Phish Fan Crawls Through Sewers For 2 Days To Evade Cops

Via Passed Out Wookies

Barton Gray, a 31-year-old Connecticut resident, topped off a June 22nd Phish show at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts like any other phan: selling nitrous oxide in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn, throwing rocks at the cops who came to bust him, then running off into the woods. And as a perimeter of police closed in around him, Gray disappeared into the sewers, where he got lost for two days because most of the pipes are about 2 feet in diameter, and not wide enough for him to turn around.

It wasn't until June 25th that he began heaving a manhole cover up and down in the parking lot of a Stop & Shop, and a manager at the supermarket was able to help him out. Gray wandered off, but then came back, prompting the manager to call police and report an intoxicated man on the premises (presumably offering heady nugs for their "extra.") Patrolman Roy Bain, who responded to the call, tells the Sun Chronicle Gray was "extremely disheveled," speaking nonsense, was "dirty," and "looked like he'd been dragged through a briar patch." In other words, he looked pretty much the same as when he showed up for the Phish concert two days earlier.

Bain took Gray to a local hospital, but didn't connect him to the incident at the Red Roof Inn until he talked about it with the department's court prosecutor. Fortunately for Gray, the local police decided not to press charges, probably figuring that two days in the sewer and a lifetime spent following Phish was punishment enough. [Via Yemblog]

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By John Del Signore in News on July 16, 2010 3:40 PM

Comments [rss]

StopCollaborateAndListen

I'm sure his parents are beaming with pride. I wonder if they found their son's taste in music to be more dispiriting than selling nitrous oxide and running around in the sewer like an ninja turtle for 2 days. Either way, at 31, if "Bouncing Round the Room" or umm, the sewer, is his shtick, Phish probably provides the quintessential soundtrack for his life. (GAG)

jles

Ohhhh, i get it it! You disapprove of sewer travel, selling drugs, AND Phish's music on the same level. Humor! Hey, thanks for commenting.

John

Bet Barton thought he'd never get outta that Maze.

John Del Signore

Heheheh... It's also unclear whether he took care of his shoes.

fosiacat

i laughed insanely hard. good writing. great picture.

dome215

hilarious.

signed,

phish fan.

mistermarkdavis

well written

jibbly

Hahahahahahahaha...hahahahahahahaha

Cannibal

I'm so glad when Gothamist has a nice, heartwarming story like this one. It gets tiring reading about animal abusers and corrupt politicians... its nice to just read something sweet that makes everyone feel good for a change!!!

More like this please!!!

Madly Hatting

Barton crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit smelling foulness I can't even imagine, or maybe I just don't want to.

gimme

harsh maaaannnn

tubulus

I don't know why cops don't go after these guys even more. Before the MSG Phish shows, cops were busting people for unloading tickets for $20, yet 32nd street was filled with guys selling nitrous after the show. I'd say the vast majority of Phish fans wish these jokers would go away.

mns

jds shows other gothamist writers who it's done. why doesn't jds write more? and choose more of the pics?

r1b2

Daddy, what does schmuck mean?

jles

Amazing.

inoyourider

Just because this guy was selling nitrous at a Phish concert does not make him a Phish fan.

Most of that business is done by the "Nitrous Mafia", and it doesn't matter what's playing.

Tho that could be said about most of the 'fans', too.

JacqueMehoff

everything I needed to know about phish, I learned from JDS. and, this from a guy who used to go to the "tapers" forums.

smilez4milez

h8rz always h8n on ma dawgzz. Have you guys ever heard "Bouncing Around a Room"? fuck, man

Global Wombat

In before all the, "wut doez this story have to do with NY?????" comments.

Dolomite

This is a great story, but anyone who thinks that the ``phans'' are the people selling nitrous oxide in the parking lot should go read last week's Village Voice.