I've often wondered whatever happened to those plastic-y sheets with "Pepsi" and "Coke" logos (actually they were altered, kinda like Wacky-Packs) I remember seeing back in the early 80s, that were used to wrap around a beer to disguise it.

There's some money to be made folks...

to emilydickinson sorry but its not true at all.

In Spain (and yes, its Europe since lot of Americans doesnt know where it is, i hope you do) you can not drink in the street... True be tall, tons of young ppl used to drink liquor in the streets, plus sodas, plus bags of ices, glasses...people drunk peeing in the corners and never pick it up so city squares were a mess (tons of ppl used to do that)

Otherwise, yeah, it should be legal, to sit down in a park and enjoy a beer or two as long as you not bothering anybody and clean it up after yourself.

Michi

www.glimpseofnewyork.com

"Based on this, you shouldn't get a ticket drinking on your stoop."

The way it happened to one friend on mine, drinking a beer on his stoop in Bushwick, it played out like this: cops roll up, ask him to come to the street to their car. He puts down the beer and stands up, cop says "You can bring that with you." He did so, and they ticketed him for having a beer on the sidewalk.

Don't worry, he admits his moment of trusting stupidity.

[39] - Maybe it was just bad luck but each year I lived in a different area of the city, and each year, I had troubles like that. Of course, it's worse in the FQ but that was where the majority of the public drinking got out of control. I just can see the drunk frat boys in the West Village and Chelsea turning it into a ridiculous 24/7 drunk-fest. I lived on St. Anthony Ave in Gentilly, lots of people smashed early in the day staggering around the neighborhood and urinating on lawns. I still loved the area because it was close to the Lakefront. I lived uptown on both Tchoupitoulas and Freret...granted the Freret address was close to the colleges and a block from Broadway, so that probably explains that. And there were a bunch of bars on Tchoup near me that were 24/7. Maybe it was just a consequence of poor taste in places to live? I don't mean that people were slobs 24/7 in front of me, but all year meaning not just for Mardi Gras. It seemed like there were a LOT of transplants from the midwest and such who all just wanted to drink and party all the time. It's sad to see people move there for those reasons. The city is beautiful, especially Audubon/City parks and the river. It just seemed that most people had a serious lack of self-control down there.

I still do miss the city though. =)

I just think unregulated public drinking in NYC wouldn't be such a good idea!

i grew up in new orleans, and 10:31 is crazy. unless you lived in a tulane frathouse on broadway, i have a hard time believing that in your experience the majority of people in new orleans behaved as you described above. the people who act that way are rately locals, and typically don't show up in most parts of the city.

isn't a stoop part of your private property? it's essentially like drinking on your front porch, no?

I love sitting outdoors and having a nice relaxing glass of wine, however I lived in New Orleans for 5 years, where it is legal to drink in public as long as it is in a plastic container.

Let me tell you, the majority of people got smashed, broke stuff, urinated and vomited on my apartment steps, passed out in my courtyard, and created an incredible negative "quality of life" for me and everyone who lived around me. The neighborhood constantly reeked of vomit and stale alcohol, crime was rampant, and really it just ruined a beautiful city. I'm not just talking about Mardi Gras and the French Quarter either, this was year-round in ALL areas.

It would be so nice to be able to have a glass of wine or cold beer at an outdoor picnic in a public place, but honestly, there would be no way to regulate the majority of people who cannot control themselves. You'd be surprised at how many people completely lose their logic after one or two drinks.

I agree with most of the posters above. As long as you are inconspicuous about it and not a loud drunken fool, there are ways you can get away with it. And I definitely think having a drink on your own stoop should be allowed.

You should be able to drink anywhere, just not be drunk. These types of laws are just like blue laws, rooted in religious beliefs. A modern society that allows adults to drink should allow them to drink on the street. Public drukeness is a public nuisance and can be dangerous and thus should be fined. It seems silly that I can slam down 4 beers, get in a car and it's perfectly legal (and even if i get stopped 30 minutes later at peak BAC I'll still blow under the legal limit) but I can't drink one tasty brew?

NYC Public Drinking Law 10-125

Based on this, you shouldn't get a ticket drinking on your stoop.

§ 10-125 Consumption of alcohol on streets prohibited. a. Definitions.

Whenever used in this section, the following terms are defined as

follows:

1. Alcoholic beverage. Any liquid intended for human consumption

containing more than one-half of one percent (.005) of alcohol by

volume.

2. Public place. A place to which the public or a substantial group of

persons has access including, but not limited to, any highway, street,

road, sidewalk, parking area, shopping area, place of amusement,

playground, park or beach located within the city except that the

definition of a public place shall not include those premises duly

licensed for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the

premises or within their own private property. Such public place shall

also include the interior of any stationary motor vehicle which is on

any highway, street, road, parking area, shopping area, playground, park

or beach located within the city.

b. No person shall drink or consume an alcoholic beverage, or possess,

with intent to drink or consume, an open container containing an

alcoholic beverage in any public place except at a block party, feast or

similar function for which a permit has been obtained.

c. Possession of an open container containing an alcoholic beverage by

any person shall create a rebuttable presumption that such person did

intend to consume the contents thereof in violation of this section.

d. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the consumption

of an alcoholic beverage in any duly licensed establishment whose

certificate of occupancy extends upon a street.

e. Any person who shall be found to have violated any of the

provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than

twenty-five dollars ($25) or imprisonment of up to five (5) days, or

both, or pursuant to the provisions of the family court act of the state

of New York where applicable.

Ever since that "paper bag law" was voided, I started to fill Snapple or Grape Juice bottles with red wine; Vitamin Water with beer...etc. Cops would never know what you're drinking. Sometimes you just have to do what you got to do to improvise. Why is it that the elite can only enjoy being inebriated in public places. I'm sorry but I 'd rather not pay for $20 glass of wine at those wine bars, when I can get a good bottle of wine for that price.

hooray veeelchop & Dave Hogarty for being the only reasonable & logical people in this thread! thanks!

sorry foodlover but JacqueMehoff is right:

"you were easy pickins, the law abiding stoolies will always get the ticket. now they got 8 people who will doubt cops. but they don't care."

Don't see a problem having a drink on one's stoop either ... used to sit and sip an iced coffee on mine (no longer live at the same place, no longer have a stoop) ... would it have led to a ticket if I'd added something to the coffee? Hmmm.

sorry, only for actual residents, we need a "I actually live here and pay taxes, f-wad" card, and then let the cops bust dem stinkin youts from lawnguyland and jerseycesspool for drinking in public...

The steps in Union Squares ... especially at night, you can smells the boozes, cops are everywhere. You can also smell weeds miles away. Nothing like a blind cop. =)

"If cops allow well-behaved people to sip wine at a picnic in the park and crack down on raucous people drinking beers on a stoop that may or may not be theirs, it will wind up being a massive discrimination/class-action judgement against the City."

Really? Which Amendment to the Constitution was it that made "raucous people" a protected class?

It seems the smart among us know how to skirt the rule (using another container, concealing, etc.) that it affects largely those it should.

One solution: Buy one of those big iced tea cans. Drain the swill. Cut off top. Model appropriately, depedent uopn your drink. Makes a perfect sleeve for a Bud/Coors/etc. 16 oz. Don't be an obvious ahole, pee in public, get in stupid fights. No hassles. Doesn't work for a Foster's, Kirin Ichiban, Sapporo. Used to toast the NJ state troopers (driver NON-drinking with our obvious "Pepsi" (Genny Cream Ale, baaaarrfff) cans on the Turnpike. Reason wine sippers get tagged: they won't shoot the ticketing agent, and are more likely to pay the tag.

Responsible drinking & innovative obfuscation is the key.

Dadoc

That's why I always fill up my Sprite bottle with pure vodka!

MFer - Farrell's??

The paper bag rule was fiction, an old wive's tale. It never was. And it doesn't and never did protect you from a fine. You were still breaking the law. And it made it real obvious what you were drinking.

It was up to the discretion of the cop. If he wanted to bust your balls, he would, paper bag or not.

What the cop was really saying was "no more discretion".

And what about the giant styrofoam cup? Only in classy beer joints.