I have been seeing more and more scummers and wellies loitering around Bradfords storefronts all through the business district lately. I even chased some off a friends store on a weekend when they werent open. I also heard they pulled flowers out of the funeral homes planter, and of course the cigarette butts and garbage that they throw on the ground and spew from their foul mouths. I feel sorry for downtown merchants and patrons, and the main street manager who have to put on a brave face just for the privilege of having a business downtown. I was at the bank drive-thru at Northwest savings yesterday, all the bays were full, a warm day, everyone has their windows down, and a crappy Cadillac pulls in with all its windows down, loud profanity laced Rap "music" blaring, the assh*le never turned it down, even with several people glaring at him, me included. This kind of thing needs taken care of in our town as a whole, but particularly in our business district. What kind of message are we sending to visitors to our city? You only get one chance to make a first impression. Bring back a tough beat cop to the downtown and this problem will go away.

The local police in my area are really tough on loud car music. VERY seldom do you hear it with the windows down. I can't imagine many of them having hearing in their old age when you hear a car go by and "feel" the bass through the windows and body. I always felt it was as much of a distraction, or more, as texting, as it is sensory deprivation while driving.
And there are NO loiterers near ANY businesses here! EXCEPT, on one remote street corner in town where day workers gather looking for work. They are well behaved, pretty good workers, and not boisterous at all.
Someone seen here littering a business area or vandalizing a funeral home would need, at a minimum, an ambulance.
A far cry from my old home town, evidently. You have my sympathy, citizen, for all that THAT'S worth!

Guitar wrote; "Someone seen here littering a business area or vandalizing a funeral home would need, at a minimum, an ambulance.
A far cry from my old home town, evidently. You have my sympathy, citizen, for all that THAT'S worth!" Amen Guitar! Sadly, its a far cry from every Bradfordians hometown who is over 40. Apathy, inaction and the sheer numbers of welfare "zombies" that accumulate in this area are all ingredients in this foul tasting recipe. This hanging on the storefronts is just an extension of them hanging on their front porches, overflowing onto the sidewalks and streets, like fleas on a dog.

Perhaps, citizen, Bradford needs it's own superhero? BatBradford Man!
He could cruise around town with a Louisville Slugger to hammer a little respect into the loiterers and a bar of soap to wash out the mouths of vile mouthed ruffians. Instead of a Batmobile he could use maybe a ScummerHummer (Not the kind YOU'RE thinking about, Stony!) for transportation. Perhaps there is an old "Slick" costume laying around unused that he could wear. Speaking of Stony, maybe he could build, in lieu of a Lousiville Slugger, a guitar shaped weapon to equip your superhero. In stead of being used for riffs, this "axe" could be used for riff-raff!
Unfortunately, I think this is probably your only hope of change for the better. And let me know when the movie comes out!! (Oh! Never mind! I know Bradford's success with local movies!)

Officer Close used to walk that beat, and I can't remember this problem being so bad back then. I agree that a foot patrol would go a long way in being a deterrent to loiterers.

In March when we had the really nice weather, the loitering started early. I was so discusted with what I was seeing in front of McDonald's when you would drive by. The bench in front made it very confinet for them. Blankets on the sidewalk, buggies, looked terrible. I went in and asked for the Manager, she said "is there a problem?" I replied with "have you looked our front?" "It looks terrible and I can imagine what others might think" She said she would have to check with the city on removing the bench. Well, it's gone. Infact all the benchs are removed from Main St.( the last time I checked).

To continue on this theme, have you ever noticed the bench underneath the "No Loitering" sign by the Festival Way entrance to Tops? There's always somebody loitering there, usually smoking, so you have to go in through a big stinking cloud of smoke!

This was pointed out to one of the managers there, who dismissed it.

Some of the Top's employees smoke on that bench. Managers also. It doesn't bother me if someone who is WORKING, is having a smoke break. What used to bother me was when I wanted to sit down on the break bench in front of the store I worked at, and it was loaded with ne'er-do-wells. Like THEY need to sit down abd take a break! Break from what?!

One day we were in out breakroom, and a wellie walked thru to use the restroom. On her way by she quips "you girls must be on your break!" So they DO know about work breaks, just not the work!

...just like when the welfare checks come in, then it's "payday"!

(I always thought, what the %*&$# are you getting paid for????)

Bradford's Main Street Manager, Colette Roessler, Is Working To Have A Bradford City POLICE Officer "On The BEAT" Working To ENFORCE The LAWS! PLEASE CALL HER @ 598-3865 To Discuss This Issue...

We need to be more procative in this area, if you find something offensive then tell the offending person about it. Don't live with it. Take Back Your City.

C5corvette wrote;

"We need to be more procative in this area, if you find something offensive then tell the offending person about it. Don't live with it." Have you ever witnessed what happens when a "regular" person approaches a group of scummers about their behavior? I have had more than my share of "conversations" with these people, and witnessed others attempting the same thing. We all know how this usually turns out... I will agree that city officials need to be more proactive in ridding the entire city of this riff-raff, or at least cracking down hard on their behavior.