PA Wine Kiosks - seriously?

[MichelleVW]

The bolded as a reason for the laws is total bull sh*t.

I agree, why should I have to make a special trip to buy beer and not just pick it up in the grocery store because someone has a problem with it.

Many people have issues with things that are legal like gambling, alcohol, buying songs from itunes, doesn't mean that the government needs to act like their daddy and protect them from seeing those things.

 

[jrmasm]

I don't understand what you mean by this, do you mean you don't care about folks dealing with alcoholism or is there something else to it? I'm not going to disagree with you I just want to understand you. To each their own & all that.

I think that idea that the restrictive laws are for our protection is crap. The laws about money and conservative politics. The idea that the legislators give two hoots about alcoholics is funny.

 

[RUDisney]

I agree, why should I have to make a special trip to buy beer and not just pick it up in the grocery store because someone has a problem with it.

Many people have issues with things that are legal like gambling, alcohol, buying songs from itunes, doesn't mean that the government needs to act like their daddy and protect them from seeing those things.

It's not like the alcoholic isn't going to make the special trip to the licquor store or beer distributor, so how is this setup actually helping them? Someone who "needs" the alcohol will go to the ends of the earth and even drink rubbing alcohol if that is all that is available.

Inconveniencing me isn't going to make them any more or less an alcoholic.

 

[RUDisney]

I think that idea that the restrictive laws are for our protection is crap. The laws about money and conservative politics. The idea that the legislators give two hoots about alcoholics is funny.

I don't think it has anything to do with conservative politics. All of the state senators and representatives to which I've written have been liberal in their politics. Their responses to me have been the same. "The state will lose too much tax revenue if we allow you to direct purchase wine or buy it outside of a state-run store."

 

[jrmasm]

I don't think it has anything to do with conservative politics. All of the state senators and representatives to which I've written have been liberal in their politics. Their responses to me have been the same. "The state will lose too much tax revenue if we allow you to direct purchase wine or buy it outside of a state-run store."

I believe the laws date back to Blue Laws. They haven't been updated due to money. Does that make more sense?

 

[RitaE]

I don't understand what you mean by this, do you mean you don't care about folks dealing with alcoholism or is there something else to it? I'm not going to disagree with you I just want to understand you. To each their own & all that.

Which leads me to wonder - is there any sort of evidence that such restrictions have led to a decrease in alcoholism or alcohol abuse in Pennsylvania? Given what I know about alcoholism, I seriously doubt it. After all, it is still a legal product to buy - having to jump through a few hoops isn't going to stop an alcoholic from caving.

Personally, as for whether or not I care? Sure I do. Do I think that means everybody else in the State should have to forgo their own personal rights and submit themselves to unreasonable barriers to purchasing a legal product - no I don't.

 

[daughtersrus]

Does anyone have a picture of what these look like?

Do you actually breathe into a mouth piece? Are there disposable covers to put on first?


Are they programed to accept all licenses from other states?


Coming from the Chicago area where liquor is sold in every grocery store that I know of, this seems a bit strange. I only know of one town in the area (Hinsdale) that is dry but even there you can get liquor because there's a bar that has been in business for about 80 years and is grand-fathered in.

 

[NMAmy]

It's just not a necessity so i always thought it was strange to have booze where you buy food. I don't object, I just think it's a powerful message enforcing the idea they belong together.

There's plenty of stuff in the grocery store that's not a necessity. It could also be considered a powerful message that you couldn't buy cauliflower without potato chips or ice cream.

But that's just me. Out of respect for the people who can't control themselves and are fighting with alcoholism I'm ok with being a little inconvenienced.

What about other states? Alcoholics seem to manage fine in grocery stores there. How about some personal responsibility?

I had no idea Pennsylvania had such goofy liquor laws. I also don't understand that the state is protecting its citizens by forcing them to buy a case of beer rather than a bottle.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

It's not like the alcoholic isn't going to make the special trip to the licquor store or beer distributor, so how is this setup actually helping them? Someone who "needs" the alcohol will go to the ends of the earth and even drink rubbing alcohol if that is all that is available.

Inconveniencing me isn't going to make them any more or less an alcoholic.

ITA!

There are people who have a serious overeating addiction. Should the PA government buy up the entire Fast Food industry? I must go to the PA Fast Food joint, and that's the only place I can get my Big Mac fix?

The truth is, as other PP's have pointed out, this is nothing more than a moneymaker for the Commonwealth.

While I do hate the whole system, the only thing that truly inconveniences me is the wine selection. I hate that I am unable to get new wines directly from vineyards without having to submit a ton of requests and paperwork through my State Store. Then, after all this, they MAY look to bring those wines into the store...it's not even guaranteed.

 

[okeydokey]

I love living in FL where you can buy beer and wine in the grocery right along with milk and toilet paper.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

In Pennsylvania, Wine and Liquour has to be bought at a STATE-OWNED "Wine & Spirits" shop. It's a complete government monopoly.

Not anymore. Some grocery stores can qualify, but not places like ACME, Giant, Genuardis.....


anyway, we all know it is about the taxes for the state, or we would already have private retail stores.

 

[jme829]

The kiosks sound like it would take more time to get the wine then it would to actually drink the wine .

We can buy 3.2 beer in grocery stores/gas stations here but everything else is sold in liquor stores. Some towns have municipal stores only and others allow private owners to open stores. No alcohol can be sold on Sunday's here.

Oh yeah..we can always tell when its Sunday here in Wisconsin, because of all the Minnesota cars coming in and out of the parking lots at the liquor stores..lol

When we lived in Ohio, we could buy beer and wine at the grocery store, and hard liquor (whiskey, vodka, etc..) at the state stores. We don't drink very much, so it took us a while after we moved here to notice that there wasn't any beer at the grocery stores.

 

[Kies99]

Not anymore. Some grocery stores can qualify, but not places like ACME, Giant, Genuardis.....


anyway, we all know it is about the taxes for the state, or we would already have private retail stores.

Wine and Liqour is all controlled by the state. Some state liquor stores are attached to grocery stores, but it's still state controlled.

 

[jrmasm]

Wine and Liqour is all controlled by the state. Some state liquor stores are attached to grocery stores, but it's still state controlled.

Yes but some grocery stores have licenses to sell six packs like bars can. The employees of the grocery stores sell the beer not state employees.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Wine and Liqour is all controlled by the state. Some state liquor stores are attached to grocery stores, but it's still state controlled.

When you say "attached" do you mean INSIDE the stores? Because I know for a FACT that we have what amounts to a huge deli near me, that sells wine and beer inside. They started doing it about 2 years ago. It was on our local news, as being part of a special program. I remember that very few places could qualify.

This place also sells meals you can eat inside, IIRC.

 

[LisaR]

It's not like the alcoholic isn't going to make the special trip to the licquor store or beer distributor, so how is this setup actually helping them? Someone who "needs" the alcohol will go to the ends of the earth and even drink rubbing alcohol if that is all that is available.

Inconveniencing me isn't going to make them any more or less an alcoholic.

If only curing alcoholism was this simple!

Can you imagine all the alcoholics in this world? "I REALLY need a drink. What? I have to go down to the beer distributor? Never mind. I think I will just quit drinking."

If it really worked this way, I would support it 100% but we all know it has nothing to do with this.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I've been in Pa 14 years and the alcohol issue doesn't bug me because NY wasn't all that much different when I lived there and NJ is super strict too. In fact I remember being stunned to see wine in the grocery store when I was in California and I also can distinctly remember the first time I saw beer in a grocery store too. It's just not a necessity so i always thought it was strange to have booze where you buy food. I don't object, I just think it's a powerful message enforcing the idea they belong together.

For most people it's no big deal, I've never been tempted to buy just because it's there or tempted to drink just because someone else is drinking. But that's just me. Out of respect for the people who can't control themselves and are fighting with alcoholism I'm ok with being a little inconvenienced.

I didn't know about the the vending machines though and think the breathalyzer is a weird idea because it's so easy to circumvent. All a person would have to do is either buy a bunch when sober or ask a friend to buy.

Anyone remember when cigarettes were in vending machines and those were banned? How can anyone justify booze in vending machines and not cigarettes? It's not like one is more dangerous than the other.

A lot of things in the grocery store aren't a necessity. Cookies and chips aren't a necessity. Perhaps we should restrict those purchases out of respect for obese people who can't control themselves. Frankly, I think it makes plenty of sense to sell wine where they sell food - you know, the food the wine will go with for dinner.

 

[laracroft]

OMG Devil Juice! That made me spit my coffee!!! LOLOL

 

[gillep]

I grew up and turned 21 in New York which has some pretty strange alcohol laws including no beer sold with wine/liquor (all beer seems to be in grocery stores and all wine/alcohol in wine/spirits stores); and when I was growing up you couldn't get beer from a grocery store before 12pm or 1pm, I don't remember which, and no wine/spirits stores were open on Sundays (Seriously? how silly). Then after I turned 21 and was in Albany for college things seemed to change a little and wine/spirits stores could be open a certain number of hours a week so instead of being closed on Sundays they then shifted to being open Sundays and closed Mondays or Wednesdays, again why does it matter?

Then I moved to VA and I have fallen in love with wine being sold in the grocery store with beer, I can stop in on my walk from the bus to my house grab a bottle of red wine and be good to go!!!!

Also for the person that likes to get not well stocked bottles of wine from the wine stores, I cannot believe they make you buy a case, the handful of times I had to go to a wine store in NY and special order a wine they purchased a case but I was allowed to just get a bottle or two from the store and they usually discounted the remaining bottles and if they sold fast and people liked them they would occasionally stock them.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I live in PA, and this is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.