Drunken mayhem on Dunedin streets

Yes, I know that but I was writing about the long term burning of furniture and parties in the streets in the student areas as mentioned in a previous comment.

This is not culture but just an excuse for stupid and illegal actions.

Here in Southampton the Unis make excuses for their students bad behaviour or deny it is students but we have private CCTV and we know where the students live.

Having suffered student abuse for 20 years I do know the subject well, in fact I could get an MA on it !

Jeeps Pollyanna, did you read the article? Three-quarters of those arrested were not students. 

How selfish and unkind students are to put residents through this kind of stress and danger year after year. I know there are still some very brave non students living near to them and they must be disturbed by the disorder in the streets. 

I live in a Solent student dominated area and people have fled in their hundreds during the past 20 years due to drunken student bad behaviour.

Why are the Dunedin  police so wimpish ? Why not turn fire hoses on the fires and the students ?

It would be better off letting the fed up non students out there for one vast punch up when no doubt the police would arrest them for affray  ( choose the easy option)

Funny that none of this happens in countries where police have batons and guns and are not afraid to use  them. In Belgium a few shots fired in the air at such times clear the street instantly.

Your just trying to wind me up, aren't you Ian?

Everyone knows you can't have a decent parade without a Scotsman and his pipes leading the way.

I get frustrated reading articles like these. It appears that most people have jumped on this PC and social correctness train and forgotten what it was like when they were young and had the odd reckless night out.

So what if students burn a couch or two in a neighbourhood that is 99% student occupied? Do you ever read about students complaining about the parties, noise or couch burnings? No? that's is because it is all part of being a student in Dunedin, it has been for many years and the only time it really becomes a problem is when Police involve themselves and usually aggrevate a situation that didn't require there presence in the first place.

How many properties have burned down in the student area due to couches being burned? I haven't read of any. Landlords in the area make a killing from rentals from students and students are bound by the Tenancy Tribunal for any damage they do to their properties or to the house of residence they reside at.

The University, Police and DCC are trying to close bars, ban alcohol from entire city and stop traditional student events. One wonders that once all this is achieved and the students do not see Dunedin as the once attractive place for a tertiary education what will become of them? Dunedin without the students would be in a fast decline, without their money in this town the town would not need as many members of the Police or Council. 

No cigar CI.  Most events have been open to non-students for ages eg partners of students etc.  Mostly people without an afinity to student culture self-select out of ori events.  Anyway the OUSA events are clearly part of the solution not the problem. I wonder if the same problems in town would have occured if ori events had gone until, say, 2am?

There is a simple solution to 'mayhem' in the Octagon amongst those waiting to gain entry to bars. Send in a pipe-band. That should clear the area pronto, of anyone who is not totally tone-deaf, or near-comatose.

I didn't know Mayhem were playing at O week but if they got drunk and caused trouble they should be thrown out of the country. Their history tends to suggest this type of behaviour.

I was worried what might happen when the university publicised Orientation events as open to the general public, but then again we have to fill that stadium at any cost now, don't we? It doesn't seem to require huge powers of foresight to anticipate what would happen when certain elements followed students back their residential areas and into the bars.