[Poothevokprot]

We can drink in the streets as long as the beer is in a paper bag.

Spec.

[Opislossy]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
Something that I only now realized.
Most of you guys live in areas where public alcohol consumption is prohibited, right? What is the basic reason / justification for this?

This totally doesn't exist / isn't enforced in Israel. Many of the times that I go out to meet friends we drink on the street in one way or another.

Either we grab a beer each, and go for a walk along a main road, and then talk about stuff as we walk. Or we take up some sort of public park or playground, and sit there, drinking beer, sometimes smoking a hookah.

We've never been given a dirty look by anyone, or bothered by cops. And we've passed lots of cops on our foot trips, or when sitting in the park.

As long as we didn't make terrible noise to startle the neighbors, or started fighting/drunk behavior, then no one seemed to care. AFAIK in North America laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public places are local, not state/provincial or federal.

[quack!]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
Something that I only now realized.
Most of you guys live in areas where public alcohol consumption is prohibited, right? What is the basic reason / justification for this? To my knowledge, usually to move along homeless people or other undesirables. It thus becomes an excuse not a reason.

[HunterM]

Originally posted by Dauphin


To my knowledge, usually to move along homeless people or other undesirables. It thus becomes an excuse not a reason. It may be different there, but if you walk around with a bottle of beer in plain view as you drink from it then you will get in trouble fairly quickly, even if you look otherwise "respectable".

[in4wikiu]

KH

Im just trying to imagine what Fells Point would be like if public alcohol consumption were allowed.

[Gerribase]

Originally posted by Dauphin


I've seen many people drinking in public and the police have done nothing. The law is on the books, so I can only think that the drinking in public card is only used when other things are occuring. In north america other than at large public festivals and on people's own stoops the law is enforced strongly enough that you basically don't see people drinking outside "blatantly" (they cover the bottle in a paper bag, which allows the cops to pretend it's not happening or drink from another containter)

[Xxmlqevq]

Where I live you can drink on the strip and downtown outside. That's about it.

I think the law is originally designed to crack down on bums? I'm not sure of the origins.

[Shemker394]

My sis lives in Louisiana, where bars give to-go cups for your margaritas. They also have drive through margarita bars.

I once flew in a plane next to a 60s-something lady from Louisiana. She said that they used to allow ice chests into Louisiana State University football games (in order to mix your drinks on location, of course). Must have finally decided that 90,000+ football fans on hard liquor wasn't such a good idea, because they discontinued the practice eventually. Now everybody just tailgates and gets their hard liquor pre-game.

Different times nowadays.

[Jorcelirl]

No problems with public drinking here

lucky us

[otheloComRole]

Yes, one might say public drinking is institutional here.
Take carnivals for example. That's partly folklore, but a boozefest just as much lasting for days!

[Opinion_counts]

Originally posted by DanS
My sis lives in Louisiana, where bars give to-go cups for your margaritas. They also have drive through margarita bars.

I once flew in a plane next to a 60s-something lady from Louisiana. She said that they used to allow ice chests into Louisiana State University football games (in order to mix your drinks on location, of course). Must have finally decided that 90,000+ football fans on hard liquor wasn't such a good idea, because they discontinued the practice eventually. Now everybody just tailgates and gets their hard liquor pre-game.

Different times nowadays. LSU was hit by the same SEC-wide ban on bringing alcohol into the stadium on gameday that led me to keep a steady supply of ziploc bags and buy a flask disguised as binoculars during my college days. Now they just get 90,000+ fans on hard liquor making sure the cop's head is turned before mixing. Buy a coke, drink enough to make room, then slip your miniature, flask, ziploc or whatever out and pour it in. Mix with one of those shakers they hand out to students and sell for a dollar to other fans. I've even seen people with catheter bags strapped around their waists, with the tube capped and tucked into a sock. Made dispensing clandestinely all the easier.

Note that the ban has a bit of a loophole: those with skyboxes are free to stock them with booze the day before the game.

[lionsiy]

Either we grab a beer each, and go for a walk along a main road, and then talk about stuff as we walk. Or we take up some sort of public park or playground, and sit there, drinking beer, sometimes smoking a hookah. You shoot prostitutes?

[loyalgagora]

We used to could drink and drive, just not be drunk and driving. They took that away.
Used to could sit out by the lake and have a beer. They took that away.
Used to could sit in the park. They took that away.
Could sit in the front yard, watch the sun go down while having a brew. They took that away.
Used to could smoke cigarettes in a bar. They took that away in many places, and it's applauded.
Things keep getting taken, and no one notices until their particular right is taken away.

[emuffette]

A Doddler post actually being amusing