Earls' Taser Wings

Last week, a buddy (Steve D) and I stopped by Earls Restaurant in St. Vital for a quick bite after being exhausted from a city hall meeting and doing interviews at St. Vital mall for our journalism assignment.

We ordered a pound of Thai chicken wings while discussing our angle on the presence of Tasers in our Winnipeg Police Service. We sat in the lounge and enjoyed the ambiance that is distinctively Earls; nice, comfortable furniture, open space, plasma screen TVs, and friendly waitresses.

When the wings came, they looked a deep glossy brown. The wings were smaller than I have imagined them to be. I guess it had been a long time since I've had wings at Earls. Nevertheless, I wanted to see how they'd measure up to the other places I've gone for wings.

Unfortunately, at first bite at a wing portion (the one with two bone pieces) I noticed the bones were cracked. Considering the size of the wings was small, I concluded that Earls simply does not measure up. The flavour wasn't all that bad. I expected the Thai flavour to be sweeter and spicier like the Thai chili sauce you buy from oriental stores.

My wing experience wasn't all that great because of the broken bones and lack of flavour in the wings. No one wants to see bone marrow. I think Earls, being the classy restaurant that they try to be, can spend a bit more on higher quality wings. I'm sure I can find a few people that would agree.

Nevertheless, half of the reason I go for wings is to also enjoy the company I am with. I'm reminded of a saying one of my best friends always say: "It's never the activity, always the company." Steve and I discussed good angles to write our journalism story on Tasers and issues and concerns people have about them and more importantly, why people should care.

The fact that a Polish immigrant died in Vancouver in 2007 showed how Tasers can easily be misused. Our Winnipeg Police Service has had these devices since 2008. The issue regarding Tasers right now is for police officers to have access to defibrillators when using Tasers. This recommendation comes from the actual company that makes these devices (Taser International) and should not be ignored.

So really, the bigger issue is if Winnipeg Police should really be using these devices since we all know not all police officers have immediate access to defibrillators since only paramedics and emergency vehicles have them. In the event that a police officer chases a guy armed with a knife down the alley and not have access to a defibrillator, should he then rule out using the Taser altogether?

The topic of Tasers was a really good topic and through my interviews I found out that most people are against it. Maybe because this technology is new and most people don't really know how they work. In the event of the Vancouver airport tradegy, could have definitely been avoided if RCMP officers where more trained and knowledgeable of these devices.

Nevertheless, wings and Tasers were a good combination. I should suggest to Earls having a flavour called "Taser" on their wing menu would probably bring a good variety to my bland, yet classy, wing experience.