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Council expands Mardi Gras penalties

April 21, 2010

The San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously to expand the Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance currently in place for Mardi Gras to include St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween. There will be stricter penalties for those who break the law, additional police officers on duty and rules against large public gatherings during these holidays. [KSBY]

The amended ordinance increases fines for a first offense from $350 to $700. For the second offense in a 12 month period fines jump from $700 to $1,000.

Police Chief Deborah Linden said the strategy has worked in the past.

The City Council first enacted the Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance in 2004 in response to a large scale riot that occurred during Margi Gras. Since then, the City Council and police have successfully worked in conjunction to discourage public Mardi Gras celebrations.

If the holiday occurs on or near a weekend, the period of time for increased penalties will be expanded to include the entire weekend.


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Chief Linden. That’s one person who needs a stiff drink. Often.


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Isn’t Cinco de Mayo another big party day? I wonder why they didn’t include that holiday, couldn’t be that they were scared to say something about folks slamming tequila shot’s, swallowing worms and puking in streets, could it? Some groups just seem to have all the rights.


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Guess you haven’t been around long. The CIty Fuddyduds killed that one years go. Refreshingly un-PC.


La Fiesta. It used to be the human face of SLO. Mid-day drinking, colorful floats, politicians in freshly-waxed classic cars, period costumes. Did I happen to mention the drinking?


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This is just getting totally out of hand. It is clearly an attempt to extort more money from the people, through fines and police overtime. We need to put an end to it, and reclaim our rights and our freedom. And yes, that includes the freedom to get drunk and dance and make complete asses out of ourselves. Of course, I am not saying that the freedom includes the right to destroy other people’s property or hurt other people.


I remember the Poly Royal Riot very clearly. I was right in the middle of it, observing (I was too young to drink at the time, and not really interested in partying) with some friends. Granted, the parties had flooded over into the street, but it was NOT REALLY out of hand UNTIL the police started flying over with the helicopter and inciting people. I remember the police coming out of nowhere in a line, all dressed up in their stormtrooper costumes, hitting the hood of my car with batons, although I was driving along perfectly legally, not intoxicated, and had not INTENDED to cross their path.


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I concur with you In this sense.

There is nothing wrong with people drinking, dancing, being merry and having fun.

But you and I as common people are often caught between the rodents and the snakes, both looking for opportunity.


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mkaney

What you and I saw were two different experience, I occassionally use profanity but not in a circle surrounded with parents carrying and holding children and babies.


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I agree that it is rude on the part of the offender to speak like that, but I find it disconcerting that otherwise intelligent people could be offended by a sound.


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The first Mardi Gras held in SLO was truly world class.

Subsequent Mardi Gras were ruined by the malicious trash coming from other cites.

After the third Mardi Gras, my wife and daughter stopped going to anymore.

SLO was still relatively a small quite and pleasant town, easy to recognize an unfamiliar face or attitude.

On the third Mardi Gras we were behind a group using loud needless or senseless profanity relentlessly (a young girl drinking something from a cup, assume alcohol).

A few strangers in the town made you feel like you were in a bad neighborhood or the wrong side of town.

Ironically many of our friends felt the same way and had stop going.

When the city suspended the Mardi Gras we did not feel it was a lost.

I just couldn’t make sense as to why the trash that came here to enjoy the Mardi Gras find the need to bring their baggage and get stoned or plastered with it among the rest of us.

I don’t think that any future Mardi Gras will ever come close to the first or second one in beauty and spirit?


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