Is there anyone else who's perturbed by the fact that it's illegal to drink in public places in this province (and I believe country as a whole)? I mean, especially in the summer it's especially refreshing to walk down the street with an ice cold beer in-hand. How the government could get away with forcing such a fascist law is beyond me (what ever happened to 'life, liberty and security of the person'?).

And just to rub it in, we're in, what seems to me, one of the few places in the world where only the government sells liquor and beer (and taxes the crap out of it and makes excessive profits from the sale of it through its self-granted monopoly).

I've inconspicuously ignored this law on occasion but now I think it's time for some serious civil disobedience. What do you think?

I'm marathon and I approve this message.

Notice how you start this thread on a hot summer day.

Seriously, your right. We should have more lax laws to drinking outdoors. I personally don't agree with being able to drink ANYWHERE outside. Examples, residential streets and the likes.

However, in and around bars and entertainment venues, I would be more open to that. I remember in Europe you had swarms of people in the downtown bar district standing and drinking on the street by the bar wheere they bought the beer. Very civilized, but also liberating

Sure lets make drinking in public areas legal. There you got your civil disobedience.

Well it being such a nice, hot day makes me think about this even more!

I think that you should be able to drink pretty much anywhere. Afterall, they allow people to smoke anywhere outdoors don't they? I think this is more disturbing to others than drinking is.

But yeah, I was in Europe not too long ago and every time I'm there it reminds me even more of how ridiculous our laws on this are.

Sure lets make drinking in public areas legal. There you got your civil disobedience.

I'll get my civil disobedience when I walk down the street with a beer on Saturday (unless it rains of course). But yeah, making it legal would be even better.

Hey Marathon, how is this treated in Chicago? I've been in a few places in the US where it's okay as long as you keep it in a paper bag. Pretty ridiculous, but better than nothing I suppose (the paper bag trick doesn't work here, not to mention that it would make you look like a bum).

In Hamilton there's Hess Village and your allowed to drink anywhere in that area. Stuff like this I'm cool with. Hess Village is sort of like Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Aallen396/hu_hessday.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Appster/Hess_Village.jpg

Notice the beer cans on their hands
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Aallen396/hess1.jpg

That would be a nice, small step in the right direction. However, I don't see any reason why we should be told that we can't down ANY street with a beer in-hand. The point is not really needing a place to go to in order to drink outside, but to be able have a drink while walking to some destination, if you choose.

Hey Marathon, how is this treated in Chicago? I've been in a few places in the US where it's okay as long as you keep it in a paper bag. Pretty ridiculous, but better than nothing I suppose (the paper bag trick doesn't work here, not to mention that it would make you look like a bum).

Well, I never lived in the city proper, but we never had trouble taking a walk around the suburban neghborhood carrying an alcoholic beverage in hand...no paper bag required.

Well, I never lived in the city proper, but we never had trouble taking a walk around the suburban neghborhood carrying an alcoholic beverage in hand...no paper bag required.

Sounds like paradise...

In Denmark, there are very relaxed laws about walking around the streets with alcohol. I really enjoyed being able to have one for the road with no hassle.

If the city gets the ability to make laws without going through the province, it could very well be a possibility that alcohol laws with in the city could be relaxed.

I agree with this thread whole heartedly (sp?).
I've seen people walk around their neighbourhood streets with beer in hand which isn't really enforced hardcore, but it would be a lot easier knowing it just wasn't illegal.

one of my favorite passtimes, drinking in public, last weekend i was walking down cook st in victoria with a bottle of wine, right after i had eight kokanees, a good time was had by all

Sounds like paradise...

As long as you aren't making a public spectacle, and of course, as long as you aren't driving...noone will pay you much mind. Otherwise, roaming a suburban neighborhood isn't much different than roaming fairgrounds. ;)

It might sound silly but glass bottles are a big thing that many governing bodies worry about.

If a set of rules could be established that exluded booze in glass containers, there is really no harm in making this sort of dealy legal.

i drink wherever i want and when i want ;)

Well if glass bottles were the problem then they could just make the rule that drinking out of glass bottles in public is outlawed but everything else is okay (then again a lot of juice comes in glass as well). No reason why this concern should exclude cans!

I wanna go to Hess Village! I turn 19 July 13th! I think my bro is taking my downtown Toronto though!

I think drinking in public should be allowed. I could see a problem because of broken glass, but maybe atleast plastic/aluminum could be permitted.

I would have thought you were older JARdan. /\
Have fun! Turning 19 is exciting! No more prejudices when it comes to legal stuff! Woo hoo!

That's it, I can't take it anymore, I'm getting a beer.
Cheers to everyone!

I think the problem is that too many people would abuse the privaledge to drink outside in public. I'm sure most people would be civilized about it but I know you would get groups of animals that just caused total chaos. It's truie because I would probably be one of them. I've been in lots of countries where its fine to drink in public and i've never witnessed any problems tho.

I think the problem is that too many people would abuse the privaledge to drink outside in public. I'm sure most people would be civilized about it but I know you would get groups of animals that just caused total chaos. It's truie because I would probably be one of them. I've been in lots of countries where its fine to drink in public and i've never witnessed any problems tho.

Yeah even if this was the case, it's no reason to take away a basic right of everyone else.

Anyway, we would just be able to deal with that by giving fines or arresting those who cause the chaos, rather than tell everyone that they can't enjoy a cold, refreshing beer on a hot summer day while walking the streets of the city.

In Hamilton there's Hess Village and your allowed to drink anywhere in that area. Stuff like this I'm cool with. Hess Village is sort of like Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Aallen396/hu_hessday.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Appster/Hess_Village.jpg

Notice the beer cans on their hands
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Aallen396/hess1.jpg

Steeltowm you are sending a slightly skewed message... you can only drink on the street in Hess when there is a special occasion and they close the street off. Most of the time you can only drink in the different bars, finish your drink then hop to the next one... I know in there almost every weekend. :cheers:

I would have thought you were older JARdan. /\
Have fun! Turning 19 is exciting! No more prejudices when it comes to legal stuff! Woo hoo!
Lol, how come you thought I was older?

We need to ease up on the drinking issue. Sure, there is always some twit that can't handle their booze but the vast majority of people are well behaved. Kitchener's Octoberfest usually goes off without too much drama (ok, so it doesn't happen in Victoria Park on a 35C day) and the free public transit is a good idea.

Not only did I spend much of yesterday consuming beer on the city streets, but I even bought a six-pack of beer at the LCBO and cracked one open before I even exited the store, hahah

Not only did I spend much of yesterday consuming beer on the city streets, but I even bought a six-pack of beer at the LCBO and cracked one open before I even exited the store, hahah

thats pro, sounds like something i would do

sorry to burst the myth but drinking alcohol on a public walkway in chicago (unless perhaps you are at an outdoor cafe/restaurant that is licensed) is, i believe against the law. you are not aloud to walk around with an open beer. now, having said that, certainly people have and do. if you get caught, you may have to pay the consequences. if you don't get caught, no harm no foul.

There is nothing more Canadian then geting drunk (and stoned) on a hot summer day. :D

It's supposed to keep people from being drunk in public. But, umm.. bars are pretty public places.

If you like to drink outdoors and have a good time then come to Hess Village Mardi Gras Festival from Friday June 24 to Sunday June 26. I'll be going.

The whole area will be closed to traffic so it's gonna be a big party atmosphere.

Fourm meet for mardi gras! Everybody would have to dress up with the same mask :}

Under 21 with alcohol is illegal in USA but I hate this laws.

I thought that alcohol in public area is illegal over all USA but you can brings alcohol to MacArthur Park (near Downtown LA) cuz LAPD don't check so much in this park. You can brings alcohol outside of house or backyard without trouble.

Being born and raised in New Orleans and always having the freedom, with no worries, to pop a cold one whenever I want when I'm outside, it's very easy to forget when you are in other cities that you just can't drink in public. There have been several occasions when I've been "busted," by the local police in other cities and I have to say, I've met some great cops. I'm so non-chalant about it they immediately suspect that I'm from out of town and scold me, but, I've never received a citation when they realize that I'm truly visiting from New Orleans after seeing my identification. I've had encounters with the police in Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Cincinnati while inadvertently popping a cold one while strolling around these cities' Downtowns. I'm not a heavy drinker, but, I frequently pop a cold one when I'm walking my dogs in the neighborhood and converse all of the time with neighbors that are walking their dogs with a glass of wine or beer....

^hahaha, our "National Account Manager" is currently based out of New Orleans. He was up here Victoria Day Weekend toward the end of May and was telling us some stories about Mardi Gras. I can't wait until I turn 21 to check it out!

"Being born and raised in New Orleans and always having the freedom, with no worries, to pop a cold one whenever I want when I'm outside, it's very easy to forget when you are in other cities that you just can't drink in public."


Might explain those crime stats in New Orleans then. LOL

Well, if we can't think of a single logical reason why alcohol can't be consumed in public like pop, then maybe we should just drop that law then eh?

Funny thing though....ya never see people breaking that law too often....yet I see (or smell) people smoking pot ALL the time...and that's illegal to consume period.






KGB

i drink and smoke pot in public and i dont think it harms anyone greatly. obviously i dont do it around kids or the elderly. i dont do really stupid and dangerous things either. i think youll find that lots of people drink in public, but they are not bringing attention to it, like a can of blue looks very similar to a pepsi. the only reason the pot is more noticable is the smell. how often have you smelled pot but not seen the joint? almost every time?

no thanks.

thanks

just chiming in:

In NYC in penn station and on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) its perfectly legal to have an open container. That's all i can say for sure.

I know in most major cities, cops have larger problems than some guy with a beer at hand, so i usually get by on that

Want to drink in public/on the street? Go to Vegas. It's perfectly allowed, and there's no requirement to conceal it either. Nothing like walking the strip on a hot day while pounding beers, etc.