discoviking

I was carded a couple of years ago. I was 46 at the time, and took it as a compliment

Steerpike

I'd have to disagree. Yes, when people in the US do drink, there is the obvious problem of drunk driving, given the reliance on cars, etc. But I've never encountered the social phenomenon of going out to get ripped. Maybe I hear about it at University Fraternity parties, etc, but I never encountered it amongst 'normal adults' in their 20s (age when I arrived here).

Folinsky's discussion about state liquor laws is interesting in that yes, many states are restrictive on alcohol purchases but in the state I've spent most of my life - CA - there is absolutely no impediment to buying alcohol at any time, anywhere.

True 'bars' in the US (selling mainly alcohol, little or no food) tend to be pretty miserable places, and there are not many of them. But many, many decent restaurants have a 'bar area' where you can drink, and/or 'eat at the bar'. I much prefer the US 'bar/restaurant' setup than the English pub.

scrubbedexpat091

Except from 2am to 6am of course....

S Folinsky

Interesting wikipedia article with a table State Laws. I do know that New Orleans and Las Vegas have a 24 hour drinking habit. If one is on the California side at Tahoe, one can cross onto the Nevada side.

Bladerunner

Most bars outseide city centres are inaccessible without a car. And I reckon that most wouldn't make any money if everyone stuck to the two-drink limit. A lot of bars won't serve halves either, it's another pint or nothing.

Definitely a culture of drink-driving here. But people eat at the bar too, and space their drinks out over a longer time than we do in the UK.

Steerpike

Yeah, I was aware of the 2am cut-off for alcohol sales in supermarkets in CA (24-hour supermarkets put some kind of barrier up over the alcohol shelves, as I recall) but I didn't want to muddy the discussion on that minor detail (I think 24 hour restaurants can still serve after 2am, can't they?)

But what about the 'English country pub' - I've been to many a pub in my early days that was well out into the countryside, and there were no bus alternatives late at night. There's certainly MORE public transit options in the UK, but they don't serve every drinking establishment.

Steerpike

Wow! That is an interesting read! Interesting to see that Arizona has the strictest DUI laws, too - I see cars pulled over EVERY night on the major road (not freeway) I drive home on. I've been pulled over myself, but was 'let go' after a sobriety test (I had not had anything to drink).

emailrob

Its those that are in denial IMO that are the issue. The moms (and dads, but more moms here) that think its fine to have 5 or 6 glasses of wine and then pick their kids up from school. Or go to a party (even if they do leave at 8) and do the same.

Its less people going out an intentionally getting drunk, but the denial is staggering.

scrubbedexpat091

No, California is completely dry from 2am to 6am.

"25631. Any on- or off-sale licensee, or agent or employee of that
licensee, who sells, gives, or delivers to any persons any alcoholic
beverage or any person who knowingly purchases any alcoholic beverage
between the hours of 2 o'clock a.m. and 6 o'clock a.m. of the same
day, is guilty of a misdemeanor."

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...le=25631-25633

Octang Frye

I don't really want to punch Patrick.

N1cky

I seem to come across a lot of people who think it is perfectly fine to go out to drink as much as possible between 6-8pm and then only drink water until they leave at 10pm, thinking somehow the water will dilute the alcohol in their system.

There are certainly less options out here for accidently having 1 over the limit. In the UK it used to be fairly common to go out in the car intending to only have 1, 6 drinks later you would leave your car and get a cab or walk home. You rarely see a taxi around here.

emailrob

Yeah. I think the part that IS rare is the designated driver thing. People look strangely at us when we say "its fine, we'll drive." then "why are you not drinking" question comes back to us.

chartreuse

We have no public transport at all in our small town, not even a taxi. There's a sports bar a mile and a half from the house (and we're about to get a Bennigans, same distance, different location), so I can walk to those. If I'm in Amarillo (closest we have to a "Big City") then, in extremis, I could leave the truck and get one of the guys (or a taxi) to drop me at a £26 motel, before cabbing it back to my truck in the AM.

Typically, though, as there's two of us, we operate the "one drinks, the other drives" system, which seems to work. So does drinking indoors - I've just started and won't be going out again this evening.

Plenty of ways to avoid drinking and driving, even in a tiny town in BFE.

Edited to add: I do miss having a boozer on the doorstep, though.

chartreuse

We don't get that, but I suspect that may be because most of my drinking buddies are fellow firearms enthusiasts, for whom the wisdom of not mixing alcohol with potentially lethal machinery goes without saying.

emailrob

Having trouble not breaking into song....but agree with you completely. The notion of "one drinks, one drives" has been somewhat alien to a number of people I know.