The “Best of the Web” features comments posted on The Diamondback’s website regarding articles printed in last week’s edition. In these comments, readers discuss “‘Peer Pressure’ raises local bar prices,” an article about last month’s meeting that prompted city bar owners to set a $1 price floor for alcoholic beverages. To comment on stories, visit www.diamondbackonline.com
Big AlPosted 8/15/08 @ 11:35 a.m.
I hate when businessmen get in battles with each other over who will own week night crowds, and don’t care about the impact to the campus and community. Part of the last wave of robberies and assaults was directly tied to the criminals that come to College Park looking for cheap booze and easy targets. The major bars stopped the drink specials, and the crime dropped significantly – although part of it was also due to WaWa closing and the police running off the thugs from the shopping center. The lesson learned is to not open another bar in an area that is saturated with stinky beer bars. Here’s an idea the bars can try: food specials (like Hard Times has) that add something to a person’s body chemistry other than booze. Fifty cent hot dogs and $2 beers are not bad deals at all. Just dropping booze prices to squeeze out your competition on any given night is shortsighted and unethical.
Turd BurglerPosted 8/15/08 @ 1:02 p.m.Oh, Big Al … I guess you just need more experience and knowledge to understand the true issues. For example, you think by raising the price of drinks it will keep the criminal element out (i.e. Prince George’s county thugs). You probably do not remember when Cornerstone tried that and used to have a $25 cover charge just to get in. You know what? It didn’t work. The criminals still came in. Instead of blaming prices, booze or business owners, maybe you should blame the students who get loaded and then walk home alone, painting a huge target on their backs. Or how about the police who can’t seem to stop the criminal element from coming into town?
Tcarr89Posted 8/17/08 @ 1:35 a.m.
1)Instituting a price floor for bar drinks will not stop students at a large public university from binge drinking. Everyone will just pound drinks before leaving for the bar, which may cause more problems than it solves and hurt business more than it helps them.
2) “Some business owners thought a quarter a beer was unreasonable and irresponsible,” Ryan said. “It was peer pressure, where responsible business owners put pressure on other business owners.”
I can’t help but think the other bar owners were much more concerned with being able to compete with the Turtle’s 25-cent rails than they were with making sure it acts reasonably and responsibly.
