Licensing board councillor is right
20/08/09 09:34 Filed in: Granite
Chips
There would be few who would disagree
with Councillor Bill Cormie when he calls for a radical solution to
the alcohol fuelled antisocial behaviour in the city centre.
I have absolutely no desire to stop people enjoying themselves in the city centre on a Friday or a Saturday night. It doesn’t seem all that long since I was quite likely to be among the crowds of people enjoying a few pints of the amber nectar.
But, things are getting a little out of hand. And the rowdiness and antisocial behaviour is spoiling everyone’s enjoyment.
Councillor Cormie says in today’s Press and Journal: “We’re getting to a stage where youngsters are coming into the city centre from a very early age to shout, scream and misbehave, and they think that is normal behaviour”.
I wish I had the solution. I don’t.
What we don’t want to do is ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’.
A lively night life is something that many citizens enjoy and as one of the elements of the ‘quality of life’ in Aberdeen, people should be encouraged to enjoy the city centre and to let their hair down. That means tolerating a bit of laughter, banter and some tomfoolery. Of course.
But, we need to try to find something that will tone down the excesses to let everyone enjoy their city centre and their weekend unwinding after the working week.
I have absolutely no desire to stop people enjoying themselves in the city centre on a Friday or a Saturday night. It doesn’t seem all that long since I was quite likely to be among the crowds of people enjoying a few pints of the amber nectar.
But, things are getting a little out of hand. And the rowdiness and antisocial behaviour is spoiling everyone’s enjoyment.
Councillor Cormie says in today’s Press and Journal: “We’re getting to a stage where youngsters are coming into the city centre from a very early age to shout, scream and misbehave, and they think that is normal behaviour”.
I wish I had the solution. I don’t.
What we don’t want to do is ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’.
A lively night life is something that many citizens enjoy and as one of the elements of the ‘quality of life’ in Aberdeen, people should be encouraged to enjoy the city centre and to let their hair down. That means tolerating a bit of laughter, banter and some tomfoolery. Of course.
But, we need to try to find something that will tone down the excesses to let everyone enjoy their city centre and their weekend unwinding after the working week.