Closing time…or not
On Friday, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a bill that will allow bars, clubs and other alcohol-serving establishments to stay open past 2 am.
Although the new night-time rules don’t allow bars and clubs to serve alcohol past 2 am, the venues can apply for a special permit that will enable them to stay open past the traditional closing time.
According to the Free Press article on the subject, Jerry Kooiman, the State Rep. that sponsored the bill, said that extending the hours will help the businesses make more money, and will also give bar- and club-goers more time to sober up before leaving.
I never understood that. At 1:50 (realtime, not bartime), its last call. 10 minutes later, they’re telling you to get on the roads. There really needs to be a buffer time to sober up. My local ‘Cheers’ bar won’t kick us out until about 2:30, but some places want you out at the moment the clock strikes 2.
This is such a great idea especially with the lack of reliable public transportation.