Motel bans entire town

PALMERSTON NORTH, New Zealand, April 22 (UPI) -- The owner of a New Zealand motel said he has banned all residents of a town from his business after multiple incidents of loud and obnoxious behavior.

Steve Donnelly said his Supreme Motor Lodge in Palmerston North is no longer accepting patrons from Wainuiomata, which is about two hours away and has a population of about 16,000, after three separate groups of people from the city were the subject of complaints from other lodgers within a six-month period, CNN reported Wednesday.

"I'm not Santa Claus. I can't figure out who's naughty and who's nice," he said. "So we went ahead and banned all of them."

"We have moms and dads who come here with two or three kids to relax," Donnelly said. "They don't want some loudmouth spitting on the pavement, flirting with girls and swearing."

Donnelly, who is from Australia, brushed aside accusations that his ban amounts to racism.

"Some people are making it out to be about the big Aussie brother giving his poor little Kiwi cousin a hard time," Donnelly said. "They were flabbergasted that there wasn't a law that stopped me. But it's like having a pub. You don't have to have a reason why you won't serve alcohol to any group of people."