1998?

Wow! Time really flies. I would've guessed maybe 2002 or 2003.
I remember wandering around in the general vicinity of the Omni Bar following an exhausting day, which, in turn, followed an all-night drive to Atlanta.
A stranger approached me. She was wearing a whistle and a name tag that said, "Bossy Ellen."
Or maybe it said, "Ellen Collins."
Anticipating a mugging, I assumed the three-point fighting stance,* but she said, "You look lost. Come join us." (She did not realize that 'lost' is the permanent look on my face.)
I joined a large table of Grumblers and PPFA Hitchhikers. As Ellen reeled in more stragglers, we displaced civilians until nearly everyone in the bar was a framer.
You'll have to go to Atlanta to find out what the whistle is for. I WILL tell you a couple of long evenings at the Omni Bar were the highlights of a very good trip.
*Which was later replaced by the 3-pint drinking stance.