3 ms·

"Try doing that in the States." You can't. There are essentially no public spaces in the US for this type of activity. As you noted, drinking is not legal in "

by joesmo 11y ago

"Try doing that in the States." You can't. There are essentially no public spaces in the US for this type of activity. As you noted, drinking is not legal in "public" spaces. That's minor when being in "public" spaces is not legal itself (it's called loitering). You can get away with it some places, but it's much harder in a group. If you're a group of teenagers or young adults, police harassment is almost guaranteed (remove the "almost" if you're not white). The only potentially safe place is in private homes. The only public places left are bars and clubs, as those are the only types of places socializing is still allowed, that I know of, under high scrutiny after you get patted down and searched of course. Also, bowling alleys, sometimes after the same type of pat-down.

anon4 11y ago
You mean you can't just sit on a bench in the park and do nothing? Or walk up and down main street window-shopping with a bunch of friends?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
superuser2 11y ago
Once place you'll find excellent public places in the US is behind the proximity-card gates of a good university. Glorious, Gothic architecture reading rooms with hundreds of comfortable seats, power at each one of them, 100Mbit WiFi, and a cafe on site. Coffee shops with large seating areas, similar power and WiFi amenities, and no obligation to buy anything. Dorms have common rooms and lounges where students hang out long into the night, with several conversations going and Super Smash Brothers on the TV in the background. My school's housing system is designed around "houses" of 50-100 students occupying vertical slices of the dorms, and in most you can wander into your house lounge at any hour and be around your friends. Many universities are laid out around quadrangles, and on a nice day on the vast green space you'll see classes sitting in circles, students leaning on trees reading, a few frisbees in the air, etc. Depending on the social climate, drinking may be allowed in dorm common spaces (a more subdued, conversational kind of party than a bumpin' rager you'll find at a frat). I wish I could have access to that kind of thing again after graduation. I'll miss it. Public libraries and most commercial coffee shops don't come close.

by joesmo 11y ago

anon4 11y ago

You mean you can't just sit on a bench in the park and do nothing? Or walk up and down main street window-shopping with a bunch of friends?

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

superuser2 11y ago

Once place you'll find excellent public places in the US is behind the proximity-card gates of a good university. Glorious, Gothic architecture reading rooms with hundreds of comfortable seats, power at each one of them, 100Mbit WiFi, and a cafe on site. Coffee shops with large seating areas, similar power and WiFi amenities, and no obligation to buy anything. Dorms have common rooms and lounges where students hang out long into the night, with several conversations going and Super Smash Brothers on the TV in the background. My school's housing system is designed around "houses" of 50-100 students occupying vertical slices of the dorms, and in most you can wander into your house lounge at any hour and be around your friends. Many universities are laid out around quadrangles, and on a nice day on the vast green space you'll see classes sitting in circles, students leaning on trees reading, a few frisbees in the air, etc. Depending on the social climate, drinking may be allowed in dorm common spaces (a more subdued, conversational kind of party than a bumpin' rager you'll find at a frat). I wish I could have access to that kind of thing again after graduation. I'll miss it. Public libraries and most commercial coffee shops don't come close.