Back in the day, we were huge fans of Gallery Night, the four times per year event primarily in the Third Ward where artists and art galleries display their wares for the art-loving public.
Friday nights at Gallery Night were a blast. Many of the galleries would have a bottle of wine or three open for their guests to sample while appreciating the wonderful work. A good way to attract visitors. The crowds were large, the mood festive and the sales brisk.
Then the City Attorney’s office discovered that people were actually having a good time, which clearly is against their mantra, in part due to what they deemed illegal dispensing of alcoholic beverages, specifically serving wine without a license. So the imbibing stopped, the crowds slowly diminished along with the festivity and, although I’m not sure what the effect was on sales, I’ll bet the farm it wasn’t good.
Fade to 2012. Now the City Attorney’s office is after another menacing criminal, a habitual breaker of the law, a growing threat to society, the ever-perilous Pedal Tavern.
The Pedal Tavern is a recent Milwaukee phenomenon where a vehicle runs solely on the peddling of its riders. The driver only has a steering wheel and a brake, making the contraption 100 percent environmentally friendly. An additional benefit comes from its name – the ability to imbibe while on board.
As a rider on the Pedal Tavern last year, I can attest – it was a blast. It was festive, fun and energetic. We had a guest turned bartender in the center compartment, serving frothy beverages en route while we toured the city, stopping at a number of great bars along the way.
But, seemingly, this was illegal as well. According to a recent Journal Sentinel article, “Wisconsin law does not allow drinking in vehicles, but it has an exception for large-capacity motorized vehicles such as limousines or buses.” The Pedal Tavern apparently isn’t classified as a limo or bus.
The Pedal Tavern’s owners, Ryan Lloyd and Derek Collins, have been operating under the impression that their tavern on wheels was in the limousine category, so they’ve been letting people bring beverages on board. The driver doesn’t drink, and drinks from the local bars can’t be carried on either. Everything has to be consumed in plastic.
This seems pretty well-managed and pretty safe. From my research, there have been no reports of any injuries in the three years they’ve been in operation.
You might not be surprised that noise has been an issue. Needless to say, a group of imbibing adults on an un-motorized trolley could be rather rambunctious, something we also experienced during our ride last year.
So Ryan and Derek agreed to limit the hours of the pedal tavern, ending rides at 10:30 p.m. on weekends and earlier during the week, and to keep the music down. All good right? Not with the ever present City Attorney’s office on the lookout.
Assistant city attorney Adam Stephens, clearly our voice of reason in Milwaukee, said “having open intoxicants on the Pedal Tavern violates the law against having open intoxicants on the street.”
C’mon Adam, in addition to getting a life, you should know that if I’m sitting up on my seat on the Tavern, I’m not on the street, I’m actually part of a vehicle, whether it has a motor or not.
Alderman Bob Bauman has his scrooge hat on too while scolding these entrepreneurs: “Alcohol is part of your business plan and that part of your plan is not legal.” So there.
New patrons Downtown, increased business for bars on the route, and fun in the summer in the city. Yep, let’s eliminate that.
I look at it differently. It’s a local business that helps support other local business and brings fun and excitement to the city. And it’s been growing. In fact, the only reason the brass knew about it is that the owners were applying to license a fifth vehicle.
I’ve got a solution. Grab an old lawn mower, fix up the engine, stick it on the back of the bike, pull the cord, and tap the keg. Or better yet, as Ryan and Derek are trying to do right now, get the law changed to classify the Pedal Tavern as a limo. That would be great.
I’m rooting for Ryan and Derek. They’ve got a good thing, virtually everyone loves it and it’s good for the city.
A recent post on Yelp summed it up the attitudes of our lawmakers thusly: “Hey you hooligans, stop having fun!”
Adam Stephens and Bob Bauman wouldn’t have it any other way.
