City Council bans smelly hobos from libraries : Lone Star Times

City Council bans smelly hobos from libraries

by Owen Courrèges · 04/28/2005 11:29 pm

Well, it looks like our city council has finally done something right:

The Houston City Council has passed new regulations that allow librarians to kick out patrons whose "offensive bodily hygiene" is a nuisance to others.

Houston’s public libraries have a new set of rules that bans body odor, bathing in library restrooms, eating packaged food, sleeping and shaving in the city facilities.

Houston Mayor Bill White said there have been many complaints about abuse of library facilities. Critics say the regulations are aimed at keeping the homeless out of the libraries.

Well, duh.

Really, I like fetid, urine-drenched vagrants as much as the next guy. I’d just rather our public libraries not become the functional equivalent of public restrooms because your local panhandler wants to turn the library into his own personal residence. Homeless shelters aren’t exactly nice places, I know, but really I’m not up for allowing the library to become an alternative.

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Comments

2 Responses to “City Council bans smelly hobos from libraries”

Ann Nonomyous on May 1st, 2005 at 2:10 am

The librarians call them “The Regulars” the street people who spend all day inside…mostly surfing porn sites. Some of them are truly crazy. One pulled a large knife on a librarian because he was mad that she woke him up, & asked him to leave the childrens area. Others have gotten verably & physical abusive. Some get their revenge at closing time by going into the bathroom a closing time, & taking a 20 minute bath in the sink. Others haave threatened to be waiting out in the parking lot for the librarians.
They live in their clothes, & sometime reek of urine,fecal matter, inhaalents , smoke etc.
Councilwoman Ada Brown had it wrong. It is an access issue. I chould be able to acccess the library with my children. They’re the ones that arre preventing us. I wish Ms Edwards would walk across the street & spend some time there, maybe volunteer…..
Big45Iron on November 30th, 2005 at 2:41 pm

Other than hobos and seniors who don’t want to work on computers, who is using the library? I’d venture a guess that library patronage as dropped 75% over the last 10 years. I’d also venture a guess that their budget has increased 75% over the last 10 years!!