Drinking in public

[Chris87]

Is it illegal to pour alcohol (original container) into a cup or bottle (an other more discreet container) in public?

Its pretty stupid you can't just walk around with a beer. And whats the difference between a paper bag and no paper bag? people still know you're drinking.

Also whats the penalty?

[Mayhem]

I used to dump half a Gatorade bottle out and refill with Vodka, for laundromat visits.

[cornbread714]

It's a bit complicated in the U.S.
I once spent 36 hours in the New Orleans city jail for an open container (my 1st beer of the day, I had just gotten off work, wasn't even buzzed). Because I expressed indignation, they made it hard on me. I was forced to wear ankle chains with 15 other unfortunates.
In New Orleans, the law went back and forth for years. When a New Orleans cop SHOT somebody for an open container, they relaxed the law...
It's always been legal in New Orleans to have a plastic "go cup", which is for idiot tourists stumbling out of Bourbon Street clubs, but in the hood, where aluminum and glass rule, there's a different set of rules

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... ainer_laws

[kowalski]

It's legal to drink in public in Britain, except where there are signs specifically forbidding it. But who cares anyway because you can just fill up a pop bottle and nobodys any the wiser...

[Cowboy Joe]

In America, different locales have different rules. When I lived in the northwest US, I used to hang out at a lot of waterfront drinking spots, and there were never any open container laws on the docks, so lots of people would walk up and down drinking. The riverwalk in San Antonio is the same way, as I understand it, so lots of folks are strolling up and down with giant margaritas.

I've got various schemes to get away with drinking in public.....plastic cups from fast food restaurants mixed with vodka and gin are good, along with big gin and tonics in water bottles, or gin/vodka in a juice bottle. I used to take a greyhound made of half a bottle of Dole grapefruit juice and Gordon's with me to a boring class every other morning in college. Taco Bell has proprietary soda called "Baha Blast" that goes well with gin....especially if you have a taco or three to munch on with it.

[Labatt_50]

Is it illegal to pour alcohol (original container) into a cup or bottle (an other more discreet container) in public?

Its pretty stupid you can't just walk around with a beer. And whats the difference between a paper bag and no paper bag? people still know you're drinking.

Also whats the penalty?

For you and me in Ontario, from the LLA
Unlawful possession or consumption

(2) No person shall have or consume liquor in any place other than,

(a) a residence;

(b) premises in respect of which a licence or permit is issued; or

(c) a private place as defined in the regulations. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.19, s. 31 (2).

Exception

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to the possession of liquor that is in a closed container. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.19, s. 31 (3)

So pretty much any drinking in public will land you with a ticket from the cops, somthing like 150 bucks I think. Will they catch you if you are being low key? Probaly not, but it's up to you.

[Curb Feeler]

I find that you can usually get away with breaking one law at a time, but two will get you busted. For instance, if you're drinking (favorite liquor here) from an unassuming container, you'll be fine. But if you do that while dancing nude on a lamp post, then you've got problems. I'm assuming that dancing nude on a lamp post would be perfectly acceptable if you were drinking Hawaiian punch. Someone whould test that theory...

This two-law rule is all around you. I've got two friends with DUIs and both were driving drunk with expired tags.

[divine]

since I'm not an American, I might be far of here, but don't cops in America need reasonable suspission(sp?) before they can do anything, if so. Pouring clear liquor in a water bottle should solve everything and pouring brown liquor in those bottles of coke-light which are entirely coated in that plastac wrap should take care of that to...

just thinking...?

[GetDrunkStayDrunk]

Fortunately, downtown Savannah is a mere 45 minute drive away, and they allow no more then 16 ounces of alcohol in a plastic container.

[cornbread714]

since I'm not an American, I might be far of here, but don't cops in America need reasonable suspission(sp?) before they can do anything, if so. Pouring clear liquor in a water bottle should solve everything and pouring brown liquor in those bottles of coke-light which are entirely coated in that plastac wrap should take care of that to...

just thinking...?

Cops in America don't need anything before they can do anything (unless you're rich or famous or connected). That's just my experience, though...

[KaosDad]

In VA you can be arrested for "Appearing Drunk in Public." That's APPEARING. Your BAC can be zero and they stull write you up/haul you in.

(W00T! 500!)

[hossthomas]

since I'm not an American, I might be far of here, but don't cops in America need reasonable suspission(sp?) before they can do anything, if so. Pouring clear liquor in a water bottle should solve everything and pouring brown liquor in those bottles of coke-light which are entirely coated in that plastac wrap should take care of that to...

just thinking...?

Cops in America don't need anything before they can do anything (unless you're rich or famous or connected). That's just my experience, though...

I agree with cornbread, it's been my experience through several run ins with the cops that they'll do pretty much whatever they feel like doing. They'll fuck whoever they want to whenever they want to and the best thing you can do is just grab your ankles and find a happy place. Unless you have a damn good lawyer, the best you can expect to get out of arguing with them is a fist in the mouth and a charge of resisting arrest.

[dr alcohol]

i think it's terrible anyone should have any problems just for drinking in public, i could begin to understand if someone were causing a lot of trouble, but just drinking.. luckily where i live it's not a problem, even though the city admin proposed fines up to 500 euros (about 700 bucks i guess) for drinking in public, i can only hope that bs doesn't pass..

[captain gonzo]

Fine in the UK as long as the cops don't forcibly ID you (which they do regardless of age) and take it off you if you dont have any.

I've seen 25 year olds suffer this just because some cops don't like seeing people drinking on the street. Saying that i used to get a quarter bottle of whiskey every night walking from my ex's house for the trip home (trust me if you;d been hers you'd need it).

[Frankennietzsche]

Probable cause is a tricky thing, probably one of the most contensciouse. Cops can say that they smelled it on you and that's enough.