‘Just don’t mess it up’: Gee weighs in on whether Seattle’s looser public drinking laws should stay

Seattle is testing lenient rules around public drinking as the city hosts the World Cup, but what started as a limited-time allowance could actually extend well beyond the major soccer event.

A new state law allows expanded alcohol service zones at several World Cup fan events across Seattle, including Pier 62, Seattle Center, and Pacific Place, with another zone at Pike Place Market, where people can find the Sip and Savor pilot program.

Hosts compared the law’s potential extension to rewarding good behavior

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, likened the potential extension of the law to children being rewarded for good behavior, and if Seattleites continue that good behavior, the law could move past its current expiration date.

“Cities and counties that use this new law have to report back on how well it’s worked, and the law is set to expire at the end of next year,” Ursula said. “My question is, what do you think? Should it continue?”

“Well, as of right now, yes. Just don’t mess it up,” Gee responded. “This is like, your family’s in town, and instead of your bedtime being 9 p.m., they have now extended it to 10 p.m. while the family is here. Then you did so well while they were there, and you get rewarded. Like, ‘Hey, you know what? Keep things up, we’ll keep it at 10 o’clock.’ And this is one of those things. Seattle, keep doing the right things, and you get rewarded.”

Ursula explained that her personal experiences with the lenient public drinking rules have been more than positive, stating that it was a “great vibe” and the atmosphere around the area had improved because of the law.

“You have to manage the boring details, like security, clean up, and crowd control, but I did get the experience, and I thought it was a great vibe,” Ursula said. “Not that I’m a big proponent of, ‘Let’s all drink more alcohol or drink more wine,’ but just the feeling of having more people in certain areas and having a few looser rules so that you can enjoy a drink, within reason, and yeah, the vibe, the atmosphere, what we’ve been seeing has been great.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.