Just when you thought it was safe...
The walls are not the only thing being defaced in Auraria's stalls
by Christopher R. Mena
The Metropolitan
The faint smell of disinfectant and urine lingers in the air. Crumpled toilet paper lies discarded. Long tubes of bright halogen lights illuminate the dirty tiled floor. A faucet runs. A toilet is flushed. . . . This is the second story men's bathroom in the Auraria Library.
In the bathroom stand three stalls. Within the middle one, on either stall wall, two metal sheets have been drilled into place in an effort to cover two "glory holes," The one on the right has been tampered with and loosened. Two notes with phone numbers have been written on the back of the toilet paper dispenser.
They read: "BJ: [Phone number], anytime, call me dude!" and "For head N E time: [Phone number]."
Two years ago, at the beginning of the fall semester, I was flashed in the second floor bathroom in the library.
The flasher, a tall male with a medium build, was not an Auraria Campus student. He went into the library looking for a good time and left in handcuffs.
Needless to say, I was left feeling a little shaken. Shortly after the incident, I spoke to one of my anthropology professors about what happened. He said that this was a common issue among college restrooms. Common? I decided to see if he was right.
Sadly, he was.
When asked what has been done to prevent these occurrences, Auraria Library Facilities Manager Becky Robinson said, "Not much can be done. This is a state funded place and people can come in and out."
The police have been spoken to and they are working together with the library.
Also, they have stepped up their efforts to help and are there more, going into the bathrooms periodically. "They're a good ally." Robinson said.
An Auraria Library employee and Metro student, who asked that his name be withheld, said, "When I went to use the [upstairs] restroom I heard moans and groans and the sound of someone ... masturbating. I kicked the [stall] door and told them to 'Knock it off!' I called the police but when we got there the person was gone." He was never found.
In the West Classroom building is a men's bathroom on the first floor.
In it, at the far end up against the wall is a stall with multiple notes that read: "Be here Wednesday: 6:45", "Free to suck Monday and Wednesday: 11:30 & 3:00, takers?", "Anyone up for a Tuesday & Thursday suck? 11:30", and "Someone suck me? Tuesday 2:45,"
Though, not all the notes are legible. Some have been painted over but still happen to leak through the layer of paint. Words like: "Dick" and "Suck" can still be seen.
Also, some partial notes can still be read, such as: "Attractive professional: summer: cock slave in need of [the rest had been wiped away]" Above the toilet bowl on a metal panel is a picture of a rear end with the words: "Insert cock here" and "No thank you."
Trying to put an end to this behavior, the people at Auraria Higher Education Center are repeatedly painting and using graffiti wipes on the stalls trying to stop this behavior.
It isn't working.
The problem has gotten so out of control that AHEC now has General Maintenance regularly scheduled to go into the stalls and attempt to remove the obscene graffiti.
However, men continue to come back and write new notes in a never ending cycle that is costing the campus money.
William Trimble, a Facilities Manager for Auraria Campus said, "Campus wide, graffiti and other damages cost about $2,000 to $3,000 a year."
The Auraria Campus Police is aware that the notes are being written and that men are meeting in the bathrooms."
Detective Richard Vigil of the ACPD said "If a student should come across a crime in progress [i.e. someone masturbating or fornicating] they should immediately contact the police," or a campus official and tell them your name, location, and the nature of the trouble.
If a person is arrested, the witness may be asked to testify in court.
Depending of the severity of the crime, what the district attorney wants to charge the person with, and how many times the person has been arrested for the same type of crime, the accused can be sentenced and fined anywhere from a $50 fine and probation to 1 years in jail and $1000 fine.
Also, if a student is arrested they may face suspension and expulsion from their school.
However, not much can be done to stop the graffiti or the occurrences that occur in the bathrooms, save for spying on someone in a stall and that would be a violation of privacy.
It would seem this is something everyone is going to have to deal with in stride.
Although, everyone should keep their eyes and ears open in the process because the person sitting in the stall next to you may be "cruising" for a good time.
'Everyone should keep their eyes and ears open in the process because the person sitting in the stall next to you may be "cruising" for a good time.' |
