Almost twenty years after a University of Otago student was killed while riding in a wheelie bin down Baldwin St, police are appalled the activity is still taking place.
Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said a group of at least 30 students were on Heriot Row at 11pm yesterday, some wheelie-bin riding down the street.
The group were also smashing bottles and had set a rubbish bag on fire, he said.
Some of the students were found by police to be inside and on top of the wheelie bins.
Alcohol was involved, he said.
The actions of the students were "brainless", Snr Sgt Dinnissen said.
"We're trying to educate them, but someone is going to end up with a serious injury".
The group were spoken to by police, and some of the students would be referred to the proctor, he said.
In 2001, Ana Louise North, a 19-year-old physical education student at Otago University, died instantly when she and a friend went into a parked trailer while riding in a Green wheelie-bin on Baldwin St.
The ride left her male friend in Dunedin Hospital with serious head injuries.
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"The group were spoken to by police, and some of the students would be referred to the proctor"
Why aren't they arrested and told to "study" somewhere else?
Dunedin police are far too lenient with these children
Many will be OUTRAGED by this statement...."Kids will be kids". And look at their smiles! In this day and age we are outraged at everything we see that even in the slightest way contravenes what we consider "acceptable behaviour'. Kids swinging from trees upside down isn't that safe either, nor is riding a skateboard or bicycle. Arresting them and asking them to study somewhere else I believe is somewhat over reactive. A stern word, then issue them with helmets, elbow and knee pads and cordon off a street for wheelie bin annual races would be a better idea! Yes, people die, and that applies to motorsport and horse riding too. We can't live in bubble wrap, simply because we can't breathe.
Fact is, when we're young, thrills, spills and a jolly good laugh is all part of growing up. Some will fall from the tree and break their necks no matter what we do or say. Darwin had an award for that.......whether we accept that or not is irrelevant, it's a FACT of life. Now, for all those who never took a stupid life threatening risk.....stand up and recieve your gold star.....baring in mind, car travel at 100kph and air travel at near 900kph is considered life threatening.
Buzz Off- Have you watched as students/friends/ loved ones partied on roof tops - drunk and ready to dive into a little paddling pool? Have you picked up the pieces or cared for a tetraplegic? Funny for whom? It's not part of growing up, Its part of dumbing down. Drinking too much alcohol and or drugs can ruin lives because all natural inhibitions are gone. They are children and need supervision to protect themselves & others plus public and private property. It's become the expected norm in Dunedin, but it's unsophisticated and destructive.
Appreciate your detailed response. And yes, thankyou for your whole-hearted assumption, I have seen and dealt with far more than I ever wished to. However, that dosn't change the fact that these 'kids', will always be looking for ways to dare and entertain themselves. I use the term 'kids' very loosely. Kids in my eye's are younger than 12. These fulla's are old enough to bare arms and defend our country if enlisted. And you well know THAT has happened before. Supervision you say? What, you're going to walk around with them all day? The Police did the right thing. What would arresting them achieve Nash? What would forcing them to study somewhere else achieve? Yes, they may well have no knowledge of the past, but by hang they are no different than any of us when we were young. Risk and fool hardiness is part of human behaviour, and there will be consequences for that. Get over it. The Police handled the best way they saw fit. Arrest them? The bubblewrap stretches only so far.......