The weekends in Manhattan are a time for college kids to relax and take a small break from classes. For many students this means going out to Aggieville to hang out with friends and unwind from the week. Aggieville is packed on the weekends; so many bars can get to maximum capacity, making the lines for the restrooms too long for intoxicated people.
“Many drunk people think they can’t wait in line, so they go outside in the alley,” Hollyn Smith, service manager at Kite’s Bar and Grill, said.
Public urination happens often on the weekends when people are out in Aggieville.
On average, between one and five tickets are written each month. Many cases of public urination may go undetected due to more severe calls coming in, according to Matthew Droge, public information officer for the Riley County Police Department, who used to work shifts in Aggieville on the weekends.
“All of the tickets I’ve ever written for public urination were on the midnight shift,” Droge said.
The consequence for public urination is a $114 fine which includes court costs. Another consequence is your name in the paper for the public to see. The consequences for public urination can be expensive and are completely avoidable. Many students could use the money they spent on that ticket towards something more useful than a public urination violation.
Brianna Luther, junior in pre-veterinary sciences, said she lives near Aggieville and public urination is pretty common when people are walking home.
“I’m not inclined to call the cops; if they’ve got to go, they’ve got to go,” Luther said.
Students are used to witnessing public urination at parties while they are on their way home during weekends. It’s not a huge deal for people who live near Aggieville or often go to the bars, so public urination isn’t an uncommon sight.
According to Droge, public urination has less to do with respecting the law and more to do with having respect for yourself and the community. Though the problem is not an immediate health hazard, it’s still respectful to keep the city clean.
“It’s just a matter of being decent and respectful to the community we live in, which is why I have no problem giving a ticket for it,” Droge said.
Getting a ticket and your name in the paper for public urination can serve as a deterrent for people to continue to publicly urination.
“If
you can go to the bathroom ahead of time or you can hold it, and you’ll save
yourself $114,” Droge said.
