MOUNT PLEASANT, Tenn. (WTVF) — We all have ways of coping with stress. Some of us need a little comfort food. Some of us hit the gym and exercise. Others have a different idea of how to let off some steam.
Little Mount Pleasant is a place of calm and quiet. Into that quiet comes a new business by David Carson.
"I try to keep ceramics around of all different sorts," said Carson, digging through some boxes. "Got more television monitors than we know what to do with!"
Not only that, Carson's got Christmas mugs, VHS tapes, appliances, and a whole lot more. So, what kind of business is this in little Mount Pleasant?
"I like to think when people walk out the door when they're done, they're a little more pleasant!" laughed Carson.
A customer came into a room designated for him with a baseball bat and began smashing bottles, electronics, and old records. That's the whole point of the business.
"You can smash almost anything in here, I'll tell ya that," Carson smiled.
His new place is called Rampage. It's a rage room.
"They're like, 'oh, I'm not going to get yelled at for smashing this stuff,' and then they go nuts!" Carson said.
"It breaks all the stigmas of what we're told we can't do," said Christian Perez.
Carson said he understands people's need for catharsis.
"I did four combat tours from Haiti to Somalia," he said. "There was a stigma on PTSD. I realized I wasn't the best father or husband. I sought help, and they started talking to me about different coping mechanisms."
Carson said a lot of people need a coping mechanism, especially after the isolation, uncertainty, and stress brought on by COVID.
"I get a lot of nurses," he said.
No matter what someone's going through, Carson said to let it out, then get back to the more pleasant things in life.
"We smile on it when people lose it in front of us," said Carson.
