Sidewalk seating silliness
It doesn't make much sense to me that Greensboro police recently arrested the general manager of a downtown club/restaurant for seating sidewalk patrons after 10 p.m.
It' not the police's fault. The law is the law. But this law is too restrictive.
People sitting and eating or drinking outside at a downtown establishment on weekday and weekend nights ought to be a good thing. It's hard for me to swallow the practice of patio seating as a nuisance or a traffic obstruction. If noise is the issue, baning patio seating after certain hours seems unlikely to make it any quieter.
If anything, the City Council ought to extend the hours.
It's as if somebody wants downtown to be less vibrant and inviting.
Comments (5)
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Just another way Greensboro "supports" small business. Arresting the owner was plain silly; there are more intelligent ways to settle a dispute. Perhaps this is just another example of a leadership vacuum as it pertains to small business and economic development.
Sigh.
Posted on August 7, 2008 1:26 PM
You are so right, Allen. Heck, if the city is so worried about noise, let's not worry about the outdoor seating noise--let's just go straight for a general curfew for the entire downtown...maybe the entire city.
One question. What time do we have to close our blackout curtains?
Posted on August 7, 2008 2:52 PM
It wasn't a "dispute," it was a criminal violation. Arresting somebody who consistently and repeatedly violates the law is not "silly." If the dude wants the law changed, then he should work to get the law changed. In the meantime, he should step up and be a good citizen and show some respect for the law and the officers who enforce it. The cops are just doing their job, and they're getting caught in the middle. I appreciate Zack Matheny's support for his downtown business constituents, but where's his support for the officers? Law enforcement should not be selective. And police officers should be able to expect the support of the City Council when they do their job. If the consensus is that the law is the problem, change the law. Until then, obey it, and nobody gets arrested.
Posted on August 7, 2008 3:55 PM
Allen (and others), I hope you'll take a few moments to read Cara Michele's blog post on this topic. It explains all of the issues and will enlighten those of you (myself included) who do not frequent downtown Greensboro in the late night / early morning hours and who do not have first hand knowledge of the issues police face there when the crowds emerge from the clubs.
Posted on August 8, 2008 8:03 PM
Shirley:
Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.
Posted on August 8, 2008 8:14 PM