Drunk, stupid and irresponsible
Coworker and South Baltimore neighbor Peter Hermann had some problems with disorderly bar crawlers this past weekend.
According to Hermann, a few young adults tipped over flower pots and broke bottles on the street.
Sigh.
"Is it too much to ask them to be responsible?" Peter wants to know. Nope. This kind of stupid, sloppy behavior gives us all a bad name, and can lead to misdirected anger against bar owners.
But usually, it's not the bars' faults -- it's the irresponsible drinkers' fault ...
I called 311 on neighbors a couple weeks ago after they chucked a couple glass bottles off their roof deck onto the street. Thankfully, the cops came quick -- dumb shenanigans like that could kill someone.
So is there an easy fix? Nope. A swift and tough police response might make these people think twice before doing it again. But that's no guarantee. Unfortunately, binge drinking and dumb behavior are part of the culture in this country. And until that changes, there will be no long-term solution.
(Sun archive photo)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
Wild Irish Rose?
I prefer Night Train. All aboard to nowhere!
Posted by: bryanintimonium | October 20, 2008 1:07 PM
A swift and tough police presence on a random and unexpected basis will make these people think twice before doing it again, but cries of budget shortages could make this unlikely.
The bars aren't completely free of blame, if they keep serving those obiviously being obnoxous and offensive.
The bars could draw police attention to those behaving particularly badly as they leave but that could make some people in general shy about patronizing in the future.
No solution will be a win - win situation.
Posted by: GDA | October 21, 2008 1:44 PM