Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Ursula Hennessey ·
February 8, 2011 at 10:37pm
Men's Health magazine has listed the Top 100 drunkest cities in America. Here are the Top 10:
1) Fresno, CA
2) Reno, NV
3) Billings, MT
4) Riverside, CA
5) Austin, TX
6) St. Louis, MO
7) San Antonio, TX
8) Lubbock, TX
9) Tucson, AZ
10) Bakersfield, CA
According to the article, the data used to determine rankings included liver disease, binge drinking, DUI-related fatal crashes, DUI arrests, and DUI laws.
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Jul '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Ursula, I grew up in Fresno and fled at my earliest opportunity.
I often described Fresno as the third circle of Hell and commented that the only sane responses to living there were taking massive quantities of drugs and engaging in random acts of violence. Folks thought I was being hyperbolic, of course, but then one day I happened to note a Rand-McNally survey of the quality of life in 300 major U.S. population centers. Fresno came in dead last, three years in a row.
Each year, the Department of Health and Human Services conducts its own quality-of-life survey in each of the 435 Congressional districts. For several years running, the district which encompasses Fresno has been at the very bottom of the heap.
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Kenneth: Ursula, I grew up in Fresno and fled at my earliest opportunity.
I often described Fresno as the third circle of Hell and commented that the only sane responses to living there were taking massive quantities of drugs and engaging in random acts of violence. Folks thought I was being hyperbolic, of course, but then one day I happened to note a Rand-McNally survey of the quality of life in 300 major U.S. population centers. Fresno came in dead last, three years in a row.
Each year, the Department of Health and Human Services conducts its own quality-of-life survey in each of the 435 Congressional districts. For several years running, the district which encompasses Fresno has been at the very bottom of the heap. · Feb 8 at 1:47pm
As a life-long East Coaster, Kenneth, I have no frame of reference. Why is this? Why Fresno?
Sep '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Lubbock? I've been to Lubbock. Sure, it was 10 years ago, but my complaint was the lack of drinking. What changed?
Edited on February 8, 2011 at 11:06pmMay '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Not Madison or Green Bay in Wisconsin? Who did this survey?
May '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
This reminds me of a story.
Some years ago, black boxes and microphones were installed in vehicles around the country to record the last words of drivers during traffic accidents. In 49 states, the most common words recorded were, "Oh, $#@!" But in Texas, the most common recording was, "Hold my beer and watch this."
I thought of that story when a drive-through liquor store opened in my area.
DUI laws and DUI arrests are a poor metric. That a state is more focused on enforcing laws against drunk driving than another state does not mean the problem is more common there. Also, there are a lot of small towns in Texas that substitute tickets on outsiders for taxes on locals.
6th Street in Austin is famous. The fact that it's the regional hub for live music is probably a big reason for its appearance on that list.
Sep '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
I resemble that remark!
Aug '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
The criteria they use is terrible.
(Am I really arguing about the journalistic wisdom of Men's Health magazine? These guys ain't exactly known for their in-depth, well-researched reporting...)
Sep '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Aaron Miller:
DUI laws and DUI arrests are a poor metric. That a state is more focused on enforcing laws against drunk driving than another state does not mean the problem is more common there.
That was my first instinct as to why Wisconsin was not represented here. I believe we are the only state that doesn't criminalize a first offense for DUI.
Aug '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Furthermore, if lots of people are being charged with DUI offenses, then I submit those are the WORST places to be a drunk! If you wanted to be a drunk, you'd want to be in the places where they DON'T enforce DUI laws!!!
Jul '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Ursula Hennessey
As a life-long East Coaster, Kenneth, I have no frame of reference. Why is this? Why Fresno? · Feb 8 at 1:51pm
It's hard to explain, Ursula. But start with the fact that daytime temperatures are routinely well above 100 degrees from April through September. The air quality, due to inversion layers and evaporation of agricultural chemicals, is the worst in the United States. The landscape is a flat desert, depressingly monotonous.
Crime, particularly violent assault, is very high.
A large part of the population comes from the Third World, especially Mexico. In the 1970's our dear friends at Catholic Relief Services imported 80,000 Vietnamese Hmongs into the existing population of about 200,000. They've had a very hard time assimilating, except for their children, who have assimilated into the Mexican gang culture.
The education level of the population is low and the job base is predominantly blue-collar and agricultural. Welfare dependency is off the scale
You'd be better off to ask Victor Davis Hanson. He's spent way more time there than I. And the times I've spoken to him about Fresno, he's been utterly despondent.
Edited on February 8, 2011 at 11:29pmNov '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
This is an obvious hoax since it leaves out Chicago and Boston. And if they think DUI arrests have much to do with the level of actual drunkenness they are misinformed.
And no drunks below the Mason-Dixon line? Well, maybe Southerners just hold their liquor better.
Aug '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Wisconsin would be a terrible place to be a drunk. Too cold. Passing out in a field results in hypothermia. ;-)
Sep '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Misthiocracy
Wisconsin would be a terrible place to be a drunk. Too cold. Passing out in a field results in hypothermia. ;-) · Feb 8 at 2:30pm
The whiskey keeps you warm.
May '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Kenneth, at least you didn't have to graduate from Hanford High School...
BTW, Bakersfield is a great place to get gas.
Oct '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Pseudodionysius: Lubbock? I've been to Lubbock. Sure, it was 10 years ago, but my complaint was the lack of drinking. What changed? · Feb 8 at 1:56pm
Edited on Feb 08 at 02:06 pm
Back in 2009 the restrictive alcohol sales laws in Lubbock were repealed by popular vote (two to one, in fact). Happened just months before I moved up here from...San Antonio. ;)
Oct '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
But there is a huge omission from the list. The drunkest city in Texas is - by a long shot - Laredo.
Edited on February 9, 2011 at 12:45amJul '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
FeliciaB: Kenneth, at least you didn't have to graduate from Hanford High School...
BTW, Bakersfield is a great place to get gas. · Feb 8 at 3:28pm
Yeah, at least Hanford gave us Fresnans someone to look down upon.
Jun '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
The drunk, or stoned, tend to congregate where their slow incoherent language is spoken and understood. I used to be able to translate, drunk-speak to sober, but I've gotten rusty.
Nov '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
Mike LaRoche: But there is a huge omission from the list. The drunkest city in Texas is - by a long shot - Laredo. · Feb 8 at 3:36pm
Edited on Feb 08 at 03:45 pm
They aren't drunk there. Or at least they aren't getting drunk all at once. No, they just are drinking all day. That's not binge drinking.
Plus, it's hard to tell if someone there is driving while drunk, or driving while Mexican. Just saying.
Nov '10
Re: Wanna Be A Drunk? Head West, Apparently
I've only been through there twice (well, four times I suppose), both just going up to Shaver Lake from the Inland Empire. Didn't even stop, as far as I recall.
Even when I was twelve, I could tell there was something...off about that place. Bad vibes, or something.
But at least it didn't smell bad, like Bakersfield did. I don't know if it was because that Denny's was right next to a farm or what, but man, I had to hold my nose from the car to inside.