Where can you bring your own beer?

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BCL

BCL

Engineer
Joined
Nov 16, 2012
Messages
4,413
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
About the only commute line I know that allows alcohol is Caltrain. Some of the stories are legendary, including groups doing tequila shots. A few conductors have explained to me that the stainless steel in the vestibules is relatively easy to clean up. It can get crazy though, and they have an alcohol curfew at 9 PM on any "event day" (Sharks, Giants, Levis Stadium, Stanford football) regardless of the time of the event. ACE doesn't normally allow alcohol consumption, but apparently their event train to Levi's Stadium doesn't even allow alcohol to be brought on board. They're also requiring passengers on these event trains to conform to the NFL's bag policy.

Most public transportation around here doesn't even allow one to eat or drink on board - outside of heavy rail. About the only exception I know of is VTA light rail, which allows consumption of beverages in a commuter cup that can be sealed.

I've talked to some conductors on Amtrak, and a few said that one beer here or there probably wouldn't raise an eyebrow, although they do sell alcohol on board.
 
It is pretty much acceptable to drink Alcohol on board most NYC commuter rail operations. NJ Transit, LIRR and Metro North all allow passengers to partake while on board. Metro North even sells wine and beer on the platforms at rush hour I believe.
 
Many, many years ago, a group of us on a long (I'd say 45 mins to an hour) bus commute would have a weekly Friday night wine & cheese party. The wine was usually in a box and of course, they always had to bring a coke for me :p We would take up the back of the bus....and clean up after ourselves.
 
Doesn't Metra in Chicago allow beer? I remember once nursing a beer at the Metro bar in Chicago Union Station, waiting for the Empire Builder. A regular came in and put a bill on the bar. Without a word exchanged, the bartender poured him a shot of Crown Royal and produced a 24 ounce beer in a brown paper bag. He silently tossed back the shot, grabbed the beer, and headed for the tracks.
 
You can drink to your heart's content on the LIRR. Helps to deal with the delays.
 
Long Train Runnin' said:
It is pretty much acceptable to drink Alcohol on board most NYC commuter rail operations. NJ Transit, LIRR and Metro North all allow passengers to partake while on board. Metro North even sells wine and beer on the platforms at rush hour I believe.
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I've been on two of those three. I rode NJT from Trenton to NYP and there was no schedule delay but it was apparent we weren't going too fast. I've told the joke that on the train someone behind me was commenting (as an Amtrak train blew by on the inside rails) "That's the rich people train."

We've got ferries that allow alcohol - even your own. However, some of the services run special event service where no alcohol is served and open containers aren't allowed. I think they expect them to be packed and limit items to the size allowed in the event.
 
Elsewhere in the Golden State...

* ACE- no alcohol

* COASTER- Personal alcohol consumption allowed until 9 p.m.

* Metrolink- no alcohol
 
MARC allows alcohol consumption onboard, and there was a liquor store right next to the A gates that sold Yuengling for $2/bottle.

WAS-Odenton is exactly a two bottle ride at my personal rate of consumption. :ph34r:
 
Long Train Runnin' said:
It is pretty much acceptable to drink Alcohol on board most NYC commuter rail operations. NJ Transit, LIRR and Metro North all allow passengers to partake while on board. Metro North even sells wine and beer on the platforms at rush hour I believe.
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As does LIRR at Penn Station and Jamaica.
 
Generally, alcoholic beverages are allowed on commuter trains, except for some instances where excessive consumption will be a problem, while food and beverages in general are banned on urban transit such as heavy rail, light rail and buses.
 
MikefromCrete said:
Generally, alcoholic beverages are allowed on commuter trains, except for some instances where excessive consumption will be a problem, while food and beverages in general are banned on urban transit such as heavy rail, light rail and buses.
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Except of course, in the New York area :) which constitutes a very large chunk of such in the country!
 
MikefromCrete said:
Generally, alcoholic beverages are allowed on commuter trains, except for some instances where excessive consumption will be a problem, while food and beverages in general are banned on urban transit such as heavy rail, light rail and buses.
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We have three types of heavy rail in the San Francisco Bay Area used as commuter services. Caltrain runs from San Francisco down to San Jose (and a few trains to Gilroy) and allows pretty much anything and everything that isn't illegal. That means food, beverages, and alcohol. Altamont Commuter Express runs from Stockton to San Jose and allows food an beverages, but not alcohol. And finally there's Amtrak California's Capitol Corridor, which sells alcohol on the cafe cars and food and beverage is fine except for consuming your own in the cafe car (which is apparently a health code issue). However, I've seen people clearly eating outside food in a cafe car and nobody made an issue of it. And I've mentioned that some conductors might look the other way if one drinks a beer, as long as it's not rowdy.
 

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