It's St. Patrick's Day, which for many Americans means it's time for green beer, Guinness, Irish whiskey, Irish coffee, Bailey's or all of the above. Most of us "professional" drinkers consider this amateur night and prefer to stay away from any bar with even a slightly Irish sounding name.
If you are out celebrating everything Irish that comes in liquid form, we strongly suggest the use of public transportation. That's why a recent announcement by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York kind of caught us off guard. You see, on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad riders have long been allowed to bring adult beverages on board or purchase a drink from bar carts on some trains.
That's right: the MTA has banned alcohol on its commuter rail system for today. St. Patrick's Day. America's drinking holiday. Is this stereotyping? Discrimination? Or just a fear of Irish men and women (and wannabes) having fun?
The MTA says it just wants to "maintain order" on the trains. It notes a similar ban has been in place in the past for New Year's Eve and for the day of the Belmont Stakes Triple Crown horse race. Some on the MTA Board have also called for a complete ban of alcohol on the trains. St. Patrick's Day is an easy target as a first step.
1 comment:
I just want to bring to your attention a story I just read over on a website called Highbrid Nation. The writer also works with a advertising company that the MTA refuses to work with even on a pro bomo campaign. The writer believes that it may be a case of racism. Interesting read. You might want to check it out. The link to the story is below.
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