(no subject)

[amand_r]

BRITISH PEOPLE: HALP.

What's the general law about drinking on public? Open alcohol containers in public areas are pretty much verboten here, though in some places you can get away with carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag.

Like if two people went to a picnic table or bench in the middle of a park at night and broke out the vodka, is that allowed?

Comments

[cthonus.livejournal.com]

We have certain areas - normally city centres etc- where drinking is disallowed but those areas are clearly marked with signs. It's an issue that's usually dealt with by district, not a blanket ban.

On the whole in the larger towns and cities there will probably be a local bylaw prohibiting public drinking.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Okay, so like a public park in Cardiff might very well have a "no public drinking" sign?

[cthonus.livejournal.com]

I pretty much expect you'd get 'moved on' at best, and arrested at worse.

Unless you can prove its just coke...

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I think the big clear bottle of Chopin vodka would be a dead give away. LOL. This is good to know.

[cthonus.livejournal.com]

You could always keep the bottles in a backpack and use a very very long straw xP

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

LOL haa. No, they're okay. Thanks!

[huesiemama.livejournal.com]

Like a hydration pack? Or in this case, a libation pack?

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

BEER CAN HELMET!

[huesiemama.livejournal.com]

[cthonus.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Though I expect walking around a city with a bulky backpack and wires would probably invite a bullet from an anti-terrorist squad rather than a friendly lecture on the dangers of illicit drinking.

[huesiemama.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Good call. Probably OK in my little town, but in a larger city, um, yeah.

[electrictoes.livejournal.com]

One of the cities I live in has areas where there's a drinking ban, and the other doesn't so... you could probably get away with it in fic, although for Cardiff specifically, I don't actually know.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

It's more like...it's the middle of the night and two of the characters have bottles of vodka out on a picnic table. they are also (one of them) roaring drunk, but it's Lois Habiba, so how loud could she possibly get anyway?

[electrictoes.livejournal.com]

Just to be even more awkward, a lot of public parks are closed at night.

But that said, the Whoniverse has ALIENS, so you could probably get away with it ;)

[planejane.livejournal.com]

I used to live in a town that banned public drinking in some of the parks, and this has increased in many city centers, but it's not like that everywhere. this short article would suggest there is no law against it in Cardiff.

http://cardiffnorthlibdems.org.uk/news/000129/calling_time_on_alcohol_misuse.html

In many places it's perfectly acceptable to drink alcohol in public in a park.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

GAH. NOT. HELPFUL.

Not you. You are very helpful!

[planejane.livejournal.com]

Why? Did you need for it to be illegal in your story?!

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

No, it just would have been funny.

[planejane.livejournal.com]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8291259.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/3361427.stm

These suggest there's no problem with it unless you are misbehaving.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I remember people wandering all over the Bay with drinks, first trip. That is definitely not allowed where I live. They were drifting out from the bar above the tourist office.

I am so helpful, yeah?

Email Paul! He will tell you about cardiff!

[sthayashi.livejournal.com]

Amand-r,

Even in this country there are pockets of places where drinking alcohol is perfectly legal in public. Las Vegas on the Strip comes immediately to mind. Not sure about Bourbon St. in New Orleans.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I needed to know about the UK.