Not a bad example for us to follow

Newsflash. Rowdy, foul-mouthed partyers are not just a problem in

Newport Beach.

There is just something about the ocean, sand and summer heat --

mixed with your favorite alcohol -- that brings out an increasing

need to get together and wreak havoc.

Although the towns are separated by 3,000 miles, Newport Beach and

Virginia Beach face the same uphill battle of calming the rowdy

masses.

Virginia Beach has discovered a tactic that works better than more

uniformed officers and heftier baton swings. The popular eastern

vacation destination is now in its fourth season of its No Bad

Behavior Campaign.

Yes, that is the official name.

It is a campaign for public decency. A plan to make families,

children and grandparents feel more at home along the 40-block

Virginia Beach strip, usually filled with popular resorts, bars and

20-somethings.

“Some of the people were uncomfortable with the language and

people would stand on the street corners, so cars couldn’t get

through,” said Pam Lingle, the communication manager for the Virginia

Beach convention and visitor’s bureau. “You would ask someone to move

and they would say, ‘Yeah right.’”

The eastern beach town did extensive research both in town and

out. Lingle and members of her committee assigned to study the

situation spoke with business owners, residents, police and those

whose behaviors they were trying to curb: mostly 18 to 25-year-olds.

City officials talked to kids from a local continuation high

school and students at area colleges and universities.

“They want us to be direct, tell them exactly what behaviors we

are looking for them to modify,” Lingle said. “These behaviors are

not against the law, they are just behaviors we would rather not

see.”

Posted directly on the corner of each intersection on the strip

are the No Bad Behavior signs, which has cartoon symbols for curse

words with a red circle and slash across them. The symbol is also on

buttons and T-shirts worn by area employees and shopkeepers. The city

also posted “rules of common courtesy” that list suggestions to

ensure a safe and enjoyable beach experience for everyone, Lingle

said.

Lingle said the two years invested in the research of the public

decency campaign were well worth it.

“The results have been tremendous,” she said.

Lingle said they expected three types of responses: those who

would never curse or flash or drink in public in the first place;

those who do but simply need to be brought back to the real world;

and those who will blow it off and continue their drunken merriment.

“We haven’t had many of that third category,” Lingle said. “Most

of them are just down here to blow off some steam and they might let

loose a little, but once you remind them, it’s fine.”

And who, exactly, is going around reminding people to watch their

mouths and keep their clothes on, the Friendship Patrol?

Yes, the Friendship Patrol. Oh, and the Youth Intervention Team.

As its name indicates, the Youth Intervention Team is made up of 18-

to 25-year-olds who talk to their peers about keeping it cool. They

remind them to take it easy on the booze and remember to respect

those who -- for some unknown reason -- may not want to see a drunk

man’s heinie.

They have been trained in conflict resolution and are also on the

street to assist people in finding a local hangout, store or place to

eat.

“They are not just out there to patrol,” Lingle said. “They are

among their peers and they are helpful. It is really nice to have

these people out there.”

Older people volunteer for the Friendship Patrol, Lingle said. The

more seasoned volunteers have no problem telling rowdy kids to turn

down that racket or mind their Ps and Qs.

Lingle called it a remarkable program that has done more than

crack down on rowdy behavior on the strip, but sparked an overall

“awareness of how we speak and act in public.”

The overall success of the Virginia Beach movement is in the

attitude of the enforcement, Lingle said. Simple communication.

Perhaps Newport Beach City Council members can take a page out of

the Virginia Beach playbook. Council members could start by being

direct with members of FreeNewport! and others who say they are being

ignored.

Signs along the beachside streets in West Newport could explicitly

ban certain behaviors like those found in Virginia Beach.

The eastern vacation destination has the no cursing sign -- very

simply illustrated to let beachgoers know it is impolite to have a

potty mouth.

In Newport Beach, a lack of potties seems to be part of the

problem, so perhaps a no urinating sign is in order. Hmmm ... wonder

what that sign would look like?

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at [email protected].