Madness is the word that best describes the streets of Minneapolis after bar close on weekends. The intersections are flooded with hundreds of intoxicated young adults, and there are hardly any vacant taxi cabs in sight to bring them home safely.
Standing in the cold for long periods of time leads these people to fight like savages over the very few cabs that exist. On Thanksgiving Eve, one of my friends received a death threat from some drunk trying to kick him out of the cab he was in. I have witnessed actual fist fights between groups of people trying to claim their ride home, and the sad thing is these are the supposedly responsible individuals who left their keys at home.
The city of Minneapolis does a good job of encouraging citizens not to drink and drive, but it doesn't provide realistic alternatives. I've seen many of my friends foolishly decide to drive downtown as opposed to calling a cab, and they usually use the excuse that driving home is much easier than going through the struggle of finding a cab.
As I understand it, long-time restrictions that have prevented new cab companies/drivers from entering the Minneapolis market will finally be lifted in 2011, but the city needs to implement more immediate solutions in order to maintain a safer environment downtown, and save lives on the road in the meantime.
CHARLEY HOLDEN, MINNEAPOLIS
High-quality education in Minneapolis public schools I have grown weary of letters to the editor, opinion articles and even news articles simply assuming that the education that students receive in the Minneapolis public schools is substandard. Most, if not all, of these are written by people who do not have children in the city public schools. As a parent of children in elementary and middle schools in the Minneapolis public schools and a teacher in the same district, I happen to know that my children are receiving an exemplary education that rivals any education they could receive elsewhere.
I grew up and attended school (K-12) in the suburbs. My husband and I, in fact, moved to the city from the suburbs shortly before our oldest daughter was to start school so that she and her siblings could attend the Minneapolis schools in south Minneapolis.
That is not to say that there are not problems in the city schools (as there are different types of problems in suburban, small town and rural schools) and that school funding needs to reflect the challenges and mandates in all schools; it is to say that children can receive a high-quality and academically rigorous education in our city's schools. I welcome anyone to come to our school and meet our creative teachers and our wonderful students.
