Ocean Drive is quieter than ever.
The main street of Miami Beach, Florida, used to alcoholic parties and scantily clad revelers, is unrecognizable after a series of measures taken by the municipality to break with the excesses of “Spring Break”, the student vacation.
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Every year in the spring, crowds of young vacationers pour onto the Miami Beach waterfront for drunken parties that can quickly get out of hand.
Night falls and in front of the Art Deco buildings the smell of marijuana has almost disappeared, the revelers do not block traffic by dancing to reggaeton and the seafront is far from the usual open-air discotheque.
Two deaths
Tired of the excesses of the famous “Spring Break”, the authorities have taken measures to avoid tragedies like that of last year, when shootings left two dead in South Beach, one of the most tourist areas of the city.
Miami has increased police presence and alcohol testing and closed all parking lots in the area except one that costs $100 on busier weekends.
Bars and restaurants are prohibited from opening their terraces on the sidewalk and establishments selling alcohol must close from 8 p.m.
In a video shared on social media, the city decided to “break with Spring Break.”
“Our idea of a good time is relaxing on the beach, going to the spa or discovering a new restaurant.
You just want to get drunk in public and ignore the law (...) So we are breaking up with you,” young people say in the video.
Lots of security but “no customers”
Faced with these new measures, Shannon McKinney is furious; the authorities have just refused her access to the beach at 6 p.m., four hours before the usual closing time.
“It’s pretty crazy because we just come to have a good time.
We did not come to promote violence.
We took a long trip and we are spending money
,” regrets this student from New Orleans who traveled to Miami with her sister and friends.
A few meters away, Conae Rhodes, a 25-year-old woman from Virginia, is more understanding.
“I can understand why they do this.
There are always people who don't know how to behave or who drink too much
,” she explains.
These measures are also not unanimous among the residents of Miami Beach.
Joel Hernández, a 54-year-old musician, understands the need to improve security because in recent years he has seen the situation deteriorate during “Spring Break.”
But he considers that the measures imposed are “excessive”.
“For me, who lives a few blocks from the center, it’s very complicated. We have the impression that we are entering a war zone because everything is closed
,” he explains.
“Ultimately, we don’t feel safe, on the contrary, we are even more afraid that something will happen
,” he adds.
A few blocks from Ocean Drive, in front of the Cuban restaurant she runs, Janet Alvarado criticizes the economic harm of these measures.
“Now what we have is a lot of security, but without customers
,” she assures.
For Joel Hernández, the charm and image of Miami Beach, a relaxed city where we forget everyday life, is at stake.
“It's very sad what's happening.
I hope that in the coming years, the rules will be relaxed a little.”