The Drunk Tank is a Comin' to Town

Bostonist has been known to stagger down the streets of the city around 2 a.m. drunk as a skunk. Sure if you see a cop, you pretend to walk sober, which pretty much looks like you're drunk. With a push from Councilor Rob Consalvo, the city council just passed a bill, with a unanimous 13-0 vote, to put those intoxicated folks into the good ol' drunk tank, where you can sleep off your boozing under the watchful eye of police.

While Councilor Consalvo had originally proposed the ordinance to focus specifically on drunk drivers, the bill was expanded to pedestrians as well. Now, police will not be circling the city looking for drunks; they will only be focusing on those that are "incapacitated" (unconscious, need medical attention, disorderly, or likely to cause physical harm or property damage). The way the law stands now, each Massachusetts town has the option of the drunk tank, but with this new bill passed, it will be mandatory if you fail a sobriety test (alcohol level .08 and higher).

So if you wake up one morning with a hell of a hangover in the tank, don't fret...no criminal charges will be held over your pounding head. One question though: do the police at least provide you with some greasy food and an Advil the next morning?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia