# I had a burger, fries, and a cold draft beer at a bar **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2020, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314 "2020-06-23T10:30:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/21 "2020-06-24T09:25:49Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > However, if I stop at a convenience store, buy a six pack and drink the two beers on the way home, then I have committed a violation. Why? I have done nothing different to harm the driving public by my latter behavior than by my former. Again, if anything I am less than “not impaired” as my alcohol level will not reach two beers until I am in my driveway. Yet the law wants to punish the latter and not the former. Drinking at the wheel? I don’t know what the laws are like your way, but if the Police saw me drinking, or eating a burger, or texting, while I was driving, they’d fine me for driving without due care or attention. ---
**Author:** ![VernonFlorida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vernonflorida/32/3267_2.png) [@VernonFlorida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernonFlorida)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/22 "2020-06-24T15:30:41Z")
I love that “cellars doors” are a category of drinking establishment in Australia. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/23 "2020-06-24T15:32:07Z")
Message from the new board: 🙂 It’s been a while since we’ve seen VernonFlorida — their last post was 5 months ago. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/24 "2020-06-24T15:56:24Z")
I dearly miss going to restaurants, especially Indian restaurants - I’m so damn tired of making curry myself. Here in Missouri, most places have begun to open for dine-in business, and a few of my daughter’s friends’ families have gone; however, we haven’t been able to justify it yet. We generally get takeout instead. Way back when, the weekend before the shutdowns started, I was really tired but scheduled to go to dinner with a few friends for a girls’ night out. I will always be super grateful I hauled my ass out to that restaurant because it was the last night out I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/25 "2020-06-24T18:59:18Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Which brings up an unrelated complaint about open container laws If I find litter while kayaking/pontooning/etc, I like to pick it up and dispose of it properly. But I break the law every time I do that, because the rusty, empty beer cans and broken beer bottles are considered “open containers” and my Jeep Wrangler doesn’t have a seperate compartment to stow them in during my drive home. ---
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/26 "2020-06-24T19:16:15Z")
I don’t think an empty bottle or can would be breaking the law. At least not in most states. [From Massachusetts](http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2010/01/17/clarifying_what_constitutes_an_open_container/): > [@](#): > > “An empty can doesn’t count,’’ he said. The exception, of course, is when an officer spots evidence that the can was emptied during the ride. > > “If the can is still cold, it’s still got frost on it, it was a full Bud and they just managed to get down the last gulp, I’m still charging them,’’ Deignan said. “But I’m not looking for any old beer can that’s been around a few days or weeks.’’ [From Texas](https://www.johneastlandlaw.com/dwi-dui-questions/what-is-an-open-container/#:~:text=What%20happens%20if%20you%20get,of%20which%20are%20partially%20removed.): > [@](#): > > So what is an “empty”? A can, bottle, cup or any other container which is completely empty is no longer an open container … it is trash! You can have 100 open beer cans in your floorboard and as long as each one of them is empty, they are trash, and nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/27 "2020-06-24T20:03:05Z")
> [@FastDan1](#): > > I don’t think an empty bottle or can would be breaking the law. At least not in most states. Pennsylvania is not most states. If I want to take empty alcohol containers for recycling, they must be in a seperate compartment (like a trunk). I got pulled over after kayaking, with rusty cans and broken bottles in my Jeep, due to a burned out tail light. The cop was going to write me up on an open container violation, and that led to us discussing the law in detail. He ended up just warning me, based on my plea to his environmental beliefs. > [@](#): > > Pennsylvania open container laws apply to both drivers and passengers of motor vehicles, and the laws provide that neither a driver nor passenger can have an open alcoholic beverage in a vehicle. The open container law in Pennsylvania is codified at 75 Pa. C.S.A. § 3809. There are more details, just cannot find them ---
**Author:** ![K2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@K2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K2500)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/28 "2020-06-24T21:54:56Z")
Good luck getting your can completely empty enough in Texas to be safe throwing it in the floorboard. You’re are good to carry partials and emptys if its in the bed, trunk or behind the last upright seat in the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/29 "2020-06-25T02:16:47Z")
I’m in Indiana, which has opened up to the point that half of the tables in a restaurant can be occupied, and I’ve taken advantage of this a couple of times in the last few weeks. One factor limiting my enjoyment of the experience has been the fact that my hearing’s not the greatest, and it’s difficult to understand a socially-distancing masked waiter while music is blaring at or above pre-COVID volume. Talk about the mundane turned noteworthy – I was introduced on Saturday to a woman who extended her hand, which I proceeded to shake, not realizing until later that it was the first physical contact I’d had with a stranger in months. I wasn’t even wearing a mask at the time! ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/30 "2020-06-25T03:02:59Z")
I’m not sure what’s open here, but I wouldn’t risk it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/31 "2020-06-25T03:47:05Z")
Went to a bar the previous Wednesday . Just me and and 900 other bikers. Live music and 5 beer lines that couldn’t begin to keep up. Maybe a 100 less bikes than usual. I’d guess 1,500 people peak and 2000+ total. A lot of pent up socializing ensued. People are really burned out on the hide-in-place routine. Not the youngest of crowds either. Definitely not what the doctor ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/32 "2020-06-25T16:23:37Z")
DC and Virginia restaurants are open with reduced seating, but I’m not interested in a Darwin award, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/33 "2020-06-25T17:40:58Z")
Here in Ada county the bars were opened, several dozen more people were promptly infected making for our biggest spike in a while, and now they’re closing again. I’m not prone to getting bored due to being at home, but even if I was I’d think twice about going out for some Corona. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/34 "2020-06-25T18:10:10Z")
I’m trying to keep up with the latest recommendations and info. The general sense I’m getting is that, first, masks work pretty well when infected people wear them, and maybe offer some small protection when worn by the uninfected. Obviously people can’t wear masks while eating. Second, viral load matters, and is affected by both time and proximity; brushing past an infected person in a grocery store might be less risky than sitting 6 feet apart in an enclosed space for several hours. Third, being outdoors helps, especially when combined with masks, social distancing, and keeping it moving. Restaurants and bars seem dicey right now, and with everyone offering to-go, maybe not a risk worth taking. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/35 "2020-06-25T19:55:31Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > y likes his with lettuce and tomato > Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes > Big kosher pickle and a cold dr Well good Gawd almighty! Which way do I steer? ---
**Author:** ![Mcmechanic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Mcmechanic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mcmechanic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/36 "2020-06-26T03:55:06Z")
Haven’t been out to any restaurants since the great reopening. Doesn’t really seam worth it to me to eat a burger and then declare bankruptcy after a stay in the hospital 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/37 "2020-06-26T04:16:45Z")
Drinking at the wheel? I don’t know what the laws are like your way, but if the Police saw me drinking, or eating a burger, or texting, while I was driving, they’d fine me for driving without due care or attention. [/quote] If the police saw you drinking a soda while you were driving, they’d fine you? ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/38 "2020-06-26T05:25:49Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > It’s my hope that states reform their alcohol laws after this. I can go to a Mexican restaurant and order food and drink a margarita there, so why can’t i get it to go? Good question. I know of a liquor store in Wyoming that sells frozen cocktails to go and one in Louisiana that sells frozen daiquiris to go. In each case, the drinks are in cardboard cups with plastic lids. It’s not considered an open container unless you push a straw through (or just plain remove) the lid. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/39 "2020-06-26T14:43:56Z")
I’ve often wondered about the phrase “cold draft beer.” Is there any other kind here? I know different cultures prefer warmer beer than the US. I don’t really know because I loathe beer and would not buy one as an experiment. 🙀 I also don’t see posters’ locations on the board, so I don’t know the where the OP is. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314/40 "2020-06-26T14:54:28Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > I’ve often wondered about the phrase “cold draft beer.” Is there any other kind here? I know different cultures prefer warmer beer than the US. Cask conditioned ales are typically poured a bit warmer than draft beer from kegs. And now I’m thirsty for some cask conditioned ale. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-burger-fries-and-a-cold-draft-beer-at-a-bar/912314.md?page=3)