On Friday and Saturday evenings I have developed an unusual ritual. From about nine o'clock I go outside every 20 minutes or so and pour a bucket of water over the bench in the front of my pub. From time to time I also cross the road and drench a small flint-stone wall. This continues until around 10 past 11.
I do this in anticipation of the large numbers of young people who have been celebrating in the centre of town and who, after 10.30, gravitate towards the station and the taxi rank that is there.
As they stagger up the street, armed with their kebab of choice, they tend to assemble on the bench outside or on the wall opposite and loudly describe to each other the various depravities they have engaged in that evening. There are three consequences of this. Firstly they are loud and can disturb my guests. Secondly they leave their kebab wrappers and other rubbish and, thirdly, they can become destructive and I am passionately fond of my etched glass windows.
The wet benches act as a discouragement. They suggest to the more sober ones that there might be better places to sit. To the less sober ones the shock to the system, in particular the backside, is pretty effective too.
In much of my attempt to control the behaviour outside the pub I have sought not to confront but to encourage people to act differently. I have, throughout the six months we have been here, fully expected to go toe-to-toe with someone but, with my gentle methods of persuasion, I have avoided conflict.
The police have been very understanding of my methods. This pub is no longer on their 'places to watch'. But even so they aren't fully up to speed.
Before Christmas I was invited by the police to trial 'Spikeys', a FAB/alcopop device to prevent drink spiking. I pointed out we sold nothing like the products they described because it encouraged the customers I didn't want. The police left muttering that they hadn't heard that before from a licensee.
Odd methods can not only resolve issues, they can also be a valuable marketing tool.