American Drinking Culture
Apr 19th 2010, 10:44 pm
#31
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Google Town
Posts: 7,532
Re: American Drinking Culture
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.
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.
There is a bar fairly close by that I frequent with another BE'er and her lovely husband drives us home. The car park last week was full when we arrived, and every one was drinking alcohol, hardly any cars left in the carpark when we left, so they must have all driven home
Apr 19th 2010, 10:48 pm
#32
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,993
Re: American Drinking Culture
Apr 20th 2010, 11:39 am
#34
Unmitigated Gall
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: it's still too dark to tell
Posts: 16,162
Apr 20th 2010, 2:14 pm
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: North Charleston,SC. born in Stockport,UK.
Posts: 10,109
Re: American Drinking Culture
The guy in front looks like one of our BE members!
Apr 21st 2010, 3:22 am
#38
member of little note
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 526
Re: American Drinking Culture
I am amused when people talk about a national drinking "culture." I've lived here all my life, and I would note that there are different "crowds" who have different drinking habits. BTW, Ft. Lauderdale has a reputation of spring break party atmosphere.
One thing to note about US bars -- the legal aging drinking age throughout the US is 21. When the general age of majority was reduced to 18 there was an upsurge in teenage drinking. It has now reverted to 21. It is a matter of state law. Technically, it still is. However, after many states had already reverted to 21, the Federal Government made the 21 year old drinking age a condition of obtaining Federal Highway funds.
Liquor sales in the US are generally highly regulated. Generally, a liquor license is generally a license to print money. Your question is about an on-site sales situation. However, my local 7-11 is one of the few that does not have an off-site sales license -- not even beer & wine. The ABC is highly disinclined to issue a new one in our area -- there are many as is. And when a business applies for a license, even to buy an existing license, a big notice has to be placed in the window and they are easily recognizable. The notice invites public comment. Whenever that 7-11 has put up the notice, the local public comments -- the concern mainly being that the off-site will really be on-site -- in the parking lot.
Bottom line -- one's individual perception of "culture" will often be from personal experience.
If you are 22, have you been "carded" yet?
One thing to note about US bars -- the legal aging drinking age throughout the US is 21. When the general age of majority was reduced to 18 there was an upsurge in teenage drinking. It has now reverted to 21. It is a matter of state law. Technically, it still is. However, after many states had already reverted to 21, the Federal Government made the 21 year old drinking age a condition of obtaining Federal Highway funds.
Liquor sales in the US are generally highly regulated. Generally, a liquor license is generally a license to print money. Your question is about an on-site sales situation. However, my local 7-11 is one of the few that does not have an off-site sales license -- not even beer & wine. The ABC is highly disinclined to issue a new one in our area -- there are many as is. And when a business applies for a license, even to buy an existing license, a big notice has to be placed in the window and they are easily recognizable. The notice invites public comment. Whenever that 7-11 has put up the notice, the local public comments -- the concern mainly being that the off-site will really be on-site -- in the parking lot.
Bottom line -- one's individual perception of "culture" will often be from personal experience.
If you are 22, have you been "carded" yet?
Apr 21st 2010, 3:34 am
#39
member of little note
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 526
Re: American Drinking Culture
bloody good point, I saw this and sorry if anyone else has pointed it out, but just having ears boxed right, left and centre about the health care debate and it isn't "constitutional" ? want ever that means! as it has so many amendments and was meant to be a sail not an anchor! so federal highway's was the reason to legalization to 21 drinking?, which is basically what my driving instructor in CT told me as CT allowed Drinking at 18, Old enough to Die? old enough to drink? something to with Vietnam??? and then did away with it!
Apr 21st 2010, 4:42 am
#40
BE Commentator
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 8,424
Re: American Drinking Culture
Don't mean drinking and driving BTW, just that a Law was sneakily passed, under federal funding and I have no idea which party? interested to know? I like a lot of Brits am shocked at the drink Driving here, in My state it is arse about face, I can't buy Beer to consume at home on a Sunday but I can drive to a Bar drink myself silly and drive home, yes and risk getting caught, but people just don't seem to!
The 18th Amendment was such a disaster, it was repealed by the 21st 15 years later. However, the 21st did preserve "local option." [Recently, the Supremes held that the Commerce Clause actually trumped the "local option" to an extent].
By the way, the Federal Franchise was lowered to 18 at the beginning of 1970 and the 26th amendment was passed in 1971. Young enough to die, eh? The voting age was lowered in 1970 eighteen days before my 21st birthday -- and I was in the US Army at the time. While stationed in Virginia, 18 year olds were permitted to purchase "3.2" beer while 21 and over could purchase "6.4." Only "3.2" was served on Post, so being a tad older than many of my fellow soldiers, I was often taken along to purchase the "6.4." stuff. [Funny thing, I really didn't like the taste of beer at first]. BTW, the "hard" stuff was available only to 21 and over and then only in State "Package" stores which kept what were then called "bankers' hours."
An Army buddy hailed from Utah which had yet to legalize "liquor by the drink" -- what they had done, was to allow restaurants to sell a bottle to patrons with their dinner -- but there had been a strict "open bottle" law in effect. They had just authorized sales of "mini-bottles" like the ones on the airlines.
An interesting chart on drinking ages can be found here.
Apr 21st 2010, 12:32 pm
#41
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: American Drinking Culture
Wickard v. Filburn and Gonzales v. Raich made depressing reading. United States v. Lopez was more encouraging but it reminded me that, in the firearms world at least, the maxim "you might beat the rap but you won't beat the ride" is never far from people's thoughts.
Last time I was in SC (6 years or so ago) the law was still that hard liquor could only be sold for on-premises consumption by way of mini bottles. Don't know if that's changed since then.
Apr 21st 2010, 3:20 pm
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,068
Re: American Drinking Culture
It changed about 3yrs ago. DUIs are said to be the most common criminal offense here. Too many times I've been following a drunk or drugged driver here it seems. The last time was on I-20. I passed a guy in the red BMW 3 series doing about 45. A few miles down the road, he passed me doing at least 100 then inexplicably slammed his brakes on hard and slowed to 40 odd. Was quite scary to think he could have slammed into the back of me and being completely unaware of doing it most likely.
Apr 21st 2010, 4:34 pm
#43
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 13,111
Apr 21st 2010, 5:21 pm
#44
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: North Charleston,SC. born in Stockport,UK.
Posts: 10,109
Re: American Drinking Culture
It changed about 3yrs ago. DUIs are said to be the most common criminal offense here. Too many times I've been following a drunk or drugged driver here it seems. The last time was on I-20. I passed a guy in the red BMW 3 series doing about 45. A few miles down the road, he passed me doing at least 100 then inexplicably slammed his brakes on hard and slowed to 40 odd. Was quite scary to think he could have slammed into the back of me and being completely unaware of doing it most likely.
He says he is having to re-learn defensive driving!
Apr 21st 2010, 6:56 pm
#45
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: American Drinking Culture
Don't mean drinking and driving BTW, just that a Law was sneakily passed, under federal funding and I have no idea which party? interested to know? I like a lot of Brits am shocked at the drink Driving here, in My state it is arse about face, I can't buy Beer to consume at home on a Sunday but I can drive to a Bar drink myself silly and drive home, yes and risk getting caught, but people just don't seem to!
Signed into law by President Reagan. The 98th congress had a democrat majority in the House and the Senate had a republican majority.
So I supposed you could possibly say it was bi-partisan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...inking_Age_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/98th_Un...tates_Congress