How the Other Half Lives
Some reader response regarding my wide-eyed amazement the other day at the existence of drive thru liquor stores. Apparently in some red states, that's only the beginning.
Cathy from The Equality State shows how they earned their nickname. In Wyoming, everyone (but the driver) has the inalienable right to take the party mobile:
I recently moved to the great state of Wyoming and just wanted to let you know that we have (lots of) drive through liquor stores. We also have "to go" cups, should the bar close and you are not quite finished with your drink! And, 'open bottle' here is only applies to the driver. It is perfectly legal for the rest of the passengers to drink. I love it here!
And Joe writes in to let us know that Louisiana takes a back seat to no one in providing easy access to spirits:
It's probably nice to buy a warm six-pack or a bottle of Jack from the convenience of the driver's seat, but it must be frustrating to have to wait until you get home to imbibe. Here in New Orleans we have Drive-Thru Daiquiri Bars which serve ice-cold 48oz'ers with a straw, as well as frosty cold draft beers, Everclear, jello shots, etc. etc. and you don't even have to leave your air-conditioned car. Further, if you sip'n'drive to your destination and you're not done w/your libation - no problem! There are no open container laws. Simply park, stroll, and continue building your buzz. New Orleans - where the bars have go-cups and the liquor/beer-stocked convenience stores are open 24/7/365.
Which all sounds like a beautiful way to live. Then I remember every time I watch COPS - Mardi Gras (which, by the way, is on this Saturday), it looks like a scene from Dante's Inferno or the MN State Fair Midway. The crushing mass of squirming flesh and bones, the din of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the rank obscenity and casual violence associated with acquiring shiny beads and shallow flattery. Do you think that might have something to do with easy access to booze? Naaaah.
The existence of open container laws in the Big Easy seems to be a matter of some controversy. According to Joe (heretofore an unimpeachable source), they don't have any. But according to The Dummies Guide to Getting Plowed in New Orleans, they do, sort of:
The city does have - and enforce - an open-container law that prohibits imbibing while behind the wheel, but that said, ordering a daiquiri from the comfort of your car is a staple of suburban nightlife and quite the "Am I really getting away with this?" experience for first-timers.
Clarification can be found in Louisiana Statute 32:300:
Open alcoholic beverage container" means any bottle, can, or other receptacle that contains any amount of alcoholic beverage and to which any of the following is applicable: (i) It is open or has a broken seal. (ii) Its contents have been partially removed. "Open alcoholic beverage container" shall not mean any bottle, can, or other receptacle that contains any amount of frozen alcoholic beverage unless the lid is removed or a straw protrudes through the lid.
Loophole! Courtesy of your friends and lobbyists from Big Daiquiri. If you'd like to read more about the legal infrastructure supporting inebriation in New Orleans, check out this from Alcohol 411.
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