If Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family, for many, the eve of the holiday has become all about reconnecting with old friends. “It’s our tradition. We do it every year,” said Melissa Hackman, on an overnight trip to the town of Lodi. “We got together, a big group, and we went bar-hopping around Lodi the night before Thanksgiving.” Downtown Lodi is traditionally busy the night before Thanksgiving— In recent years, the night has earned the dubious nickname, “Wednesday Blackout,” because of its tendency to see people binge drinking. “It’s almost like St. Patrick’s Day,” says Jason O’Byrne, manager of Ollie’s Pub. “You’re getting everyone back in town, which is absolutely insane.” Nights are also lucrative for businesses in town because people spend money and hotspots make money when they draw crowds — get ready for reunions and revelry. Ollie’s, the bar offers space for those seeking respite from “too many families”. “They chose this location!” According to law enforcement, people need to be aware that people need to have a few drinks responsibly. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the longest for the California Highway Patrol, as the agency ramps up patrols and looks for drivers it deems dangerous. Officers will pull over impaired/distracted/speeding/not wearing seat belt drivers. Last year, 42 people were killed in car crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday in CHP’s jurisdiction in California, according to the agency. Officials issued more than 5,600 tickets for speeding or seat belt violations, and more than 1,000 people were arrested for DUI. “I’m going to Lyft home,” Atebar said of his plans to use the ride-sharing service when he leaves the bar at night. According to CHP, it is imperative to get out of the car at the beginning of the evening and have a solid plan for a safe ride home. “We had one guy who didn’t drink … come pick us up, and then Uber got strong again in Lodi, so we’d call them to pick us up,” Hackman said. Law enforcement agencies say pre-planning can make weekends safer and people more likely to enjoy time with friends again this time next year.
If Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family, for many, eve or the holidays have become everything reconnect with old friends.
“It’s our tradition. We do it every year,” said Melissa Hackman, on an overnight trip to the town of Lodi. “We got together, a big group, and we went bar-hopping around Lodi the night before Thanksgiving.”
Downtown Lodi is traditionally busy the night before Thanksgiving — an evening that has earned the dubious nickname “Blackout Wednesday” in recent years because of the drinking it often sees.
“It’s almost like St. Patrick’s Day,” says Ollie’s Pub manager Jason O’Byrne. “It’s absolutely insane that you’re bringing everyone back into town.”
Nights are also lucrative for businesses in town, as people spend money and hotspots make money when they draw crowds—get ready for parties and raves.
At Ollie’s, there’s space in the bar for those seeking respite from “too many families”.
“They’ll get out of the monotony one day,” explains Oli’s patron, Omar Atba. “And they chose this location!”
According to law enforcement, pouring down a few drinks requires realizing that people need to do so responsibly.
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend marks one of the longest periods for the California Highway Patrol, when the agency ramps up patrols and looks for drivers it deems dangerous.
Officers will pull over physically impaired/distracted/speeding/not wearing seatbelt drivers.
According to the agency, 42 people were killed in road accidents in CHP’s jurisdiction during Thanksgiving in California last year.
Officials issued more than 5,600 tickets for speeding or seat belt violations, and more than 1,000 people were arrested for DUI.
“I’m going to Lyft home,” Atebar said of his plans to use the carpool service when he leaves the bar at night.
According to CHP, it is imperative to start getting out of the car at night and have a solid plan for a safe ride home.
“We had a guy who didn’t drink … come pick us up, and then Uber went strong again in Lodi, so we’d be calling to pick us up,” Hackman said.
Law enforcement agencies say pre-planning makes weekends safer and people are more likely to enjoy time with friends again this time next year.