"Trendy" neighborhoods with bars are not the lone sufferers of the public drinking problem ("Council chief calls for higher fines to curb public drunkenness," April 19). Anyone who lives within 10 miles of a college/university along Charles Street or York Road is all too painfully aware of the problems associated with mass drinking and neighborhood disturbances.

Curbing rowdy drinkers should be standard public policy. Why is Baltimore always so behind the curve? Let's get smart like D.C. and Philly and adopt legislation that benefits tax-paying residents for a change.

Fuming in the Fourth