“I like to bring some French bread, cheese and grapes – it’s simple and easy to share”, one student says. Her friend adds, “It goes well with the red wine”, as she slyly sips it out of a reused tetra-pack.
It’s one of the first actual sunny evenings this week and, as expected, Maastricht’s parks are crowded with sun-hungry and outdoor-loving people. They come with blankets, Frisbees and footballs, food and drinks, guitars and stereos to enjoy the little spring that the Dutch weather has granted them this year. This Saturday evening, as the sun is setting slowly over the Maas, several small groups of people are gathered on the patch of grass next to the Maas near Plein 1992.
Wine hidden in a tetra-pack? That’s on account of the harsh fines that are levied by patrolling police. “It’s €60 for each open container of alcoholic beverage”, a police officer informs me, but she adds: “usually we leave students alone, if they’re just sitting and having fun. We only take action if they’re disrupting other people.”
Some groups tend to get rowdy and loud, which can earn them a court order if alcohol is involved. Lately, however, it seems that Maastricht’s homeless population and a surprisingly large number of flashers are posing the bigger problem for the men and women in uniform. “Especially on weekends, when lots of families are spending the day in the park, we get many calls about awkward men in shorts or drunk and rowdy homeless people who are disturbing the peaceful atmosphere”, the officer tells me with a disgusted look on her face. “As you can see, small groups with guitars, candles and just a few cans of beer are really not much of a concern.”
So what do people do in the park? “I never study here, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate”, one student tells me as she plays with the grass where she is sitting. “I just read the paper, play cards with friends, or sit and watch other people.” Her friend disagrees: “If I come here by myself, studying can be very nice, and I don’t feel as bad about it as I do if I’m sitting in the library all day, wasting one of the few sunny days that we actually get here.”