If you’re anything like us, after a long day of work, all you want is a stiff drink. But, if you live in the Chicago area and you take the “L” home, you’re probably secretly sipping on a flask or a bottle of booze stashed away in a brown paper bag. That’s because drinking alcohol on trains is currently illegal in Illinois. But, one Illinois lawmaker is striving to remove a Prohibition-era law and allow people to enjoy a beer, cocktail, or glass of wine on their commute home without fear of getting an open container ticket or being booted from the train.
Senator Laura Ellman, a Democrat from Naperville, wants to repeal the Railroad Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1911. This act makes it illegal to drink alcohol on a train and at a train station. Ellman and many others believe this law is outdated and unnecessary. It’s obvious to us that she enjoys a drink from time to time and that’s pretty awesome.
If you live in Chicago and find this whole thing confusing, that’s probably because you already drink on trains with no fear of repercussions (some trains even serve alcohol). You also probably didn’t even realize you were breaking the law. That’s because this law (even though it’s still on the books) hasn’t really been enforced in 100 years. Ellman would just like to wipe it off the books so nobody ever has to worry about it. It’s called Senate Bill 2961 and it has been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee. Here’s hoping it passes and paves the way for other old-timey laws to be repealed — like the one that makes it illegal for a dog to drink whiskey.
Photo: Johannes Hicks / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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