There may be some lemonade coming with these lemons we've been handed recently:
people being allowed to drink outside:
As the COVID-19 shutdowns extend into the warm summer months and
people become increasingly restless under social distancing guidelines,
bars and restaurants remain one of the hardest hit sectors of the
economy. At the same time, cities are exploring ways to encourage the
use of public outdoor spaces, which emerging evidence suggests can be
enjoyed with minimal risks of transmitting the virus.
One simple policy could address both issues: Let people drink outside.
To walk around my city now is to be constantly reminded of the
shuttered places where in ordinary times I would be tempted to stop in
for a snack, a coffee, or a drink. If we want the businesses we love to
be there when we reach the other side of this pandemic, we need ways to
support them.
Removing barriers imposed by restrictive alcohol
regulations has proven to be one means of doing this. Perhaps, with some
care, we can extend that to allowing drinks outside, whether by
extending seating into streets and sidewalks or by relaxing open
container laws. And if, when this is over, we decide that we don't wish
to return to criminalizing responsible drinking in public spaces, that
temporary repeal could become permanent.
Thanks to a decade of Softball Sundays in Williamsburg, I have a ton of great memories of drinking outside.
(This is not one of them.)
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