Drugs and our public (shooting dens) libraries

SpokaneCY

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Apr 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
Blurb from our local paper. I guess there are only 2 reasons to go to a library anymore - public porn surfing and shooting smack in the crapper.

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HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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LA LA Land
The libraries in LA where I live are very nice and amazing resources but they have issues like this. The mentally ill (often homeless) also come off the streets and threaten people, in the age of mass shootings it's kind of scary to be in a silent environment and suddenly somebody is screaming at the top of their lungs. My wife said she thought she saw people who might have been using drugs in a private room at a library in a very nice neighborhood last week.

I worked remotely for about six months and I think Starbucks and other coffee shops can have similar problems if they are large enough, basically anywhere people can spend time without being noticed. Probably five times in that stretch working at a library or coffee shop a hysterical person ran in threatening everyone at the top of their lungs.
 

Cychl82

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Sep 10, 2009
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The libraries in LA where I live are very nice and amazing resources but they have issues like this. The mentally ill (often homeless) also come off the streets and threaten people, in the age of mass shootings it's kind of scary to be in a silent environment and suddenly somebody is screaming at the top of their lungs. My wife said she thought she saw people who might have been using drugs in a private room at a library in a very nice neighborhood last week.

I worked remotely for about six months and I think Starbucks and other coffee shops can have similar problems if they are large enough, basically anywhere people can spend time without being noticed. Probably five times in that stretch working at a library or coffee shop a hysterical person ran in threatening everyone at the top of their lungs.

Well this sounds absolutely horrifying. Last time I was in LA was about 2 years ago and I couldn't believe the increase of homelessness. San Fran has gotten much worse as well.
 
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somecyguy

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Jun 19, 2006
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After the bad PR Starbucks got a while ago for refusing someone access to the bathroom, they made a company doctrine that anyone, customer or not can use their bathrooms. Predictably, employees started complaining because they had to start cleaning up used needles and other garbage from the bathrooms. Can't say I blame them.

Here in CR, the relatively new library always has homeless people taking most of the seating during the day. I'm not there often, but every time I'm there it's pretty obvious who is there to read and who is just there.
 
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CloneAggie

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Oct 21, 2006
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After the bad PR Starbucks got a while ago for refusing someone access to the bathroom, they made a company doctrine that anyone, customer or not can use their bathrooms. Predictably, employees started complaining because they had to start cleaning up used needles and other garbage from the bathrooms. Can't say I blame them.

Here in CR, the relatively new library always has homeless people taking most of the seating during the day. I'm not there often, but every time I'm there it's pretty obvious who is there to read and who is just there.
Some retailers are changing the lighting to prevent people from shooting up in their bathrooms...

http://fortune.com/2018/06/25/retailers-blue-lights-bathrooms-opiods/
 

RotatingColumn

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Oct 21, 2008
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“We’re really just looking for a solution to stop that from happening in our facilities”

Everyone knows what needs to be done to slow down the opioid problem before it even gets here, we’re just choosing not to do it.
 
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somecyguy

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Jun 19, 2006
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This is still the funniest bathroom "story" I've ever read.

In a post entitled, "Did we hook up at the Megadeth/Motorhead concert? - w4m - 28 (Aragon Ballroom)," an anonymous woman wrote the following post, which is reproduced here in its entirety:

"Me: Blue hair, silver tube top, fishnets, Knee high black biker boots.
You: Red mohawk, black pentagram gauges, viper piercings.

I was grinding on you in the pit, then we went to the bathroom, and got f***ed up. You had a nice c**k and I was wasted so I let you raw dog it in the stall. You were really good and you had to gag me so I would make too much noise.

Anyway I'm pregnant. It's yours. contact me if you want to be part of your child's life."
 

Rabbuk

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Mar 1, 2011
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This is still the funniest bathroom "story" I've ever read.

In a post entitled, "Did we hook up at the Megadeth/Motorhead concert? - w4m - 28 (Aragon Ballroom)," an anonymous woman wrote the following post, which is reproduced here in its entirety:

"Me: Blue hair, silver tube top, fishnets, Knee high black biker boots.
You: Red mohawk, black pentagram gauges, viper piercings.

I was grinding on you in the pit, then we went to the bathroom, and got f***ed up. You had a nice c**k and I was wasted so I let you raw dog it in the stall. You were really good and you had to gag me so I would make too much noise.

Anyway I'm pregnant. It's yours. contact me if you want to be part of your child's life."
Aragon ball room is a great venue
 
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khardbored

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Oct 20, 2012
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Middle of the Midwest
I see a new "The More You Know" PSA coming ... "If you're going to shoot up in a public library, have the courtesy to clean up your mess. And don't flush needles down the toilet."
 

dirtyninety

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Oct 6, 2012
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Blurb from our local paper. I guess there are only 2 reasons to go to a library anymore - public porn surfing and shooting smack in the crapper.

View attachment 63239

How dare you question Librarians...the cornerstone of the Republic. They are politically untouchable. The constant public relations assault of the Cedar Rapids Public Library/winter warming shelter/PAC has made me beyond jaded. They actually had a good thing with the Westdale annex that was serving the public....then they retreated to this palace with the political bunker mentality that they must be in constant warfare to get funding.
 

dirtyninety

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Oct 6, 2012
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It's sad but the mission of the libraries and other public institutions is evolving...

I bet your local library has every SAW movie every made.....what value does that have for the public? I sort of jestfully quizzed my local marion the librarian about the movies they would buy (back in the day of DVD's) and she admitted that she and the other librarians just went and bought the ones they wanted to watch. She thought it was just a cool job perk. The audio book selection was hilarious....very heavy on the Harlequin Romance tapes...I guess one of them still had a cassette deck in her car. Anyway....the point is they are politically untouchable...
 

Rabbuk

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Mar 1, 2011
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I bet your local library has every SAW movie every made.....what value does that have for the public? I sort of jestfully quizzed my local marion the librarian about the movies they would buy (back in the day of DVD's) and she admitted that she and the other librarians just went and bought the ones they wanted to watch. She thought it was just a cool job perk. The audio book selection was hilarious....very heavy on the Harlequin Romance tapes...I guess one of them still had a cassette deck in her car. Anyway....the point is they are politically untouchable...
I always viewed the media section as like a "loss leader" in a grocery store. It gets people into the library and then they also get books. Prolly less so now that everyone has netflix and other stuff.
 
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dirtyninety

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Oct 6, 2012
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Is this a problem in Iowa ?

steaming porn by homeless guys? Yes.
Sanctimonious budget drum beating about "book burning"? Yes.

Not sure about the needles....hell, with all the needles I see all over the ground and sidewalks in town I am not sure it could be much worse in the bathroom of the library. There is definitely a void in many people's lives where they are so hard up they need to stick a needle in their arm or huff some chemical to cope.....hyper-empathizing really isn't they route to minimizing it though. I'm old school I guess.