Tourist fined for not having a booze licence

Tourist fined for not having a booze licence

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Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

235 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/courts/los...

I'm sure you will of heard about this farce by now.

It was all over Dubai Eye today and the Chief Justice guy said that to be 100% sure of not getting jailed or fined for drinking alcohol without a licence, the tourist should either not drink or drink in secret.

Arf!

Federal law says that you MUST have a liquor licence to consume alcohol in the country, non-muslim resident or tourist. If you are muslim it is prohibited.

It is physically impossible to get one as a tourist.

As per usual - another gray law that is open to individual interpretation by the Police, Prosecutors and Courts.

yorky500

1,715 posts

198 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
If you consume alcohol in a hotel bar, you must stay in the hotel after drinking it - do not leave.

Also, have heard recently of a few taxi drivers who, when a pissed up expat gets in the car, locks the doors and drives them to the nearest police station (they get paid for this service)

Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

235 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
yorky500 said:
If you consume alcohol in a hotel bar, you must stay in the hotel after drinking it - do not leave.

Also, have heard recently of a few taxi drivers who, when a pissed up expat gets in the car, locks the doors and drives them to the nearest police station (they get paid for this service)
I too have heard about the latter.

According to Federal Law, as was clarified this morning - doesn't matter if you are staying in the hotel and don't leave - technically, anyone who is non-muslim has to have a liquor licence to let one drop of alcohol to pass their lips.

The discussion is now going as far as - if you have a beer on the flight in, you could be in for some jail time upon landing. Far fetched, perhaps, but technically possible.

Chilli

17,320 posts

243 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Really? This is all news to me. I've lost count of the amount of times I've staggered in and out of taxi's. I'm ok as I have a licence, I guess....but what about Mrs C?

Mattt

16,663 posts

225 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
They'll start ignoring the rule again soon enough, unless they want to completely kill their tourism industry.

Hitch78

6,117 posts

201 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
I'm with Mattt. I've heard of a very small number of incidents in which pissed up people who are sick or violent in cabs have been arrested but they hardly go out of their way to catch you.

Like most things over here a blind eye is often turned, but that does not mean that they won't throw the book at you for everything they can once you're caught.

Hitch78

6,117 posts

201 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
I've just read the story - two beers and a whiskey my arse!

Amazing how people never admit to ten pints, four shots of tequila and three whiskeys when they get caught for this type of thing isn't it?

6th Gear

3,567 posts

201 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/courts/liq...

The Criminal Investigation Division official, who did not wish to be identified, said police took a more common-sense approach to alcohol law enforcement because it was not seen to be a serious threat to society, like drugs.

“It is not like drugs which is a worldwide problem that has drastic consequences,” he said.




shirt

23,483 posts

208 months

Monday 28th February 2011
quotequote all
Asterix said:
yorky500 said:
If you consume alcohol in a hotel bar, you must stay in the hotel after drinking it - do not leave.

Also, have heard recently of a few taxi drivers who, when a pissed up expat gets in the car, locks the doors and drives them to the nearest police station (they get paid for this service)
I too have heard about the latter.

According to Federal Law, as was clarified this morning - doesn't matter if you are staying in the hotel and don't leave - technically, anyone who is non-muslim has to have a liquor licence to let one drop of alcohol to pass their lips.

The discussion is now going as far as - if you have a beer on the flight in, you could be in for some jail time upon landing. Far fetched, perhaps, but technically possible.
i've read a couple of stories that i thought laughable recently so i wouldn't rule that out:

chap who was arrested for possessing 3 poppy seeds about his person having eaten them on a bagel at heathrow.

chap arrested and sentenced [later pardoned] for having 0.001g of cannabis stuck on the sole of his shoe.

i've also read that the authorities extend drug possession to blood and urine content.


good job i'm such a clean living individual biggrin