Worst Amateur Night

I rolled out of bed and headed for breakfast at 8:30 9:30 yesterday. It's about a 1.5 mile walk through the heart of the Lincoln Avenue bar district. There were a lot of people, young people, out and about for a Sunday morning. What were they doing out? Then my still waking brain registered the green. Green was everywhere. I realized what was going on.

The South Side Irish Parade.

St. Patrick's Week (it's not just a day in Chicago) has to be the worst time for amateurish, juvenile drinking here. "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day" is the saying. It's just an excuse for a bunch of people to get drunk and act stupid.

The worst part is that its not just the professional drinkers, people who drink moderately to heavily all the time. Those people, and I'm one of them, stay pretty well in control. No, St. Partick's week brings out more idiots than any other day in Chicago.

During this week there are drunk people that never drink. That never drink during the week. That only have a couple drinks on a Friday and/or Saturday nights. And the South Side Irish parade has become a cause de jour to be falling down, stupid, beligerent drunk. Bars open early and start pouring green beer. They hire buses with kegs of beer on board to drive their already drunk patrons to the parade. The buses then bring them back to the bar where they continue to get blitzed.

Sure, New Years Eve is bad but people are well aware of the dangers and law enforcement is out in force. Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th all have their issues. Halloween, at least on the north side of Chicago, is one of the best party nights of the year. But for my money, St. Patrick's Week is the worst. I wanted to go for a beer last night but a friend had to remind me about the parade again.

I sat at home with a book instead. Better for me in so many ways.