Schoolies (what ‘little darlings’) will soon start in Surfers Paradise.

Soon, in November, the Gold Coast will host thousands of ‘Schoolies’ – young people ranging from 17 -18 celebrating the end of school.

Schoolies is always a time of controversy.

Here is one example; an article from recent news:

Schoolie balcony ban bid blasted

Some apartment managers are seeking to have Schoolies locked out from the apartment/high rise balconies.

I can understand why.

I note that civil libertarians are calling these apartment managers “little hitlers” and claiming that they are treating the partying teens like a “sub species”.

Perhaps I can shed some light on the situation, and bring some real perspective.

I have lived on the Gold Coast for more than 12 years, many of those in a unit/apartment block in Surfers Paradise. Surfers Paradise bears the brunt of schoolies, though other parts of the Gold Coast suffer too.

Here is a list of what I have personally experienced or seen, and in some cases suffered, as a result of the schoolie jerks.

After reading the list, you might, like many locals who leave town for the duration, choose to avoid coming to the Gold Coast during the schoolie celebrations. It is not a good time for tourists. You can check the dates and look up other information here at the official schoolie website, or here.

1. Urinating in private gardens; both where schoolies stay and elsewhere.
2. Getting changed in private gardens – once I even saw someone pull up outside in the road; run up the side of the building next door, have a piss against the wall and get changed. He then got back into his car and drove off. As the building was on the way into town, I presume that he felt the need to make himself more ‘presentable’. He was clearly way too important to waste valuable time looking for a toilet.
3. Faeces found on the back lawn of our unit block one morning. The little creep had wiped his/her arse on a towel that had been left on the washing line to dry. We know because the towel was left behind. Unfortunately we had no definite suspects for DNA analysis.
4. Vomiting all over the place – stairwells, streets, private gardens.
5. Loads of rubbish, including broken bottles.
6. Violence, some of it very nasty.
7. Vandalism, some extreme.
8. Excessive noise. Not limited to music. I will never forget someone called Craig. In the middle of the night a minibus full of morons turned up calling loudly for…you guessed…Craig.
9. Dangerous and extreme driving; both in cars and motorcycles. Flagrant flouting of road rules and riding motorcycles without helmets.
10. Drug dealing, abuse and associated paraphernalia – discarded syringes. These are a particular problem on the Gold Coast beaches where discarded needles are easily missed and likely to cause injury.
11. Theft.
12. Comatose teens lying in the road, on the pavements, in gardens.
13. Irresponsible and thoughtless parents delivering large quantities of alcohol (by the case, and not just beer).

The list is so long I am not sure if I have forgotten anything. Others have experienced even more. I am just ONE person. I have seen some of these things many times over many years.

Perhaps you are a parent, sending your child to inflict suffering on other people, as well as himself/herself?

Perhaps you don’t want to know what REALLY happens at schoolies? Maybe you believe some of the positive SPIN that various vested interests like to produce about schoolies, both before and after the event.

Be assured, schoolies is very bad.

Not just for the locals, but for the ‘little darlings’ themselves.

Just some of their personal harvest:

• Damaged livers and other physiology from alcohol and drug abuse. Shortened life expectancy.
• Learning to be nasty, thoughtless, selfish and disrespectful. Reinforcement of these traits.
• Mental and emotional problems.
• STDs.
• Tolerance and enjoyment of filth (muck like filth).
• Injury.
• Criminal records.
• A start in the criminal lifestyle.
• Regrets.
• Ruined lives.
• Increased number of ‘deadbeats’ in their personal network.
• Unwanted pregnancies.

I am sure you can think of more.

The Police, who are much maligned yet stand between us and a descent into all kinds of lawlessness, are severely stretched during schoolies, having to call in extra manpower from other regions in Queensland. This of course assists the non schoolie criminal element who can take advantage of lower Police presence elsewhere. I expect they are rubbing their hands with glee.

Of course, not all schoolies are as described above; however, very significant numbers of them are, which is of course the key point and ‘big picture’.

I am wondering whose side these ‘civil libertarians’ are really on. They term themselves ‘civil’.

Perhaps we should also consider the quality of parenting and schooling that these schoolies have had. Having a good time is one thing, but to come here and behave as they do, in such large numbers, is another. Parents and teachers bear significant responsibility.

In my view, schoolies define who they (and their parents/school teachers) are by what they DO. Need I say more?

As the good Lord Jesus Himself said: “By their fruit you shall know them”. Wonderfully logical.

I am not religious and, like the multitude who do not attend church, I too am called a ‘sinner’ by church-goers in private (they usually don’t call you a sinner to your face). This is not some ‘religious rant’; the words from the Bible are so apt in this situation.

Schoolies – Oink – I know it’s not a human sound, but I guess that if you behave like a pig then you must be a pig.

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