Deal deli in West Roxbury, said the Centre Street shop's owner, Eric Battite. But when they started throwing eggs at one another - and the storefront - last week, Battite called the police.
After officers rounded up the egg-tossers, Battite handed out buckets of water, and the culprits cleaned up the mess.
"It's the wrong thing to do to start firing eggs at a store," the 41-year-old Brookline resident said. "But you know, they're teenagers. They shrugged their shoulders a little. . . . I don't think it's going to stop them."
Police have since pushed up their Halloween night clampdown in West Roxbury, warning that anyone caught tossing eggs at businesses, houses, or cars will be charged with willful and malicious destruction of property. The charge is assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for throwing eggs at people.
The stronger punishments will end after Oct. 31. The warnings are being given because a string of business owners arrived at their stores Monday and found eggs splattering the fronts and the sidewalks. Elaine Driscoll, police spokeswoman, said business owners are being asked to use their discretion when selling eggs to people younger than 18.
Battite said the area outside his deli smelled like rotting eggs after the incident. Yesterday, eggshells and yolks still littered Centre Street's sidewalks. Battite said that in the past, egg-throwing was reserved for Halloween.
"It always happens on Halloween," said Dana Silavis, 31, an employee at nearby True Value Hardware. "If I saw some kids trying to buy eggs now and it was my store, I'd say: 'No. Sorry. You can leave.' "
Katie Cahill and Sarah Matthews, high school freshmen and West Roxbury residents, said the new punishments are harsh.
Cahill, 15, said "egg wars" are a local teenage tradition, and neither student could remember any past police intervention. The restrictions have become a hot topic among neighborhood youths, they said.
"Everyone waits for the Halloween season for egg wars to start," said Matthews, 15. "I don't think anyone should get in trouble for something so harmless."
Other communities have not adopted the same warnings because egg throwing is not as common outside West Roxbury, Driscoll said.
Boston police have not arrested anyone in the past year for throwing eggs. 