Parish acts to stop crowding outside café
Saturday 20th December 2008, 9:57AM GMT.
ST Helier officials have come up with measures to prevent people congregating around the Salvation Army’s Friendship Café in Minden Street.
These include moving a planter where people gather and possibly a new al fresco area away from the café entrance. Parish wardens or the honorary police will also patrol the Minden Street area on Sunday mornings to stop visitors to Sam’s Coffee Shop, which is situated next door to the Friendship Café, illegally parking.
It is just one of the measures agreed by the Roads Committee after concerns were raised about up to 60 people hanging around and smoking cigarettes around the Salvation Army site. They received complaints that visitors to the Friendship Café, including mothers and children, were struggling to get into the building or even find room to walk on the pavement.
Major Irene Kerrison of the Salvation Army said that the people hanging around were not aggressive, but still intimidated people trying to get into her café.
Pictured: Major Irene Kerrison at the planter outside the Salvation Army café
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about time aswell these people don’t understand when it is appropriate to have safety in numbers it is very intimidating for young mothers am sure to have this to be confronted with… why has it taken so long, am sure if there was that amount of people outside bean around the world there would have been major fuss made earlier…….and that form of local clientele would be a bit more considerate aswell…
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Oh right, ok. Parish wardens will stop the drug dealing in the carpark too will they??
These people have no idea how intimidating they are, all hanging about shouting at each other, and staring at lone women. Kids are left to run riot at any time of the day and night, and no-one appears to take any responsibility for them.
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Oh finally. It’s a nightmare walking round there. Some of the people that congregate there are there for hours on end just hanging about. I don’t see what the attraction is! Also I’ve had trouble getting into the building for the clinic held weekly at the Salvation Army hall. Several times I have struggled to get my buggy through the door and NONE of the men that hang about around Minden Place even offer to help.
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I didn’t know it had got so bad. I did always found it to be a bit weird though, I have seen people still standing around in groups even when its pouring down. Can’t they meet up in a pub or something?
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They? Who are They (Portuguese)? They are normal people who like to have a coffee and a chat amongst friends; THEY don’t meet up in pubs because they’re not alcoholics. As said in the article above “people hanging around were not aggressive” there is no violence or misconduct reported, why make an issue about it?
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Totally agree and of course it is not just Minden Place, it’s all over now, my daughter and myself will go out of our way not to pass these “side street” cafe’s because of the remarks made, and even though we don’t understand the language you can tell it is not pleasant.
Apart from the shouting it’s the spitting as well and all the rubbish they leave behind don’t think they know what a bin is for.
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“These people” Why do Portuguese need to be singled out like this, so much for the end of racism. Is there really any need?
Unfortunately, since the smoking ban everyone has to go outside to smoke, just like all other cafes and bars.
Finding them intimidating from standing outside and “shouting” at each other is ridiculous. Is anyone who posted the above comments fluent in Portuguese? Most of these discussions are what you would hear when groups of friends get together, most likely football.
Just remember that this coffee shop also offers a place for families to go and spend time with friends. You should try popping in for a coffee sometime, you will be surprised at how polite and welcoming “these people” can be.
Just because they are different does not mean that you are not welcome!
Think before you type!
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Why is it whenever we get a complaint like this somebody has to say ‘racism’. If it were any other nationality people would still complain. A lot of my friends avoid the area and you have to ask why? And if a shop in the area has complained to the Parish then so be it.
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A lot of my friends avoid passing pubs and clubs and it’s not because of the shouting or smoking, it’s the drunkenness! Why doesn’t the Parish act to stop crowding outside pubs and clubs! I guarantee that there have been more complaints regarding pubs and clubs then café’s. I agree with stopping the illegal parking on the yellow lines, but stopping friends and families having a chat outside whilst smoking that’s not right!
Acting on something as small as this might drag customers away from the coffee shop, this will impact on what appears to be a successful business. Surely if the Salvation Army’s Friendship Café is finding this a problem then maybe they should look for a new location! I do understand the importance of the Salvation Army and that it does do a lot of good for the island, but are all of these plans to “stop crowding” really worth the tax payers money?
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May i point out nobody mentioned any race I thought “they” referred to the people outside these places who wolf whistle girls.
May i also point out Phil that they were doing this well before the smoking ban and as for the portuguese people outside – i speak portuguese as my best friend taught me so I know what they are saying… things such as “I’ll do you good and you’ll cry for more” and “nice rack, give me a job in there” but for the record not all portuguese people are like this and it’s mainly down to the way they are brought up.
There are plenty of english people who do similar things at liberation square…and they get arrested and cautioned – why not these jack asses who assault young girls around Minden Place? I once walked past and a guy grabbed my bum!
They should get a court order stopping them intimidating young girls not because they’re portuguese but because they’re a nuisance – they wanna congregate somewhere – why not go to each others houses? That’s what the rest of us do
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