Pedal Pubs in Toronto

[Cass]

I’ve never rode on one, and probably never will, but sure. Always funny that everything in Toronto is a pilot and it can’t just be made allowed.



EDIT: this tweet was from Josh Matlow, who was making a big deal about pedal pubs, but then subsequently deleted it. Not sure why, perhaps due to the fact he was comparing it to how "we'll have them like Nashville" which as is pointed out below that's not the case at all as you can't drink on them.

[Cass]

Turns out these will not be able to serve alcohol. So they're pretty pointless. Not sure why they are even doing this.

[Tapsucker]

I rode one of these in Amsterdam. Not only did they serve beer, but there was a woman shucking fresh oysters on board too. Unfortunately the beer was shit. It was also pretty messy, lots of spillage. Even on smooth level roads.

[Cass]

I suppose somewhat related to this is Josh Matlow bringing back the idea to allow drinks in parks. I'm happy he tries but can't help but think it will die again...

[seangm]

I’ve never rode on one, and probably never will, but sure. Always funny that everything in Toronto is a pilot and it can’t just be made allowed.



EDIT: this tweet was from Josh Matlow, who was making a big deal about pedal pubs, but then subsequently deleted it. Not sure why, perhaps due to the fact he was comparing it to how "we'll have them like Nashville" which as is pointed out below that's not the case at all as you can't drink on them.

This reminds me of one of Toronto's early attempts at a street food pilot. It was so heavily bureaucratized down to the designs of the truck that it inevitably failed. Every other city seems to have these things figured out, yet Toronto has to do things in their own Toronto way, instead of just admitting the answer is already there. Definitely a city of pilots and red tape.

And yea, if you can't even drink on these things it's just another Toronto half-measured implementation of a fun thing from other cities.

[Cass]

An article today in the Star about Toronto's ongoing obsession with not doing anything when it comes to alcohol outdoors.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contrib ... r-fun.html

[El Pinguino]

Rode one of these in Milwaukee.
They didn't serve us beer, although they had space for supplies. Instead we stocked up ahead of time and drank what we picked up at each stop along the way.
So no "serving" but plenty of "consuming".
Truly the fun part is drinking while pedaling with the driver pumping out some good music, while all the other vehicles around you at red lights and stop signs stare jealously.

[BigBob]

Rode one of these in Milwaukee.
They didn't serve us beer, although they had space for supplies. Instead we stocked up ahead of time and drank what we picked up at each stop along the way.
So no "serving" but plenty of "consuming".
Truly the fun part is drinking while pedaling with the driver pumping out some good music, while all the other vehicles around you at red lights and stop signs stare jealously.

As a long-time GTA resident and former cyclist my fear is that local motorists will not limit their actions to staring.

[Cass]

I watched a maddening Toronto council debate and Josh's drinking in parks failed. It was replaced by a motion from Tory to talk about it again in 2023.

There were some truly wild points made by councillors, such as Denzil MW saying that the folks that will truly suffer are the ones living next to parks. I suppose that isn't surprising knowing the preferential treatment of homeowners. Holyday said that since he grew up only being able to drink at home or a bar that it should stay that way forever.

Good for Josh for trying. Toronto continues to exist in the dark ages.

[matt7215]

I watched a maddening Toronto council debate and Josh's drinking in parks failed. It was replaced by a motion from Tory to talk about it again in 2023.

There were some truly wild points made by councillors, such as Denzil MW saying that the folks that will truly suffer are the ones living next to parks. I suppose that isn't surprising knowing the preferential treatment of homeowners. Holyday said that since he grew up only being able to drink at home or a bar that it should stay that way forever.

Good for Josh for trying. Toronto continues to exist in the dark ages.

how much do they enforce the current rules? there is a tasting group in toronto that regularly posts pics of their tasting happening in a park

[Tapsucker]

how much do they enforce the current rules? there is a tasting group in toronto that regularly posts pics of their tasting happening in a park

I regularly enjoy beverages in parks and nice public places with various groups of friends. I have often encountered and talked with officers while holding an open beer in my hand. I have even brought a small keg of home brew to a picnic and we ended up chatting about home brewing with a cop. Not once have we had a warning or threat. It was explained to me, however, that they real issue is 'public order' (a very Toronto sentiment). The last encounter I remember, there were maybe four of us with a picnic table full of beers we were enjoying. Two bicycle patrol officers stopped to check in. The next table over had a couple of guys with a huge bong lit up and the smell of weed was everywhere. It think the cops felt a little awkward giving us a hard time, so they didn't even mention the beer. They just pointed out that one of us had their knapsack on the ground a little far way from us and there had been a rash of grab and runs in the park.

If you are legal age, behaving respectfully and most importantly cleaning up after yourself, you will likely be alright. In bigger gatherings, we always keep some garbage bags on hand to show we will leave no trace of our existence when we go.

On that note, two other tips. Avoid bottles, broken glass is a real issue and if you are near a play area, the cops will be sterner. Secondly, if you plan to leave your empties, be kind to the pickers. Don't put them in a blue box, put them next to the blue box. Don't make them have to dig through all the crap. Karma, respect, etc. etc.

[matt7215]

how much do they enforce the current rules? there is a tasting group in toronto that regularly posts pics of their tasting happening in a park

I regularly enjoy beverages in parks and nice public places with various groups of friends. I have often encountered and talked with officers while holding an open beer in my hand. I have even brought a small keg of home brew to a picnic and we ended up chatting about home brewing with a cop. Not once have we had a warning or threat. It was explained to me, however, that they real issue is 'public order' (a very Toronto sentiment). The last encounter I remember, there were maybe four of us with a picnic table full of beers we were enjoying. Two bicycle patrol officers stopped to check in. The next table over had a couple of guys with a huge bong lit up and the smell of weed was everywhere. It think the cops felt a little awkward giving us a hard time, so they didn't even mention the beer. They just pointed out that one of us had their knapsack on the ground a little far way from us and there had been a rash of grab and runs in the park.

If you are legal age, behaving respectfully and most importantly cleaning up after yourself, you will likely be alright. In bigger gatherings, we always keep some garbage bags on hand to show we will leave no trace of our existence when we go.

On that note, two other tips. Avoid bottles, broken glass is a real issue and if you are near a play area, the cops will be sterner. Secondly, if you plan to leave your empties, be kind to the pickers. Don't put them in a blue box, put them next to the blue box. Don't make them have to dig through all the crap. Karma, respect, etc. etc.

this is exactly how i expected it to be, thank you for sharing your experiences

so, my next question is why does anything need to change?
if responsible adults can drink in parks with no repercussions as long as they behave themselves then changing the wording of the current law as its written doesnt seem to be all that important, at least as far as i understand it. what is it that people are wanting to do that they cant currently?

[Tapsucker]

To be clear. I am not advocating acting or getting away with being outside the law. The law needs to be fixed. Law enforcement should not be the judiciary and should not be in the position to make discretionary decisions. Big slippery slope. But if you do choose to enjoy public space in Toronto in a certain way, these are just my humble tips.

Also, I'm a middle aged white male. I am concerned the privileges I get away with don't apply to the rest of our society. It's time to fixed the stupid laws.

*edit* "middle aged" is stretching the truth a bit. Let's go with bearing down on old fart...

[S. St. Jeb]

Canadian cities are legalizing alcohol in parks. Some are celebrating, others worry it's a slippery slope

[Cass]

Canadian cities are legalizing alcohol in parks. Some are celebrating, others worry it's a slippery slope

After hearing Holyday at the council debate about this, I believe he's simply a contrary opinion to fulfill a "both sides" requirement for this article. He doesn't want it and it isn't based on anything other than his own personal opinion. Very frustrating.