Penticton has lost its innocence

Dear Editor: Penticton used to be so beautiful and although the backdrop hasn't actually changed much, the foreground can no longer be ignored whether you want to or not.

Let’s go to the beach, kids playing in the water, splashing, squealing, having fun, many people walk by, taking in the sights and enjoying the children’s innocent laughter, one lady trips, or so you think, she’s on the ground, wait, she’s looking for something .... I guess you could help her, ask her what she’s looking for. She is mumbling something, seems like she can’t really see you and when you help her up an open needle falls to the ground, she shuffles off completely oblivious to the entire world and you’re left staring at this needle, there’s blood in it, it’s used, don’t let anyone step on it, including your innocent children who have, in their understandable curiosity, come up to see what’s going on.

Fast forward to dinner, you are so glad no one got hurt, the needle was disposed of properly, good thing their are sharps containers in the bathrooms by The Peach, too bad they aren’t utilized properly. You are more aware of everyone around you now, you notice that guy on the bike with the cart full of odds and ends, where did he get it all? Did you lock the car before you came into the restaurant? Is your hotel room locked? You get up to go outside quickly and double check your car is locked then back to the beautiful patio with your family for dinner.

It is a gorgeous night, yes, despite the afternoon’s terrifying incident, it’s still worth staying the week you’ve paid to stay and it’s still worth the thousand or so you’ll spend in that week. You and your family are leaving the restaurant, you walk out to the quiet parking lot and see someone on the ground twitching, you get closer and he’s covered in vomit, you send your family back inside to call 911 and see if there’s any help inside.

You call 911 on your cell while you tilt the guy up on his side so he doesn’t choke on his vomit. He smells like his bowels let go, don’t get too close. The paramedics arrive and amongst everything else they’re doing to save this man’s life, they administer narcan or naloxone, the overdose last resort, but it seems like they were already prepared to find an overdose victim, it could have been heat stroke, the flu, you don’t know, you don’t see this every day, they do though.

You’re exhausted, you smell horrible, you just want to get your family back to your hotel so you can throw away your clothes and shower off the day.

The next morning you wake up and need coffee, you get dressed, and you go out to ride your mountain bike to Tim Hortons, you could use the air and exercise. Where are your bikes? All of them are gone, how are they gone? They were on top of the car and locked to the bike rack on the back! Detour to the RCMP station to report the theft. At least you have the serial numbers and pictures, your mother in law was finally right about something, just don’t tell her that.

The police make a file, and assure you they’ll do everything in their power to get your bikes back, they apologize and tell you to try and enjoy the rest of your holiday. At lunch you go to a small Ma and Pop shop, the waitress is very chatty, it’s nice. The past days events come up and she expresses her condolences, in the same breath she tells you that you won’t see your bikes again, there’s a group of people who steal bikes, chop them up, grind off the serial numbers and rebuild them, unidentifiable, she even knows the address, why are the RCMP not doing something about this?

She goes on to explain that it’s a known drug house and both yesterdays incidents were a product of this one house, all the locals know about it, your life, and views of which have been changed forever by one house.

You pay your bill, tip your waitress well and go back to your hotel room. You only spent two of your days here in Penticton but you’ve lost so much. You lost your children’s innocence after having to explain what happened, you lost your bikes, you have lost your favourite vacation spot, you’ll never come back. You pack up, count your losses and leave.

This is the unfortunate possible reality of middle class families coming here to vacation in the state our city is in. Upper class expect more from this city and have much more influence that has a far greater reach. Soon tourism will be dead because of a problem that is being ignored and blamed on the victims. Yes, the victims have been told that if you have been targeted by crime you did something to attract the attention from the criminals.

This doesn’t even begin to explain the troubles your own citizens are facing every day, always checking behind them when down town, worrying in their 9 o’clock meetings about whether or not the back door was locked. Scared our kids are going to see that tweeker across the street. Did I buy a strong enough lock for my bike? My arms were full with my baby and groceries, by the time I got back out to the car it was already pilfered.

Why can nothing be done? Why are the repeat offenders that keep us scared still given a slap on the wrist even when their court list of offences is four pages long? Why is a known property left to do business that is literally and metaphorically killing people? Is there something going on that we just don’t understand? Echo Lyons Penticton