Alcohol restrictions (?)

[beecanbee]

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Adult fans at one of Australia's most popular motor sport races, the Bathurst 1000, will be limited to one "slab" of beer a day -- or 24 375 ml cans -- as police focus on reducing alcohol-related crime.

The 24-can rule would also be placed on mixed drinks for the V8 car race starting Thursday which draws thousands to the rural town of Bathurst in eastern New South Wales state, the NSW police said Tuesday.

But more restrained spectators would be able to slake their thirst, if not their craving for alcohol, with up to 36 cans of low or mid-strength beer.

Wine lovers must make do with no more than four liters of cask wine per day and combinations of the options would not be allowed, the police statement said.

"This is one of the greatest motorsport events in Australia and for some it is a pilgrimage that they make every year," Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke said.

"Police respect people's rights to enjoy the race weekend, but will promptly act when the law is broken.

"Every year thousands of race fans attend and enjoy the event and Police will not allow their safety to be compromised by a drunken few.

"As such we will once again be focusing on alcohol related behavior," he said.

Police were also urging people traveling to Bathurst to drive safely and closely monitor their speed and fatigue.

The race runs from Thursday to Sunday.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Ossian Shine)

(my comment here.... These "limits" appear to be quire liberal to me.  I don’t see how I could consume anywhere near the amount that is restricted.

[mick]

Ha, we are a nation of criminals, that includes smuggling. It is a long day, 20 hours on the grog is not uncommon, 24 cans per man per day is a bit mean. Its only 4.9% alcohol, cask wine is about 14%. Any half credible Aussie bloke can drink a slab and then go out and behave and have a good time. If the same man was to suddenly drink 4 litres of cask wine, he would be out of his brain, it would only last a few hours. Men drink wine at the same pace as beer, so its no good that wine. I have heard a good friend of mine after he has been on the home made wine, only I can understand him, and I dont have a clue what he says half the time.

One notable record is the one for how many cans of beer an Aussie Cricket player can drink on the flight to London. David Boon holds the record, 52 cans in 22 hours. Mr Boon had to be hand fed the last few, due to the flare up of an old injury, Mr Boon needed a wheel chair to get off the plane.

As the story says, the fun police are on our backs down here big time. I can see limits on the amount of grog you can buy at one time on the horizon here. On NYE, some towns go dry, close the bottle shops and dont sell take aways from the pubs. Fine you 100 buicks for drinking in public if you dare and take and pour out your grog, but so far thats about it for restrictions. I am told they only sell light beer at some sporting events, but as above, it doesnt bother us smugglers much.

Injected oranges, hollowed out loaves of bread, under babies, strapped to legs, in a wine cask bladder you can put 4 litres of Rum and shove that down your shirt if you desire. All work well here.

Bathurst is the big race in Australia, goes all day, its a circuit that is in the bush, goes up and over a mountain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Panorama_Circuit

Its been on the TV live all my life, used to be some huge crashes, kangaroos hit, often ends in a thunderstorm, goes for 9 hours or so, the start is good Im not a big car race fan, but everyone loves Bathurst.

[beecanbee]

Mick, I suppose that you could get a head start - and show up drunk. 

I wonder how they are going to control it - maybe punch a ticket?  If so, I can see some money to be made by the few who drink less - that is possible isn't it, or is there a requirement that everyone drink their share?

[Scadsobees]

Wow, don't know how you all do it without killing eachother.  Just over the weekend here a 19 year old was killed because his biological dad was drunk.

I suppose you have more land and fewer people....

[danno]

This sounds like a weekend in wisconsin.   They dont get that drunk though because they have a beer in one hand and a homemade brat in the other.  Man I miss that state

[Lone]

Hello,

I am sad that they killed 140 kangaroos in order to have the race, in case one jumps onto the road.  It must have been more fun than erecting a fence.

Beecanbee, translated into Japanese, those draconian restrictions would be equivalent to limiting each person to 24 bottles of sake per day.

but so far thats about it for restrictions

Mick, quite a few communities are dry, or meant to be.  I understand your point about smuggling; I'm guessing that the more remote a place is, the less that happens.

Scadsobees, we don't do it without killing each other, hence the move to using plastic cups in certain night clubs where certain quarrels occur, so we can kill each other with plastic cups not glass ones.

Maybe they should control the Bathurst crowd the same way they manage the local rodeo at the saleyards.  They yard all the drunks in together, and I wouldn't know, but I assume they auction them off the next day.

Lone

[beecanbee]

24 bottles of sake

Wasn't there a song like that?  Something about 24 bottles of sake on the wall - repeated ad nausea?

Sake is a bit stronger than wine – maybe 17%, and while the bottles can be smaller – they can be 1800ml too (vs wine at 750ml).  A slab of sake should be sufficient for any Aussie.

[mick]

A few years ago, bathurst used to really go off, when it was on at easter I think. The track was open after the race, so hoons used to do laps and there used to be bikie riots, stolen cars torched etc. All that ended about 10 years ago id say.