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I need a drink!! Is your local trackside bar open?

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I need a drink!! Is your local trackside bar open?
Posted by divebardave on Friday, April 3, 2020 2:20 PM

Here where I am in Western PA it is open for 1-6 beers take out only..No hard Liquor and all the PA state stores are closed....I here that some stations in NYC had Adult lemondae Stands.. I miss those beer stand guys at Grand Central

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:05 AM

Life's tough all over.  it's going to be a while before the saloons reopen anywhere.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:40 AM

Down here in Virginia the state ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commision) liquor stores are open, as are wine and beer specialty shops.  Bars are closed.

Liquor stores in New Jersey are still open (And getting quite a lot of business from Pennsylvanians!) and I believe the same is true for New York.  Bars are closed.

One of the reasons NJ kept the liquor stores open was the realistic facing of a grim reality, unlike drug addiction withdrawal alcohol addiction withdrawal can be deadly if not done under medical supervision.  The docs and nurses have enough to worry about right now. 

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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:46 AM

Here in Ontario bars are closed but the liquor and beer stores are open. Legal marijuana stores are being closed. There's one near where I live and when it was open yesterday, the people standing in line were all close together showing the intelligence level of the average toker. 

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Posted by Miningman on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:50 AM

Ditto here on sub polar North Shield, bars closed, Liquor Store open and a considerable line up. Same for the Pot Store. 

A Doctor here in La Ronge posted yesterday that the Emergency has a problem with drunk/high people going in from house parties.

Locals are calling it " no surrender bender"... I call it " 6 feet under and can't recover"  

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Posted by York1 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:52 AM

In Nebraska, there are no state-run stores.

Hard liquor, beer, and wine can all be purchased in grocery stores, gas stations, liquor stores, and bars, if the local town allows it.

Last week, the governor amended an earlier rule.  For several weeks, you could get beer and wine in sealed containers curbside outside bars.

He later changed it so mixed drinks could also be ordered and purchased in a car.  The law against open alcohol containers in the car still stands.

York1 John       

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, April 4, 2020 11:12 AM

In Utah, state liquor stores (which are still open) sell everything that is heavier than beer. Until last fall, only the lightest beer was sold elsewhere, now heavier beer is available--and several thousand gallons of light beer were poured out (I don't remember just where).

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Saturday, April 4, 2020 1:29 PM

Flintlock76

One of the reasons NJ kept the liquor stores open was the realistic facing of a grim reality, unlike drug addiction withdrawal, alcohol addiction withdrawal can be deadly if not done under medical supervision.  The docs and nurses have enough to worry about right now. 

Wayne is absolutely right on the underlined text above.

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 1:40 PM

All seating in bars and restaurants in NY state is closed.  I would imagine that means standing at the bar, too.  Takeouts are available, although I haven't heard mixed drinks discussed.  

All alcohol here, except beer,  is sold in the liquor stores, which are still open.

On a possibly related note, I've heard that domestic disturbances are up.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Saturday, April 4, 2020 4:22 PM

For years, there was a bar across the street from the old San Diego Union/Evening Tribune plant downtown called "The Press Room." I wonder if there was ever a dive near a railroad yard or terminal called "The Joint Bar" or maybe was that too obscure? 

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 7:24 PM

ChuckCobleigh

For years, there was a bar across the street from the old San Diego Union/Evening Tribune plant downtown called "The Press Room." I wonder if there was ever a dive near a railroad yard or terminal called "The Joint Bar" or maybe was that too obscure? 

Probably just "Joe's" or "Shortie's" or some off the wall name like "Shangri-La..."

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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 7:39 PM

Hotel bars are closed so there's no place to get a shot and put down a bet on a prize fight or get a tip on a horse race. No floozies at the bar, no blond dames at the cigar stand in the lobby. The floating crap game in the back room is shut down. The house dicks have nothing to do except chase sleazy little gunsels out of the chairs near the front door. Even the Fat Man has checked out. 

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, April 4, 2020 7:45 PM

ChuckCobleigh
I wonder if there was ever a dive near a railroad yard or terminal called "The Joint Bar" or maybe was that too obscure?

This seems to be a week for missing obvious post puns.

The name of the establishment is the "Low Rail Joint".

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, April 4, 2020 8:08 PM

Overmod

 

 
ChuckCobleigh
I wonder if there was ever a dive near a railroad yard or terminal called "The Joint Bar" or maybe was that too obscure?

 

This seems to be a week for missing obvious post puns.

The name of the establishment is the "Low Rail Joint".

 

Maybe there were trackside bars along the New York Central from Grand Central Terminal to Harmon called "The Third Rail?"

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Saturday, April 4, 2020 8:21 PM

tree68

 

 
ChuckCobleigh

For years, there was a bar across the street from the old San Diego Union/Evening Tribune plant downtown called "The Press Room." I wonder if there was ever a dive near a railroad yard or terminal called "The Joint Bar" or maybe was that too obscure? 

 

Probably just "Joe's" or "Shortie's" or some off the wall name like "Shangri-La..."

 

 

A lot of small towns in the upper plains had a Stockman's Bar, usually backed up to the tracks.Beer

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by alphas on Saturday, April 4, 2020 9:57 PM

My Sweetie's younger daughter is a divorce lawyer.   The answer machine in her office is loaded with calls from those whose "shelter in place" for the last 2 weeks in our area is the end of their marriage.    She figures her firm isn't going to run out of clients for a long, long time.

Also, they have been besiged with those who want to get their wills, POA's, Med. POA's, etc. written or updated.     Same with other lawyers in PA.    But Govenor Wolf refuses to let them open up to meet [only by appointment] under very controlled conditions in the big conference rooms where there is lots of distance available between individuals.    These documents all require signatures of the individual, a notary,  & 2 witnesses.   So they do it on line with all parties in indivdual windows showing on the screen at the same time.   First the individual signs while everyone watches, then the documents have to be physically delivered to the 1st witness to sign with everyone watching, then it is delivered to the 2nd witness to sign with everyone watching, and then its delivered to the Notary with evryone watching, and then its delivered to the lawyer for copying and distribution.    So what took an hour appointement now takes days.

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Posted by alphas on Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:13 PM

Flintlock76
Maybe there were trackside bars along the New York Central from Grand Central Terminal to Harmon called "The Third Rail?"

 

I think I saw a dive called that back in the 50's passing through (by car) some town in downstate, IL but don't remember which town.   I believe it was across from a smaller freight yard.    It  was back in the days when all the granger trackage still existed so there were many small freight yards, especially if 2 lines intersected which seemed to happen all the time back then.    I don't remember the track being electrified so I guess they were referring to a bar rail.

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Posted by PennsyBoomer on Saturday, April 4, 2020 11:15 PM

Some states are funny - Pennsylvania always reactionary with their State Stores. Then you move west and you can get anything you want at the grocery store. I haven't gotten any mixed drinks to go at a restaurant since this soap opera began, so wonder how they seal them so they're not an open container. Or does one just suck them down before leaving the parking lot - like an A&W or Dog 'n Suds? Bars are shut down in NE. The Dog House is a good biker/burger bar a block from the tracks in Waterloo, NE and I'm looking forward to things getting back to a semblance of normal and ready to go. 

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, April 5, 2020 12:09 AM

alphas
I believe it was across from a smaller freight yard. 

Remember that Rule G was less rigorously enforced at one time.  "Beans" might have included a cold adult beverage...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, April 5, 2020 7:50 AM

tree68
 
alphas
I believe it was across from a smaller freight yard.  

Remember that Rule G was less rigorously enforced at one time.  "Beans" might have included a cold adult beverage...

As I recall one Baltimore Terminal yard crew would take their 'lunch' in the lunch room of a brewery that they serviced - there was wall long cooler of the product available for all in the lunch room.

Another crew serviced a distillery, I never had the opportunity to 'birddog' them so I don't know where they took their lunch.  Distillery's switch was off the Main Track and did not have an electric lock, so the crew was prohibited from clearing up at the plant.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, April 5, 2020 8:13 AM

PennsyBoomer

Some states are funny - Pennsylvania always reactionary with their State Stores. Then you move west and you can get anything you want at the grocery store. I haven't gotten any mixed drinks to go at a restaurant since this soap opera began, so wonder how they seal them so they're not an open container. Or does one just suck them down before leaving the parking lot - like an A&W or Dog 'n Suds? Bars are shut down in NE. The Dog House is a good biker/burger bar a block from the tracks in Waterloo, NE and I'm looking forward to things getting back to a semblance of normal and ready to go. 

 

Utah is different from the other states around in that anything more potent than beer is sold in state stores only--at a good markup. Go to Nevada, and you find, it seems, almost anything you want in grocery stores. People in this area go to Evanston, Wyoming, to buy what they want at a lower price.

Such matters do change with the times. When I was in college in Bristol, Tennessee (more than 60 years ago), Sullivan County (Tennessee) was dry--and Bristol, Virginia, was also, even though Washington County, Virginia, was not (just go 15 miles up the road to Abingdon). Now, you can buy wine in grocery stores in Bristol, Virginia; I do not know the current situation in Sullivan County.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, April 5, 2020 8:55 AM

Five package  stores in Bristol,  TN that sell alcoholic beverages. There are King University and a Bible college for higher education.  

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, April 5, 2020 9:51 AM

charlie hebdo
Five package  stores in Bristol,  TN that sell alcoholic beverages. King University and a Bible college. 

Alcohol laws among the various governmental areas across the USA have created at crazy quilt of regulations that is worthy of the Mad Hatter at his maddest!

I would venture that the imposition of Prohibition on the country created the near universal disrespect for the law as people wanted their 'adult beverages' without regard to any laws to the contrary.

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, April 5, 2020 10:02 AM

New Orleans had about the most relaxed laws concerning alcohol.  When I first started working there, even our school's PTA sold beer at the school's athletic games.

There were huge grocery stores in NO named Schwegmann's.

When you came into the store, there was a full bar near the front door.  Sometimes husbands sat in the bar while the wives shopped, but mostly people bought mixed drinks or beer and drank while they shopped for groceries.

It was an amazing sight.

 

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, April 5, 2020 10:04 AM

Balt, Off-topic, but how are you feeling?

York1 John       

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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Sunday, April 5, 2020 10:39 AM

Myself and my hubby are lucky why our house overlooks the BNSF transcon so we have our own so to speak trackside bar.  Here in IL all bars are closed but if your wanting to get hammered you just go to the local liquor store or gas station or grocery store and stock up.  According to those owners their sales are up 200% since our governor put his lockdown in place.  My husband works with a bartender that was laid off from her 2nd job due to the lockdown.  She is getting by but barely.  Right now we are just hoping that on April 30th the worst is over and things start to go back to normal around here aka the lockdown ends.  

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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, April 5, 2020 11:02 AM

A real trackside bar is Gene McCarthy's Old First Ward Brewing Company on the south side of Buffalo, N.Y. Directly across the street is a small active train yard that serves the grain elevators nearby. McCarthy's is a cool old Irish bar with excellent food and they make their own beer which is excellent as well. I stop in whenever I'm travelling through Buffalo. 

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, April 5, 2020 11:12 AM

York1

Balt, Off-topic, but how are you feeling?

Vertical, breathing and above room temperature, eating vegitation not feeding it.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by NKP guy on Sunday, April 5, 2020 1:06 PM

BaltACD
would venture that the imposition of Prohibition on the country created the near universal disrespect for the law as people wanted their 'adult beverages' without regard to any laws to the contrary.

   One of my profs at KSU remarked, "This country never had an organized crime problem until Prohibition was passed."  

   As for Pennsylvania's Beer Stores and other states with silly liquor laws from a bygone era that somehow persist:  follow the money.  It's lobbyists who keep these laws in place. 

 

                                                    * * * * * 

   Also:  Cleveland used to have a great little diner for truckers on St. Clair Avenue in the trucking-company district.  It's name?  The Fifth Wheel, of course.

 

 

 

 

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Posted by zugmann on Sunday, April 5, 2020 2:11 PM

NKP guy
   As for Pennsylvania's Beer Stores and other states with silly liquor laws from a bygone era that somehow persist:  follow the money.  It's lobbyists who keep these laws in place. 

Also has a smattering of help from the religious sector (remnant of the blue laws). 

There are still "dry townships" in the Keystone state, last I checked. Although they were dwindling. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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