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Should trains become booze-free zones?
Published: 28 Nov 12 10:41 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20121128-46441.html
Most Germans want alcohol consumption on trains restricted. Should a beer on the Bremen line, or wine on the way to Würzburg, be allowed? Or does the drunken aggression of a few justify a ban? What do you think? Have your say.
- Booze ban for Nuremberg station - Society (18 Oct 12)
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A third of those questioned said they had been harassed by drunken fellow passengers. When asked what the best way to deal with people who broke any new rules, 59 percent said they thought a fine would be the best punishment, while 45 percent said those breaking a booze ban should be thrown off the train. A further 13 percent said a spoken warning would be best.
Currently there are no rules on drinking alcohol on trains in Germany, although over the last couple of years Munich and Hamburg have banned boozing on their metro systems. Some cities have also made efforts to make their train stations no-drinking zones.
What do you think? Should football fans be permitted to drink on the train to and from a match - is an after-work beer during the commute home the same kind of thing?
Would restrictions on booze be a small step in reducing the general social acceptance of drinking? Is that a desirable aim? And how could a ban aimed at reducing the aggression of drunks on the trains even be implemented by the sparse train personnel? Have your say.
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Your comments about this article:
1. I was travelling for a field day to München with my family and at the very day, there was an important football game of Bayern M. Train was full of drunk people who behaved least to say inappropriate. I didn't know how to explain my kid such a behavior, awful.
2. Normal Friday night, traveled to Airport using regional bahn. Also full of drunk and stupid people... I was literally scared for my family as I saw some of them, being totally wasted.
BAN DRINKING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT!
2. While I don't like drunk companies myself, I do occasionally have drink on the train without disturbing other passengers. So, could anybody explain why I should suffer from this stupid drinking ban?
3. ICE trains have silent cars, which is a great idea. Why not introduce such silent cars in regional trains? Problem will be solved.
4. Because drinking in public is one of the few freedoms remained in Germany in comparison with other countries.
5. I lived in a country with drinking ban and there still were loads of drunk people on the train (see no. 1), no difference from Germany.
I'm mostly in agreement with you there.
Point 1 agree - although they will quite often carry on on the train, often with crate of beer they have brought themselves.
Point 2 fully agree.
Point 3. Germans obey the signs they want to. Every time I am in a "quiet" carriage, someone is on his/her mobile .. and ironically they are often quieter than some of the fellow passengers just talking. These are people who are sober. When drunk, most people probably couldn't spell "quiet".
Point 4. Hmmm Jury's still out on that one as far as I am concerned.
Point 5. I have nothing to compare with.
My suggestion would be to ban alcohol on all trains where it isn't sold, and only allow consumption of alcohol bought in the train. Sadly, as you say, most people will get drunk first.
Let the people drink, but control those who are disturbing others
PS. Let us have a beer on the U-Bahn before reaching the party again please!
I agree that most people get on the train are intoxicated prior to getting on.
Restricting the consumption of alcohol will only affect the everyday person that is not being disruptive.
Most importantly, where do the restrictions stop? Once the government imposes restrictions the government¦#39;s power grows and the citizen¦#39;s freedoms are slowly taken away one at a time.
I think DOZ was being sarcastic.
Yes, I agree. Ban alcohol on trains. I am sick and tired of walking on sticky floors because drunks spill more beer than they put in their mouths. Also the amount of broken bottles in Berlin on a weekend night is beyond a joke.
I feel that it should be better controlled and/or restricted to the Restaurant/Snack car on long distance (IC) trains only. It should be completely ban on short city trains, S-bahn and str Bahn. Why should everyone else have to put up with a bunch of people drinking, singing and acting like idiots?
Otherwise,, party on..............
Ban alcohol (booze) on trains: Yes or No.
No.
Why: banning things doesn't do anything to kurb its usage.
As many have pointed out, the reason we are discussing this, is that people are load, rude and aggressive when drunk.
Solution: Ban drinking on trains (a closed environment where people don't have the opportunity to walk away from the problem).
Will this work, no.
Why: because people can still jump on trains/trams totally smashed and travel somewhere (usually home after the party or event).
In a country where more beer is consumed than water in many third world countries (per capita) it's a simple solution that unfortunatly won't be effective.
One of the things I enjoy the most about Germany is it is (mostly) NOT a nanny state. Drink in public, just don't be a jerk. Ban being loud. That is really the problem, not the alcohol. The alcohol only makes it easier to be a jerk.
Absolutely and people behave responsibly in public because of it. Take a look at nanny states - the problem is worse there because the loony fringe is always trying to bend the rules and there are not enough enforcers due to budget cuts.
I've been regularly connected with Germany (residence, visits) for almost 50 years and I can't recall any instances of loutish drunks on trains. The few groups of drunks I have encountered in public were generally subdued.
Bans are easy to put in place. Enforcement is not and there could be unintended consequences like pitched battles between gangs of drunks and gangs of police at 250km/hr. German trains are beautiful, clean, tidy, a credit to the nation. We don't want them wrecked.
Why not compromise and only sell low alcohol beer?
No.
Even if someone already is drunk when they get on the train, letting them drink more will only make it worse. If you cannot handle an hour or two without a drink, you've got some serious thinking to do.