MNSFW - A night (or a few nights) out in friendly Christchurch...

A few years ago when I was living in Christchurch, New Zealand, the then mayor stated that the city was a safe place to pass through at night, after a spate of reports essentially to the contrary.
I was living and working in the CBD and I found this to be rather amusing to say the least.  Every night on the way home from work I'd have to step around 'pavement pizzas', step over streams of urine flowing from shop doorways, and on more than one occasion, dodge the misdirected aggression of inebriated (at least) locals. 
So the on-going photodocumentary was born.  I spent months and months on foot in the inner city, photographing the drunken antics the occurred after a few too many beverages.  And what an eye opener it, well, wasn't.  Because in all honesty, it's not surprising what happens at night.  It's just that you're either tucked up in bed in the suburbs and ignoring it, or chances are you are (or have been) one of those people I took photos of.  Being arrested.  Drink driving.  P*ssing in some shop keepers doorway.  Fighting.  Losing your temper for no reason.  Vomiting.  Or, if you're that way inclined, all of the above.
I'll admit that I'm not an angel, and yes, in the past I have found myself in the occasional 'socially excited' state, but after a few years of working on the door of various bars and night clubs, and especially after capturing some of these images, I've come around to a new way of thinking... 

To be honest - Christchurch does come off looking rather badly in these images.  Does it deserve it?  Yes - because this is the mentality that exists with regards to alcohol consumption in the Garden City.  Is it alone in this aspect?  Unfortunately not.  The drink-til-you-drop attitude rears its head every weekend - and sometimes every night - in almost every city, town and village - it's not everyone doing it, but it's more than enough.  Check out the advertisement below from the UK - if you wouldn't do it sober...



Special thanks to SGT Greg and CONST Mick of the NZ Police for all their time on night shift.