New Tailgating Rules: Too Strict or About Time?

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
UI adds new tailgating rules | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen

What do you think?

It looks like the main things are:

-DUI checkpoints, saying it won't slow down an already slow exiting process
-Limits post game tailgating to one hour in University lots & Hospital ramps
-No carrying open containers of alcohol from lot to lot, or walking around
-Increase in enforcement of public urination and the like

I don't tailgate, and I am not on the road after the games amongst people that perhaps have had too much to drink. Most of my friends set a designated driver each week and rotate it...

We have all seen quite a few people with a 12 pack in one hand, an open drink in another, walking from tailgate spot to tailgate spot, as they have several friends...sounds like even if they were carrying a closed cooler, with an open beer, they could get a ticket.

What do you think about this?
 
We don't drink after the game anyway so not a big deal.What about all of the high dollar RV's up by the stadium,they usually stay later than most.Parents of the players don't leave there tailgating spots until late as they wait for them to shower and come and get a bite to eat.The people I see walking to the game with a brew in hand aren't out of hand and I tailgate on the backside of Finkbine lot.I'm sure theres a few that get out of hand but I haven't seen it that much.
 
I will believe all this when I see it. Good luck getting 50K people to stop having a beer one hour after the game or ticketing people for walking from one lot to the other with a beer. This "problem" as the UI deems it will be harder to stop than illegals coming over the border from Mexico. Just not going to happen. I predict it will be business as usual in IC on gamedays.

I like the increased DUI awareness though.
 
NeilDiamond said:
I will believe all this when I see it. Good luck getting 50K people to stop having a beer one hour after the game or ticketing people for walking from one lot to the other with a beer. This "problem" as the UI deems it will be harder to stop than illegals coming over the border from Mexico. Just not going to happen. I predict it will be business as usual in IC on gamedays.

I like the increased DUI awareness though.
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The DUI awareness will have no effect on people. If idiots want to get behind the wheel of their car they will. To get the change they want there will have to be a change in the culture of tailgating. That change will not happen by setting up checkpoints along the road. People who get behind the wheel while drunk are selfish human being who could care less about the rest of us they also are not going to be deterred by checkpoint...in fact they will likely forget about the "warning" in their drunken stupor.
 
The DUI thing is a good idea, as long as it doesn't mean "randomly" giving a select few a breathalyzer test, however that particular officer sees fit. There has to be just cause.
The no open container while walking around rule seems a bit silly. What exactly is that preventing? Tripping?
 
I guess it doesn't bother me too much, I drink before and after the game a bit, I'll just have to stop taking the occassional walk down Melrose with an open beer in tow. NBD. We're usually gone 2 hrs after game anyway.
 
You can't check for sobriety without slowing down traffic. I don't drive at all on gameday so that will not effect me. The open container is stupid, and alot of us see this as another step towards the destruction of Iowa tailgating. There are several threads, and while the media makes it sound like this is the first step, it isnt. They have been slowly doing this since the half time passes were nixed 9 years ago. Me and my friends have already discussed going to bars instead. Prefereably on the CORALVILLE side.
 
I hate being given a deadline when we have to be out of the lots. We always cook lunch after 11am games. Even for afternoon games, we will snack, BS about the game, listen to post game wrap ups and other big games. Our alcohol consumption afterwards is pretty much nil, and we always use a DD. We hate waiting in traffic lines, and this will cause plenty of that!

Rather than penalizing all, please have the nads to specifically address the problem folks.
 
ITS FREAKING COLLEGE! Like i said in anohter thread, I blame Playboy and the Princeton Review.
 
I personally don't see an issue with any of the things they are proposing.

All they are doing is enforcing laws that exist 358 other days a year. The biggest impact on me is I won't be able to have an open beer in the 10 min walk from the Benton lot to the house on Olive Court where I spend most of my time. It's a pretty small sacrifice.

People seem to be taking the wrong thing from the open container thing. It's not a safety issue, it's simply enforcing a law that already exists in Iowa City. They've looked the other way for years and now they aren't, it's as simple as that. You can argue I'm not hurting anyone by having a beer while walking down Melrose but I could make the same argument while having a few beers while cook a few burgers and relax in a city park on a random summer afternoon. While we both may be right we are both in violation of city open container policy.

If you don't like the open container issue then run for city office and attempt to get it changed.

BTW I love the DUI checkpoint idea, even if it means I'm going to have to be a bit more conscious of what I consume on a game day. I've seen people stagger to thier cars in the Finkbine lot at 2pm, **** on the car next to them, climb in and drive home. If they are going to have a checkpoint on Melrose looking for that guy I'm all for it.
 
About 5 yrs ago, didn't they step up enforcement of public intox and liquor at tailgates or something like that? We used to tailgate on that hill near the Kum and Go(?) which was closed to tailgating 3-4 yrs ago. I remember seeing a lot more cops or campus security or whatever watching people and taking liquor or something along those lines. I remember many were quite annoyed by it, esp the college students.
 
H8IAST8 said:
You can't check for sobriety without slowing down traffic. I don't drive at all on gameday so that will not effect me. The open container is stupid, and alot of us see this as another step towards the destruction of Iowa tailgating. There are several threads, and while the media makes it sound like this is the first step, it isnt. They have been slowly doing this since the half time passes were nixed 9 years ago. Me and my friends have already discussed going to bars instead. Prefereably on the CORALVILLE side.
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I'll assume that since you don't drive you haven't driven down Melrose after a game before. Traffic moves at about 2 mph. You don't have to stop cars at a checkpoint cause they spend most of thier time stopped anyway. It would be very easy to have a checkpoint that doesn't slow traffic on Melrose.
 
Ozhawk said:
The DUI awareness will have no effect on people. If idiots want to get behind the wheel of their car they will. To get the change they want there will have to be a change in the culture of tailgating. That change will not happen by setting up checkpoints along the road. People who get behind the wheel while drunk are selfish human being who could care less about the rest of us they also are not going to be deterred by checkpoint...in fact they will likely forget about the "warning" in their drunken stupor.
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The difference these checkpoints make are that those that have had too much to drink won't make it very far before they get stopped and breathalyzed. Personally, at first I thought it was just more of the same **** with the university trying to kill tailgating, but as I have thought about it more, there really isn't too much there that is a killer. I think the checkpoints are a good idea, hopefully they make sure they are well known so it gives people more of an incentive to have a DD or stick around town until they sober up. The no open container walking between lots sort of sucks because I like to walk from place to place to see some of the people I know, but I guess I'll have to start the walk just after I finished one and wait until I set foot on the other lot before cracking a new one. The increase of stopping public urination, its good in theory but I have one problem. And please, someone correct me if I am mistaken here, but doesn't a public urination ticket make you have to register as a sex offender for a period of time? I have been told this before but never really knew if that was for real or not. I wish they could use discretion when handing those out, because for usually such a minor thing, that can have a very serious outcome.
 
H8IAST8 said:
You can't check for sobriety without slowing down traffic.

Exactly. If you asked some of the troopers, they'd probably say they were focused on getting traffic out smoothly instead of aggresively checking for DUI. Random checkpoints, by definition, slow traffic down.

You're going to end with more cranky fans now than before.
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I think this is a joke. Here are a couple of points.

The open container is not hurting a sole. The only reason they are doing this is to cut down on trash outside the gates since that is where everyone loves to throw their empty's before going in.

I think the restricting drinking an hour to after gametime in the lots is questionable at best. Keep in mind most of these people pay a $1000.00 to $5000.00 donation to the University to park in those spots. Now you are going to tell them when they can start and stop drinking. I smell a decrease in donation money.

The DUI checkpoints are a joke. If you drink before the game you are at risk here. Remember folks .08 is like 2 beers dependent on your body type. I don't see a way on Melrose they won't slow up traffic by doing this. Is it me or did I just hear the hotel prices in Iowa City increase another 10% on top of their already outrageous prices. If you don't know what I am talking about, stay at the Big Ten Lodge for 135 a night. I would rather sleep in a rest stop bathroom.

I would like to say a big thanks to all of those that were getting black out drunk before and after the games. I appreciate you bringing us all down with you.
 
Man, I just shake my head at all the people who have problems with DUI checkpoints. It's kinda scary.
 
i like the DUI checkpoints. this is my second year for season tickets. i didn't drive to games last year as i rode with my fat brother. this year i will be driving myself down and back. anything to make my ride safer is good by me
 
If i was a student i would not be happy. This is their school, and would not exist without them. Tailgating was 10 TIMES crazier 10 years ago. Maybe the University should worry more about the University slipping in the National Rankings rather than alcohol. And no, they are not related.

2000: US News & World Report- 22th best Public University
2010: US News & World Report 29th best Public University

Also Fred Mims has a insider (his wife) on the city council. Just like the war on drugs in nearly every country is a complete failure, so will war on alcohol in college.
 
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