ADRIENNE JORDAN,
Sir, - May I describe to you some recent events which I witnessed recently on the streets of Dublin?
While I was walking along Camden Street at approximately 2 p.m. one Saturday with my 12-year-old son, a man who was lying prostrate on the pavement urinated horizontally as we passed him by.
While going for walks along the Dodder bank, I saw on two occasions a man urinating at the side of his car while the door was open.
One evening, coming out from the cinema on Parnell Street with my two young sons, we witnessed two couples having sexual intercourse standing up against a wall on the street.
Today, while I was shopping again with my two sons, at 3 o'clock, an older man urinated into a waste bin on the street.
Another Saturday at 6 p.m. a young of about 20 urinated against the wall of the Stephen's Green shopping centre while being witnessed by lots of people, young and old. He did not appear inebriated.
At none of these times was a Garda present or nearby.
Last week I read a report in a Sunday newspaper about a pop concert in Cork where similar events were happening everywhere one looked.
I know the Irish people have quite literally become numbed in recent times and appear to have become unshockable by just about anything. But should these public order offences be just witnessed and accepted as they are at present? Quite frankly, it is barbaric and disgusting and appears to have become the norm which the ordinary person on the street has become shamefully complacent about. If this is quite easily accepted nowadays, what are acceptable limits for the future or are there any limits? Please note mostly these events were daytime activities. What the night-time secrets of the "artistic" Temple Bar area are, I do not wish to know.
What are our politicians doing about this? Can people not be fined with a very hefty fine on the spot? Is there such a thing as plain-clothes police actually policing or does this just happen in the movies? Where are all the gardaí? Is it futile quoting fabulous statistics about the numbers we have, if they are not visible when needed.
I am sure there are many important issues for politicians to deal with but if Dublin is to be a healthy city, surely these relatively simple matters could be dealt with speedily and effectively. - Yours, etc.,
ADRIENNE JORDAN, Rathgar, Dublin 6.