It looks different from this side of it
 

I live across the street from a bar, and this is the time of year when I like to open all my windows and sleep with the cool air flowing in. You can see where there might be an issue. Yes, it's a smoking bar but for some reason the drunks like to loiter outside and smoke. And they talk constantly, and all at once, and loudly, and it sounds to me like braindead drivel, and I wonder if I ever sounded like that, and I know that I did... And then last night after closing time, I'm awoken by the noisy crowd leaving the bar, and someone shouting "Hey, I gotta get out of here, I can't be gettin no second DUI" and then screeching tires and shattering glass as someone plows down the do-not-enter sign at the end of my street, 15 feet from where my car is parked. All the other drunks are laughing and hollering and take off like bats out of hell and no police come and the bartenders lock up and meander home... It's not a bad area, there are lots of families with kids. I didn't hear any fights this summer, but last year there were a few, and police came... There was a time when my nights looked a lot like theirs, and now I wonder, what's the appeal? And why do places that draw that sort of character and behavior have to exist? I only went in there twice, and I ended up being removed and asked not to return both times.

Great post. I lived down the street from my favorite watering hole (since moved out of the area). I worked nights so I'd hit up the place right when they opened at 11am. Had a few beers and then went home and hit the whiskey pretty hard.

I left for work around 10pm, drove past the bar. Always the same cars in the lot, most every night. And thought how I was better cause I would never spend an evening out drinking like that!

I was no different. I was worse.

I know! Bars aren't fun at all when you don't drink. Helluva thing. Our apt. In Boston, years ago, was next to a restaurant. Oh, the sound!

Sitting at bars is just a waste of time. A total waste of time. I'm glad you don't hang out in there anymore Brenda. You're better off now. Much better.

I think we should not judge here. We were the people hanging out at those bars. We know why. It was fun. We stopped. Lets leave the others to it. They can make their own calls.

I used to go to a bar. I was a regular. You're right though, total waste of time.

I did question what the appeal was, and why some establishments allowed bad behavior to go on when it is a quiet residential area.. I do wonder how I managed to get banned, I have no recollection. But nothing that I said cast judgement on the people in the bar.

Should we be able to observe that lifestyle and that behavior and not see something that is undesirable to us? That's dangerous.