• Germany edition
Society
Photo: DPA

Naked sauna rampage forces spa booze limit

Published: 11 Dec 12 12:30 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20121211-46699.html

Sick of booze-fuelled fights and uncontrollable guests in the saunas, Germany's largest leisure pool complex has put a three-drink limit on alcohol. The tipping point was when a drunk, naked guest bit two police officers.

The Erding Thermal baths near Munich, the largest such complex in Europe, has a bar set in a warm water pool, but has struggled with inebriated guests for years.

The final straw came last month when a man went on a naked rampage in the sauna area, the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said on Tuesday.

Other guests complained that the 35-year-old Austrian was "misbehaving" in one of the saunas, the paper said, without providing exact details. When security guards arrived to escort him out, the man turned violent and throttled one of the guards, tried to push him into a pool and ripped out a chunk of his hair in the process.

Police were called and tried to restrain the man who, instead of going quietly, bit a female officer in the thigh, another in the arm and injured a third officer's shoulder.

“This was the final straw,” Jörg Wund, Erding Thermal Baths manager told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Visitors were clearly unable to decide themselves when to stop drinking, he said. "Self control does not work.”

The new drinks policy means guests pay with chips so bar staff can keep track of how much people have had.

Late last year two men aged 28 and 30 charged around the centre terrorising other visitors. They were four times over the driving limit.

And in June 2011, a 31-year-old man was fined €4,000 by a Bavarian court for punching a member of staff in the face. He and his wrestling club were visiting the baths and drank themselves senseless.

The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

13:09 December 11, 2012 by raandy
Of course they barred this biter from the club. he bit the female officer in the thigh, :-)he is lucky he wasn't in the USA where they would have used a taser multiple times

Same old story a few jerks ruien for everyone else.

I would assume the owner is happier with less alcohol revenue and a more congenial clientele.
13:40 December 11, 2012 by valika
@raandy: Taser on a wet skin and in a wet environment? I don't think so (or at least I hope not).
14:41 December 11, 2012 by raandy
valika I doubt that would change much, as long as they have their rubber soled boots on, -:)
21:42 December 11, 2012 by zeddriver
An electrical charge always follows the path of least resistance. Which in this case are the electrodes embedded in the skin. At taser demos you generally find two people holding onto the demo "victim"

I say they should have juiced him a bit courtesy of Senor Volta.
19:11 December 19, 2012 by axelsmart
Can't take a joke, eh?

Al, in the USA
04:12 December 22, 2012 by soros
Whenever I've been in Germany I've noted the drunk kids with beer bottles in their hands loitering in the railway stations. I've seen the same on street cars and have often wondered why Germans tolerate this. In many countries you cannot drink in public at all and alcohol served in public pools are absolutely forbidden for good reason. It's time to clean up society against rowdyism and excessive boozing.
15:50 January 4, 2013 by ErnestPayne
Ah yes Austrians. Real troublemakers in Germany. Glad the injuries weren't severe.
02:07 January 5, 2013 by gnommy
german kids with booze? welcome to northern england one can !!!! they come in 6packs . germany does not have a booze problem come to the uk at the weekend at midnight
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