Drinking beer in my driveway?

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ayrton

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My apartment has a very small front yard in front of it, and it borders a semi-major state route. I have a car port and driveway along the side of the apartment; is it legal to drink a beer there? I'm in plain sight of everyone, but I'm on my property. Anyone know for sure?
 
I wouldn't care.
If you aren't causing a problem then I'd do it.

Stupid law or rules if that's the case.
Some times you need to say F**k the man.
 
I would say, If you can sit in your own garden and drink a beer in the summer then you can drink on your driveway.

Aslong as you don't get plastered and start shouting at people walking past and throwing emptys at them :D
 
Geordiepete said:
I would say, If you can sit in your own garden and drink a beer in the summer then you can drink on your driveway.

Aslong as you don't get plastered and start shouting at people walking past and throwing emptys at them :D

What else would you do on a Saturday afternoon?
It's not good to start peeing in the gutter though!:drunk:
 
Is it a complex? A friend of mine lives in one and its illegal to drink on his porch. We do it anyhow, but cops will drive by and give us the stink eye every once in a while. Best to check with your neighbors.
 
Geordiepete said:
I would say, If you can sit in your own garden and drink a beer in the summer then you can drink on your driveway.

Aslong as you don't get plastered and start shouting at people walking past and throwing emptys at them :D

If your garden is in your backyard, they would never know you are drinking in it.

Some states do have "blue-laws" on the books and some of them have "public" drinking laws. Kentucky has (had?) one. When I got to Ft. Campbell , KY, we had an orientation. One of the laws they made sure we knew about was drinking in public - even your front porch was off-limits. The police did enforce that law. I was at my section chiefs house having a cookout. He went to his car to get a pack of cigs with his beer in hand. A cop just happen to be going by at the same time and ticketed him.

I think a lot of "blue-laws" have been dropped due too the arguement that you are on private property and such. I know a lot of them in San Antonio have been dropped - except not being able to buy any alcohol before noon on Sunday.

Call one of the police stations in your area and ask them if you can drink in your front yard. "I asked the people on the brewing forum" is not going to save you from a stupid $50 ticket in court.
 
You'll have to check your local laws, as it varies from state to state and town to town. I've seen towns where it would be legal if you were in a condo, but not if it was an identical apartment. Or it would be ok in the yard, but if you stepped onto the sidewalk (which seems to be a frontwalk most places) it would be illegal because that's a public easement.
 
I never really thought about it. My neighbors and I drink in my front yard, their front yards, sometimes standing in the street. :drunk:

It's a residential neighborhood, and everyone gets along really well, so naturally we like to drink together. FWIW we have 3 cops living on the block and they all give us a wave as they drive by. I guess in the end tho, it all depends on the rules of your complex, and if someone gets bugged by it. I'd avoid throwing empties at them tho as well, and taking a leak in the gutter is definitely out. :p

Ize
 
I personally wouldn't worry about it.

I don't know what the climate is nowadays at the beach around here, but it used to be illegal to drink beer on public beaches (probably still is). However, as long as you didn't bring any bottles and always poured your beverage into a cup (family atmosphere, you know) the beach patrol wouldn't even bat an eye.
 
ayrton said:
My apartment has a very small front yard in front of it, and it borders a semi-major state route. I have a car port and driveway along the side of the apartment; is it legal to drink a beer there? I'm in plain sight of everyone, but I'm on my property. Anyone know for sure?


If you want to know for sure, contact your local municipal police department during regular business hours and ask an officer. With out knowing what your local ordinances, I would hesitate to say one way or the other.
 
I don't think there'd be a problem if you drink from a cup or a glass. Some folks just don't like to see bottles and cans.
 
david_42 said:
You'll have to check your local laws, as it varies from state to state and town to town. I've seen towns where it would be legal if you were in a condo, but not if it was an identical apartment. Or it would be ok in the yard, but if you stepped onto the sidewalk (which seems to be a frontwalk most places) it would be illegal because that's a public easement.
I bet that law could be challenged as "public" since you technically pay taxes all the way to the middle of the street...:drunk:
 
In Wisconsin, the rule of thumb is that if you stay off of the sidewalk or the street, you're good. Even if you're in a public park you can drink(if it's not posted) as long as you are on the grass. I know people that got slapped with a public consumption ticket because their toes were on the sidewalk. Ridiculous, isn't it? You're still in plain view, but if you're not on the sidewalk, it's not "public" consumption.
 
I couldn't drink beer in my driveway now, it would be frozen before I finished it, I guess unless I slammed it, but that just wouldn't be proper for a nice homebrew. 1/2 way through winter and spring can't come soon enough.
 
Interesting stuff. I can't remember what law it was that I read here, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to recall that it's illegal to drink in your front yard, that is, in public sight, in Chicago/Illinois. On the other hand, I wouldn't even blink at fear of the cops enforcing that law under normal circumstances. There's the law, then there's the judge who is going to say to tje officer, "You really honestly decided this was a worthwhile use of your time??!!!"
 
I would imagine it is alot like the parking lot that i tailgate in for college football games. As long as we put it in a plastic cup, that is not clear, then we are fine. We have even had cops come up to us and ask whats in the cup, "uuhhhhhh apple cider". "Very good, just dont get to loud", he would reply. Kind of an understood rule for us and i would guess it is the same for you.

What kind of a$$ hole would the officer have to be to bust a guy who is not causeing a problem and just enoying a beer on his porch or driveway?
 
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