It turns out that Perth has a little nasty streak.
Just ask some the US sailors who over the past five days spent their hard earned Yankee dollars on the West Coast of Australia.
Early on Sunday morning, four sailors were attacked while walking through Perth train station, including one who was slashed in the face with a pair of scissors.
Brothel Reinforcements
But according to the cops, the boys and girls of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens were generally well behaved during the stay.
The last time the US navy came to town, five sailor went AWOL, several fights broke out and a brothel closed down because demand was too high.
This time, the brothels - which are legal in Australia - learnt from their past mistakes and called in reinforcements from other states.
Business boomed.
A working girl, I spoke to said: "Lovey, I have been working flat on my back for 12 hours. It's been hectic".
Serious.
The owner of a brothel said she had to put on five extra staff in anticipation of a busy weekend.
Hippie Granny
But spare a thought for one of Perth's long time anti-war activist, 63-year-old Jo Valentine who was arrested after protesting the presence of the US navy.
She was arrested for apparently breaching the peace at the Fremantle docks.
Ms Valentine and a small but determined group of hippies congregated at E-Shed market car where they made it known to who ever cared to listen that they did not appreciate the presence of a nuclear war ship so close to a civilian city.
The peace loving granny was ordered to move on and when she did not, her defiance irked the cops and she was promptly arrested.
Some Trivia
It was the the first visit to Perth for the USS George Washington, the US Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier.
The ship’s flight deck is more than 330m long and carries about 70 aircraft, including F/A 18 Hornets, F/A 18 E/F Superhornets and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
It is equipped with more than 4000 telephones, seven galleys capable of serving 18,000 meals a day, the capacity to distil more than 15,000 litres of fresh water and enough electrical capacity to power several thousand single family homes.
The ship’s flight deck is more than 330m long and carries about 70 aircraft, including F/A 18 Hornets, F/A 18 E/F Superhornets and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
It is equipped with more than 4000 telephones, seven galleys capable of serving 18,000 meals a day, the capacity to distil more than 15,000 litres of fresh water and enough electrical capacity to power several thousand single family homes.
No comments:
Post a Comment