Students' return has predictable results

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August 20, 2012

Students' return has predictable results

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:30 PM EDT

Before the leaves turn or the nights get cold, there are other signs that summer is coming to a close.

Cars with out-of-state license plates double-parked on residential streets disgorge futons, duffle bags and desk lamps. Folding tables bloom from lawns in preparation for games of beer pong. Cash registers ring at pizzerias, coffee shops _ and bars. And the police department readies for a bloodless but brisk battle with a horde of underage drinkers.

The students have arrived.

What this means to you will depend a lot on who you are, and in part on where you live.

To those living near student rentals, this can mean that neighboring buildings are now alive with tenants, and sidewalks that were quiet on summer nights now see a steady stream of students headed to _ and, more noisily, from _ the downtown bars.

To many local merchants, including hair salons, restaurants, convenience stores and clothing retailers, this can mean a welcome surge in business.

This includes local bar owners, many of whom benefit from the patronage of underage drinkers (locals and students alike).

To local police, this is a time rivaled only by St. Patrick's Day, when officers go out in force to send the message to those younger than 21 that bad behavior can carry serious consequences.

To be fair, the majority of students are well-behaved and would think twice before urinating on the side of someone's house, or running up and down the street at 3 a.m. shouting "Woooooo!" (or worse).

But there are enough outliers to make a pretty strong impression on the rest of us _ the ones picking up beer bottles from our front lawns, dodging crowds of stumbling-drunk tipplers crossing the street en masse, or gawking at the voluminous arrest reports that roll in after the first weekend the colleges are in session.

We've said before that bars should be more judicious in screening for fake IDs. Earlier this year, three Oneonta bars raided by police and Liquor Authority officials were found to be serving alcohol to hundreds of underage drinkers. To many in Oneonta, this did not come as a surprise. But that doesn't mean it's a status quo we have to tolerate.

And at least one Oneonta Common Council member has implemented another approach, encouraging residents of his ward to be more active in reporting problems to police.

If past is prologue, we're in for a lively weekend (or two). But with each passing year, we continue to hope that common sense, decency and respect for the law can make inroads to reach the vocal minority who give their fellow students a bad name.