Question about game-day beer laws

[bethelbacker]

I've been to a Husker game before, but I wasn't 21 yet and had parents with. That has changed, and now I plan on consuming my fair share of beer at the aTm game. I've heard about having to put beer in cups instead of carrying it in cans. My question is, can I haul around a small cooler (like a 12 can one) before the game in the tailgating lots as long as I'm transferring the beer to the cup before consumption? Or is that a no-no with Lincoln PD?

 

I realize this topic might have been discussed previously, but I just dont want to get in trouble. And I especially don't want to lose my precious beer.

[xkbubo]

Hmm that is a good question. I too would like to know

 

Someone answer the man!

[DaveH]

I have carried a cooler around before. Haven't got any flack.

 

Just be respectful, put it in a cup and keep a low profile.

[bethelbacker]

I have carried a cooler around before. Haven't got any flack.

 

Just be respectful, put it in a cup and keep a low profile.

 

 

Thanks for the info. Was it a large cooler? I don't want to push my luck, but with it hopefully being a night game, I might need more than 12 over the course of the day if I'm with 3 of my friends. And we definitely wouldn't be disrespectful or completely hammered, so that wouldn't be an issue.

[DaveH]

Are you going to be going from tailgate to tailgate? Or just setting up camp somewhere?

[bethelbacker]

Are you going to be going from tailgate to tailgate? Or just setting up camp somewhere?

 

 

Probably from tailgate to tailgate. We kind of want to do a sweep of the area to meet and interact with other Husker fans if that's possible. We're definitely Husker tailgate rookies, and we are going to have a hotel room, so we're not gonna set up camp anywhere. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

[cmb23]

We just tailgated at the Ball State game....or at least we tried. We had a parking pass for a lot in the Haymarket (near the stadium). We brought some breakfast stuff, bloody mary supplies and beer. We didn't bring grills or tents. Just a cooler and chairs. I was the first to have a beer (no surprise to my wife) and put it in a cup. I had just finished mine and my bro-in law had just poured his first as two bicycle cops rode by. By the way...by bro-in law is a state trooper. He said technically they can bust you for it but we all agreed "Everyone down here is drinking so they're just making sure nothing happens".

 

As we say that, the bike cops ride to the end of the lot to the biggest tailgate set-up there. 3 tents, stereo, grill and plenty of plastic cups. They had no cans/bottles out. Each of the bike cops went up to different individuals and asked them for their cups. They handed them over and after a sniff, dumped them out and got out their ticketbooks. They ended up ticketing 5 people in their party for open containers. $100 fine + $44 court costs.

 

So we figured we would spend $50 at the bar instead of taking a chance of getting hit for $100+ each.

 

I think the city's big 'concern' about the drinking environment at the bars has them knuckling down a little harder.

[EbylHusker]

We just tailgated at the Ball State game....or at least we tried. We had a parking pass for a lot in the Haymarket (near the stadium). We brought some breakfast stuff, bloody mary supplies and beer. We didn't bring grills or tents. Just a cooler and chairs. I was the first to have a beer (no surprise to my wife) and put it in a cup. I had just finished mine and my bro-in law had just poured his first as two bicycle cops rode by. By the way...by bro-in law is a state trooper. He said technically they can bust you for it but we all agreed "Everyone down here is drinking so they're just making sure nothing happens".

 

As we say that, the bike cops ride to the end of the lot to the biggest tailgate set-up there. 3 tents, stereo, grill and plenty of plastic cups. They had no cans/bottles out. Each of the bike cops went up to different individuals and asked them for their cups. They handed them over and after a sniff, dumped them out and got out their ticketbooks. They ended up ticketing 5 people in their party for open containers. $100 fine + $44 court costs.

 

So we figured we would spend $50 at the bar instead of taking a chance of getting hit for $100+ each.

 

I think the city's big 'concern' about the drinking environment at the bars has them knuckling down a little harder.

 

Wow, what a couple of dicks. I love it when they choose people at random (seemingly) to give out tickets like that. "Hey, there are 50,000 people with beer in cups around here! Who should we give a ticket?" Just close your eyes a pick a group.

 

a$$hole$.

[DJR313]

We just tailgated at the Ball State game....or at least we tried. We had a parking pass for a lot in the Haymarket (near the stadium). We brought some breakfast stuff, bloody mary supplies and beer. We didn't bring grills or tents. Just a cooler and chairs. I was the first to have a beer (no surprise to my wife) and put it in a cup. I had just finished mine and my bro-in law had just poured his first as two bicycle cops rode by. By the way...by bro-in law is a state trooper. He said technically they can bust you for it but we all agreed "Everyone down here is drinking so they're just making sure nothing happens".

 

As we say that, the bike cops ride to the end of the lot to the biggest tailgate set-up there. 3 tents, stereo, grill and plenty of plastic cups. They had no cans/bottles out. Each of the bike cops went up to different individuals and asked them for their cups. They handed them over and after a sniff, dumped them out and got out their ticketbooks. They ended up ticketing 5 people in their party for open containers. $100 fine + $44 court costs.

 

So we figured we would spend $50 at the bar instead of taking a chance of getting hit for $100+ each.

 

I think the city's big 'concern' about the drinking environment at the bars has them knuckling down a little harder.

 

That is appauling. We had a Haymarket pass for all of '06 season and tailgated almost every game and never got hassled once. What a bummer!

[DaveH]

That is appauling. We had a Haymarket pass for all of '06 season and tailgated almost every game and never got hassled once. What a bummer!

No doubt. I don't know if I ever saw a cop last year.

[bennychico11]

BRI should be the one to best comment on this (even though he's in a different state)

 

Most tailgate lots have signs posted on the exits that no alcohol is allowed beyond the point. I just stuck the beer (in a can) in my pants and walked right past security to the next lot. If they had asked me to throw it out, I would have done so. They know everyone drinks but I think you need to keep it to a tailgate lot (we also use the lots right under the overpass and next to that).

 

I doubt putting it in a cup is going to give you less of a problem than having it in a can. It's not like the cops don't realize what's in there. "I swear officer, it's V8!" I guess it really depends on the cop and what kind of mood he's in.

 

Speaking of this...did anyone else get those pink pamphlets they were passing out at game day during Ball State? Supposedly a lot had a big problem with the USC game and keg parties.

[I Bleed RED]

Does anyone know why this law is in effect? I am from 'dry' campuses but they allowing tailgating. It has always annoyed me. My parking pass is 150 feet from the door and I have to hide my beer. Seems silly to me.

 

Any info?

[bennychico11]

Does anyone know why this law is in effect? I am from 'dry' campuses but they allowing tailgating. It has always annoyed me. My parking pass is 150 feet from the door and I have to hide my beer. Seems silly to me.

 

Any info?

 

probably just city law against drinking in public...and especially being DRUNK in public. They probably can't make a bylaw that says "no drinking in public...except on game days, that's okay."

 

It's not enforced as long as you stay low key about it. Like in the USC game I mentioned, people were having keg parties in the parking lot and some were even charging money for it (definitely against the law....and not to mention retarded if you are a Husker fan)

 

of course, I'm not a cop though. I just watch COPS a lot....lol

[BIGREDIOWAN]

BRI should be the one to best comment on this (even though he's in a different state)

 

Most tailgate lots have signs posted on the exits that no alcohol is allowed beyond the point. I just stuck the beer (in a can) in my pants and walked right past security to the next lot. If they had asked me to throw it out, I would have done so. They know everyone drinks but I think you need to keep it to a tailgate lot (we also use the lots right under the overpass and next to that).

 

I doubt putting it in a cup is going to give you less of a problem than having it in a can. It's not like the cops don't realize what's in there. "I swear officer, it's V8!" I guess it really depends on the cop and what kind of mood he's in.

 

Speaking of this...did anyone else get those pink pamphlets they were passing out at game day during Ball State? Supposedly a lot had a big problem with the USC game and keg parties.

Me personally I wouldn't have a problem with people drinking as long as they weren't causing any problems. As soon as they start causing a problem then the tickets start. I wouldn't want to deal with some of the stuff the police in Lincoln and at UNL have to deal with.

[I Bleed RED]

Does anyone know why this law is in effect? I am from 'dry' campuses but they allowing tailgating. It has always annoyed me. My parking pass is 150 feet from the door and I have to hide my beer. Seems silly to me.

 

Any info?

 

probably just city law against drinking in public...and especially being DRUNK in public. They probably can't make a bylaw that says "no drinking in public...except on game days, that's okay."

 

It's not enforced as long as you stay low key about it. Like in the USC game I mentioned, people were having keg parties in the parking lot and some were even charging money for it (definitely against the law....and not to mention retarded if you are a Husker fan)

 

of course, I'm not a cop though. I just watch COPS a lot....lol

 

Well I am not a lawyer, although I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night, and my brother is an attorney and he said that it isn't public drinking. It is similar to drinking on a state park. You can with permits. So with NU being a state run facility they can have public drinking on campus with a permit. We don't allow public drinking in AZ also. I am not asking about the parking garages, although those are totally private domains and should be allowed with a permit, but the school should be allowed to have drinking on game days based on state permits. Are you allowed to have parties on state or city land and have alcohol with a permit? This is a state land issue not city usually anyway for the campus and the garages are city issues....usually.