ATAR Notes: Forum
General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Lifestyle and Entertainment => Topic started by: BigAl on February 01, 2014, 06:35:04 pm
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I know that drinking alcohol is prohibited in public areas like parks, beaches etc. I was walking alongside the beach yesterday and there were a few people consuming alcohol. How's this possible? I can't consume alcohol at home and don't like crowded places like bars, pubs etc. I'd rather drink by myself..but not sure where. Can someone clarify this?
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Public consumption of alcohol isn't outright banned in Victoria afaik. A lot of places (eg CBD, certain parks, certain suburbs) ban it, either at all times or after certain hours.
A lot of people ignore these rules though, since typically you'll just be told to put it away if you're not drunk or causing trouble
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It's not actually illegal in many places in the city. For instance, it's perfectly legal (as far as i know) to drink booze in flagstaff gardens. The Melbourne City Council has a series of maps on their website (ctrl + F "Liquor").
If you're not totally drunk or disorderly, a lot of people will ignore it, especially if you don't look very suss (i.e. unfortunately homeless or violent looking). It also helps if its in a generally accepted place like a hot day at the beach or a few people sitting on the grass at a park with a picnic basket or something. Context is everything.
Even then, it's not like they'll haul you off to jail, at most you'll get a fine or they'll tell you to tip it out. If you do want to avoid suspicions, if it is a liquor or spirit, i suggest you mix it into a slurpee or something like that then drink the slurpee. If its a beer, you might like to go to McDonalds, get a large cola cup, drink the cola and fill the cup with beer or wine. I've only ever done the slurpee thing, even then we divide it among like 5 people. That said, i'd rather go to a bar than wander aimlessly and i reckon you should consider your view on bars again, take a few friends.
As always though, drink responsibly. Keep in mind alcohol does have a fair few harms and dangers associated with it. All things in moderation hey?
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Thanks for your replies :)