A Reader wrote to us via Facebook:
I accuse the authorities of failing to respond to alcohol consumption near grocery shops, and shop owners of not cleaning the areas around their businesses.
Examples of alcohol consumption in public places can be seen almost every day in every part of our City. Fans of strong spirits drink publicly in parks, squares, gateways and stairwells. The worst situation is near retail outlets, where alcohol is consumed shortly after it is purchased. Children and adults who shop there have to witness it all. The groups, often under the influence, are frequently aggressive.
He added:
No matter what time we go to such a shop, we see the same sight: men in the shop with bottles of beer, the smell of alcohol, and a “toilet” they have made for themselves behind the shop. The problem reported by residents is often ignored by the uniformed services because these men cannot afford a fine anyway. Is there no other way to deal with this—some patrols, perhaps fines for shop assistants and shop owners?
The man gave the example of a shop in the very centre of the city: “The men openly urinate on the pavement in broad daylight, without even trying to hide it. They drink in the shop, outside the shop, and behind it too, as evidenced by the bottles and caps. Two hundred metres farther on there is another shop and the same situation.
We have written many times in these pages about the filth left by dirty people in various places across our county. When the matter concerned Miasto Ceramiki, we also often asked for comment—sometimes from the municipal police, sometimes from the Miejski Zakład Gospodarki Mieszkaniowej. We understand that this problem cannot be eliminated completely. We know that the services cannot be stationed in one place around the clock.
Perhaps it is worth ONCE AGAIN—perhaps somewhat naively—appealing to fans of spending time outdoors (and drinking) to take their rubbish with them. Especially now, when summer is in full swing and county residents will certainly be going for walks more often. And quite frequently with small children.
We will return to the subject.