Kerre Woodham: Cheers to bar ban on 'feral' teens

Teenagers can't behave well once intoxicated. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Good on Jamie Williams, the owner of Monteith's Brewery Bar in Paraparaumu. After a weekend that saw drunken fights, vandalism and a spitting competition at his new drinking establishment, he's had a gutsful and banned under-20s from using his bar at weekends, on Christmas Eve and at New Year.

More than 250 kids descended on his bar last weekend and caused more than $2500 worth of damage. Police were called to deal with the drunken kids, extra security had to be called in and Williams says the place looked pretty much like a war zone by the time his staff regained control.

He described the vile young drinkers as animals and he refused to put up with any more of their feral behaviour.

So that's it. No more kids at Monteiths on the Kapiti Coast. More power to him.

There's no money in having young people frequent your bar. They get pre-pissed on cheap booze and lolly water before they head out for the night and often take their own drinks with them because they don't want to pay bar prices.

Add to that their complete inability to behave well in public while intoxicated and you've got a whole lot of trouble for little or no return.

The Human Rights Commissioner says the ban may well be discriminatory, as bars are unable to differentiate on the grounds of sex, ethnicity or age.

And Jamie Williams says he's quite happy to let in young ones provided they meet his management team and provide their details to be kept on a register at the door. But he says there's no way he's being held to ransom by a group of foul-mouthed, badly behaved people barely out of braces, and he'll find a way to ensure his bar is frequented by a more mature crowd.

Would that more bar owners did the same.

If you're looking for a nice place for a cold one during your Christmas travels, Monteiths Brewery Bar in Paraparaumu sounds like just the spot.

Unless you're a teenager. You can stay away.