Post in Keeping bars open longer for the RNC

Apr 03 21:22 UTC

Okay.  2nd post today and y'all know what that means.

Anne - I do agree with your posting.

We have decided to have the bar closing time we have because it reflects our
overall values and lifestyle.  It is part of who we are.  Frankly, having moved
from Chicago (I was actually born here, so I claim right of return) where the
bar closing times were so late as to essentially make Friday and Saturday
nights "non-closing" nights I found it refreshing that we had a 1:00 AM closing
time.  Haven't cared for the 2:00 AM closing and don't see why it's needed.

However, I don't quite agree with your email to me in which you addressed the
kindergartner's need to start a week later because new, young students might be
confused with all the bus re-routing necessary for the convention.  I don't
believe the busses needed to be re-routed.  If the politicians are afraid of
bus loads of 5 year olds they should have their convention somewhere else.  We
don't re-route busses for any other convention.  We shouldn't for a political
convention.

For those who don't see a connection between the convention, later closing
times, and drunken rowdy behavior, allow me to make the following points:

1)  It isn't the politicians, delegates, or their hangers on who will be at the
bars late.  It is all the other people.  The media, the protesters (yes, the
protesters, too), the hyped up curious locals and all the other interesting
sorts the convention will attract.

2) Later bar times do increase drunken rowdy behavior because it gives patrons
more time to drink.  You can talk all you want about bartenders refusing to
serve people who are too drunk, but if that was a foolproof system we wouldn't
have so many drunk driving accidents at bar time.

3) As has been mentioned here by someone else, the later bar times will also
prove attractive to young locals.  Even if the club where they are dancing to
their favorite band closes at 2:00, they can, and will, still pile in the car
and head on over to the bars that have opted to stay open until 4:00 just like
we did when we were young and living in places that had access to multiple
closing times.  > Ah, I remember the drunken drives through the countryside
trying to make it to Beldenville before last call.  The wind blowing the smell
of Danny's regurgitated cheesburger away and leaving the car with that clean
country smell that's a combination of new mown alfalfa and cow manure.  [sniff]
good times....<

I'm sorry.  Where was I?

It doesn't make sense.  It isn't who we are as a community.  It's silly to
expect us to make this change after they have already selected our city for
their convention.  If they don't have respect for our laws, our culture or our
institutions they shouldn't have chosen St. Paul.

Brian Ashley
Macalester