European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 letters the stars and stripes v. A Fetn of a vav55 a teens behaviour in Spain draws criticism i am compelled to express my disgust at the behaviour of the a Merican High school students in Lloret Del mar Spain during the week of april 7-12. Never in my 1 5 years of military service have i had the occasion to feel ashamed of my american citizenship. However the behaviour exhibited by these Young americans who were predominantly from Germany can Only be characterized As abominable. The students showed no respect for their Spanish hosts. Throughout the week teen agers congregated on Street Corners boomboxes blaring refusing to move when Spanish citizens tried to pass. Mopeds were available for rent and the students took the Liberty to treat them like toys playing tag through traffic driving on the sidewalk and making a general nuisance of themselves. The abuse of the mopeds was compounded by the vile language used by these students. Students were hanging out of balconies in several hotels throughout the City All calling each other names at the top of their voices and Yelling suggestive comments to other students on other balconies or in the Street below. These instances arc mild however when compared to the widespread abuse of alcohol. On saturday at 11 15 p.m., 1 observed two Young american girls one was passed out in an open Field the other asleep under a Streetlight. In both instances the girls were surrounded by four or five teen agers All laughing and commenting on How they a could no to take  five minutes later i observed one of the girls being carried Over the shoulder of a boy a i can Only assume she was taken to her own room. These Are Only incidents i personally observed. I was informed by the Leader of our tour that six american teen agers were hospitalized during the week for alcohol poisoning. One Young girl reportedly died when she tried to jump into the hotel swimming Pool from the third floor Balcony a she missed the Pool. 1 am not a prude but i am a Parent and i was appalled by what i saw. This Type of out of control behaviour is rapidly falling into Disfavour in the United states Palm Springs has outlawed such a Spring break Quot drinking sprees and it is inexcusable overseas particularly by teen agers of american service members who should know better. I personally do not hold the teen agers entirely to blame the tour companies and the parents should share some of the Burden. The tour companies should know better than to allow so Many teen agers to travel without adult supervision and the parents should know better than to Send their children armed with several Hundred dollars to a resort town without supervision where the drinking age is 16. If you do not expect trouble of Are either naive stupid or both. To the teen agers who behaved themselves and acted like adults a and there were Many a i can Only say that 1 am sorry your peer group must suffer the stereotype of being unruly Rich spoiled american brats. To the parents who believe that a boys will be  that since they had a wild weekend in their past their children Are entitled to the same or that i am perhaps overreacting to what actually occurred i suggest you Contact the parents of the Young girl who missed the Pool from her third floor Balcony. I doubt you will receive much support. A Thomas m. Cooke Casteau Belgium i accompanied my son and four other teen agers to Lloret Del mar Over the recent easter break. I was shocked by what i found there. Many of the teens were drunk before they arrived there. Daily someone would be rushed to the Hospital with alcohol poisoning to have his or her stomach pumped. At least two girls took overdoses of medications and had to be hospitalized. Students were jailed for spitting or throwing things at people from their rooms. Not All were drunk but the majority were drinking too much. It is rumoured that one died in a fall or jump from a Balcony. Their barrage of profanity was offensive. Those in our hotel had no respect for other guests and would scream from their balconies until after 1 . Other tourists were offended and disgusted by the behaviour of our dependents. Who would allow a teen Ager to go to Spain without supervision if your child wants to go next year please go with them. There Are no school sponsored trips and no chaperones. If your child went this year then you should talk to them about what happened. If you Are thinking that this  have been your child please think again a i was there it was everyone a child. A name and location withheld. Any chaperones hired were done so by another organization not the tour companies. You should know that these chaperones were Only required to ensure that each teen Ager was accounted for each Day. Other than that Lloret Del mar was fair game. Perhaps your teen Ager was one of Many who enjoyed the Beach or danced in the discos or had fun Riding the mechanical Bull. Or instead perhaps yours was one of Many who stayed drunk the entire week used loud and incredibly obscene language disturbed other people in the hotels with their music blasters and stayed out drinking until 5 . Each Day. Or maybe yours was one that suffered respiratory failure due to alcohol poisoning or one that took too Many tylenol after a night of drinking alcohol or one that was arrested by the Spanish police for a variety of infractions. American teen agers did an incredible amount of damage to hotels and International relationships. There were Many Well behaved teen agers and they deserve credit for their behaviour. But there were Many others who were disruptive disrespectful and disgraceful. For those of you who w ill consider this Type of trip for your teen Ager next year use some common sense. Go yourself and chaperone your teen Ager and three or four of his or her friends. Take responsibility for your children and done to let them infringe upon the rights of others who have also paid hard earned Money to enjoy a foreign country. A name and location withheld Spring break 1990 a an anticipated enjoyable trip to Spain. Time to make new friends on what was believed to be a Well organized bus tour to stay at a Nice hotel close to the Beach have some fun in the Sun and a Chance to learn More of the wonders Europe has to offer americans visiting abroad. Well that was the idea when my family of four and a visiting relative from the states decided to take a five night tour to Lloret Del mar in Spain. We were aware that several students from the various High schools were also taking advantage of their Spring break however we did not believe that american kids or any kids for that matter could act As wildly uncontrolled disrespectful and with total disregard to others As Many of these teens did Spring break was a real Eye opener for this american. As we quickly discovered this was to be a trip with no rules or limitations As soon As the kids climbed on the bus it was party time several were already drunk before they got on the bus. The bus was trashed by the time we got to Spain and none of the kids bothered cleaning up after themselves. Hotel room doors were busted food was thrown and scattered throughout the hotel a vomit was All Over the hallways every morning. Everything from broken Glass to Balcony chairs were thrown in the Pool. Two girls jumped off their Balcony believing they could hit the hotel swimming Pool a neither made it. One was still in the Hospital in critical condition when we left. A woman tour guide was physically assaulted by an american student when she asked him to Stop Yelling in the hotel hallway at 2 . The Yelling by the Way went on through All hours a again with heavy usage of our All too familiar four letter expletives. Believe me. In a not prudish a i like to have a Good time too a but the behaviour of most of the a chaperoned teens was so disgusting that i was ashamed to be an american in Lloret Del mar my relative can certainly carry Back tales of her perception of military kids when she returns Home to the civilian world let me add in closing that not All teens behaved so rep Lively. Some groups were sponsored and appeared to behave themselves. The majority of the kids were not sponsored. Some of these kids were mature enough to be out on their own. Unfortunately most were not. Quite honestly i can to believe any parents who would Send their Young teen off unescorted to have a wild week of booze and bed jumping a guess our values Are on different wavelengths. I heard several parents remark before the buses departed that they were looking Forward to a quiet week without the kids a name withheld Heidelberg West Germany editors note a Spanish police in Lloret Del mar told the stars and stripes they did not know of any americans who had died there. Police said they had heard of the death of an English girl in Barcelona but of no american deaths. A spokesman for the american embassy in Madrid said the american consulate in Barcelona also had no record of any american deaths. Police in Lloret Del mar also said that the students behaviour while loud and disruptive at times was no worse than in past years. The resort town annually attracts hordes of . And British teens for easter vacations the Way Florida beaches draw american College students during the same  thoughts on taxes in ., West Germany if successful David Matthews recent Legal Campaign to claim the foreign earned income exclusion would be detrimental to . Retirees employed by the various non appropriated funds Naf programs in the United kingdom. Under the  Governments interpretation of the status of forces agreement sofa those Naf employees who Are not . Government employees or a dependent of one. Would be liable to pay the higher  Income taxes. Although the majority of such Naf employees in the United kingdom could avoid paying . Federal income taxes those same people would lose More of their pay to the  Inland Revenue authorities. The Story is quite different in the Federal Republic of Germany Fri. Naf employees and . Defense con tractors Benefit from a different interpretation of sofa and Are exempt from paying West German income taxes. By becoming eligible for the exclusion the majority of Naf employees there could avoid paying income taxes to any Federal authority assuming of course that they done to have a personal income of Over $70,000. In the United kingdom . Defense contractors working at american military installations Are not covered by sofa. The  Government interprets the sofa phrase a in the employ of a . Services to mean any person covered under sofa must receive a paycheck from a . Government Agency. Therefore although the first $70,000 Are exempt from  Federal income taxes . Defense contractors Are required to pay  Income taxes. Naf employees who Are not dependents of people a in the employ of a . Serv ice a As interpreted by the  Taxing authorities would in All likelihood be treated similarly a their paychecks Are not issued by a . Government Agency. The intent of the foreign earned income exclusion is to protect . Citizens working abroad from paying income taxes to two Federal authorities. Should or. Matthews succeed in his quest for the exclusion Naf employees in West Germany will avoid paying . And Fri Federal income taxes. Naf employees in West Germany would surely Benefit from the exclusion. How Ever retirees employed by Naf in the United kingdom would definitely lose. 1 know a because As a . Defense contractor assigned to an american military installation in the United kingdom i am required to pay  Income taxes. A name and location withheld pen pals i am a 19-year-dd student interested in writing to Many pen intends. Especially irom Germany i Emoy music dancing and correspondence i also speak. French and English fluently a agn oui Hassan n 39 Rue de Chiadwo Inez Gane ag3dir Morocco i am 13 i like Reading writing and swimming i like listening to runs Etc and love new kids on the block1 i would like to have pen pais 13-16 years old a Karen Blake Box 4662 Apo n y. 09238 i enjoy cooking crocheting singing and travelling i am 34 years old a Stella regal 63 Russell House Cambridge Street London sw1v 4eq England i am 17 my hobbies Are singing dancing making trends and collecting souvenirs a Jon Annie Cruz 1315 g cast Artos St. Sampalol. Manila Philippines i am 19 and my hobbies Are singing dancing playing volleyball and collecting stuffed toys a Krischar Niemeth de Guzman l3l5gcastanos St. Sampalol. Manila Philippines i am a 19-year-old Soldier stationed in Vicenza. Italy. My interests Are swimming skiing and music. A Jett Teschendorg . Box 1269 Apo n y. 09221 i am a 25-year-old Catholic. I like to read. A Luzviminda Rivera 22 . Pozon St. Bambang pasig. Metro Manila Philippines my hobbies Are singing and dancing. I am 16. A Riazon Flor 309-d Sla. Teresita St. Sampalol. Manila Philippines