by MACTRAXX
Everyone: I have attended about 30 St Patrick's Day Parades in NYC beginning in 1977 including 16 consecutive years between that year and 1992. I could not attend the NYC Parade this year because of personal obligations. I have seen a lot of what goes on March 17th riding commuter rail - I recall that many drinkers start early in some cases even before boarding NY-bound trains.
The crackdown on serious problems related to alcohol began with the 1982 Parade by the NYPD and other Police agencies -
There were so many problems at/around the 1981 Parade - things come to mind like a drunken male teenager putting his hand thru a window at the NY Public Library and it was the last year that you could watch the Parade from the stairs at the Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue along Central Park.
I have a pattern that I use at every Parade I attend - go up to 86th Street and gradually work my way back towards Midtown that
I have used since 1979-80 avoiding Midtown. When I was passing the MM stair area during the 1981 Parade I noticed numerous fights/scuffles between drunken parade goers - including a cat fight between two girls that was as bad as anything posted today on You Tube in which they were literally were tearing each other apart. I also recall getting back to NYP that night - as I was passing a Blarney Stone on 33rd Street E of 7th Avenue I noticed three people laying on the ground out front-drunks perhaps ejected from that bar laying out front like trash. There were problems on the LIRR that day also.
Things were so bad during the 1981 Parade that the City of New York informed the AOH that they were going to restrict the Parade to Saturday only unless something was done to control out of control revelers. With the 1982 Parade the crackdown on alcohol began targeting transportation terminals and the Parade route itself. I also now recall that families and others who wanted to enjoy the Parade were being discouraged by those who were out to drink and cause trouble.
I have seen Police on the parade route confiscate liquor from parade goers. At one time open containers were the rule but over time those that do drink will use a cup or thermos to hide their booze - but eagle-eyed cops sometimes know this.
Another improvement was the addition of porta-potties in the early 80s also-some places in Central Park near the parade route were becoming open latrines of sorts.
I now understand for a alcohol crackdown to be successful the message must be sent to those that may cause trouble behaviour of this sort will NOT be tolerated. Overall,things ARE better then back then-but with the "cabin-fever" mentality many had because of the rough Winter we experienced perhaps the nice weather brought out more revelers then normal...
Thoughts and memories from MACTRAXX
The crackdown on serious problems related to alcohol began with the 1982 Parade by the NYPD and other Police agencies -
There were so many problems at/around the 1981 Parade - things come to mind like a drunken male teenager putting his hand thru a window at the NY Public Library and it was the last year that you could watch the Parade from the stairs at the Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue along Central Park.
I have a pattern that I use at every Parade I attend - go up to 86th Street and gradually work my way back towards Midtown that
I have used since 1979-80 avoiding Midtown. When I was passing the MM stair area during the 1981 Parade I noticed numerous fights/scuffles between drunken parade goers - including a cat fight between two girls that was as bad as anything posted today on You Tube in which they were literally were tearing each other apart. I also recall getting back to NYP that night - as I was passing a Blarney Stone on 33rd Street E of 7th Avenue I noticed three people laying on the ground out front-drunks perhaps ejected from that bar laying out front like trash. There were problems on the LIRR that day also.
Things were so bad during the 1981 Parade that the City of New York informed the AOH that they were going to restrict the Parade to Saturday only unless something was done to control out of control revelers. With the 1982 Parade the crackdown on alcohol began targeting transportation terminals and the Parade route itself. I also now recall that families and others who wanted to enjoy the Parade were being discouraged by those who were out to drink and cause trouble.
I have seen Police on the parade route confiscate liquor from parade goers. At one time open containers were the rule but over time those that do drink will use a cup or thermos to hide their booze - but eagle-eyed cops sometimes know this.
Another improvement was the addition of porta-potties in the early 80s also-some places in Central Park near the parade route were becoming open latrines of sorts.
I now understand for a alcohol crackdown to be successful the message must be sent to those that may cause trouble behaviour of this sort will NOT be tolerated. Overall,things ARE better then back then-but with the "cabin-fever" mentality many had because of the rough Winter we experienced perhaps the nice weather brought out more revelers then normal...
Thoughts and memories from MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS