Bye Bye Beirut.........

[TRANCED]

BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud and Tourism mister Elie Marouni issued Thursday a series of new regulations concerning the work of restaurants, cafes, pubs and nightclubs in residential and non-residential areas.

The memorandum stipulates that concerning restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs located in residential areas, music and other shows ought to stop at 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and on holidays, and at midnight the rest of the week. Closing time for restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs is 2 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and on holidays, and 1 a.m. the rest of the week.

As for outlets located in non-residential areas, music is to be turned off at 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and on holidays and at 1:30 a.m. the rest of the week. Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs located in non-residential areas will close down at 3:30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and on holidays, and at 2:30 a.m. the rest on the week.

As for valet parking services, the two ministries urged owners of restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs to provide parking spaces for their customers. The owners should also organize the activity of their valet parking services, "so as to avoid congestion in residential areas."

The ministries also reminded the owners of restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs of the urgency of installing sound proofing for their outlets. -

The Daily Star
Friday, February 27, 2009

[DIONYSOS]

WHAAAT??? NOOO FUCKING WAAAY!!!

Although I'm a BIG fan of Baroud but WTF??? This is even worse than Dubai!!!

I really REALLY hope this will be taken as just another Lebanese law to ignore and bail out of through wasta.

But if this indeed is made effective, it will turn Beirut's musical landscape around, for the worst.

This is outrageous!

[Icepick]

i heard it on the radio
This really blows
If its really implemented then seriously bye bye beirut...
We life the nightlife here and here are the politicians desteoying everything as usual.

[A-Cube]

Measures that could have been avoided if pubs and bars followed regulations closely and didn't make life a living hell for all the residents.

It is a mere look in the mirror and an attempt to fix things. Most pubs and clubs will do something about their annoying valets parking who hog every single corner within a mile radius and work on their sound systems to make sure the only people who make the most of it are the people inside the club's vicinity.

It doesn't mean I'm with it, but truth be told, the lack of professionalism was starting to get annoying and it will take time but eventually things will get back on track. It's the police that is affiliated to the ministry of tourism that will be handling this issue and I highly doubt they will apply these measures strictly. So enjoy it while you can

[e-sam]

It is sad that the Minister of Tourism approved such law. Closing at 1 am in week days & 2 am in weekends?! So now I can't go to Zaatar w Zeit and have a Cheese Mankoshi with a cup of Tea because the citizens are bothered by its presence 7ilo ktir. I'd like to ask the WISE Minister of Interior to think for a second and answer my question about the so-called traffic & sounds that is bothering the citizens. Which generates more sound: Pubs at night or the traffic jam during the day? Simalla 3ale he is TOO smart for us. I'd like to ask him another question. Give me one restaurant, pub, or night club in Beirut... heck ANY shop in Beirut that doesn't have a residential block 10 meters away from it. It is sad to know that the folks running this country are amateurs. It is also sad to know (and time will tell) that the same folks who signed/approved this law will keep their restaurant, pub or club open because its above the law. The rich gets richer & the poor gets poorer. This is why I have to relocate because guys like me can't make a difference in a country like Lebanon. I guess we can safely say good bye Tiesto, Armin & every future DJ who will be booked to play in Lebanon unless the organizer is backed up by a political figure or party.

[System.S]

That is very good news, that's how it is in the rest of the world (well at least in Europe and other countries that have a stable system).

+ These things are important for the residents of the areas that contain such places.

+ They are also important security factors in such timings, when they know what time everything closes, they know what kind of activities are going on behind the closure times = better control in the street activities.

+ Some places can take permits to say open later then the usual time (its not the end for anything).

+ It makes Lebanon a bit more organised in this matter, its seriously a mess, things has to be organized and following a system, its for the benefit of everyone really.

It is sad to actually know that the Lebanese people never want to follow a system (a system that has been working for centuries for other civilised countries) and always want to dive in mess and un-organised laws.

These laws apply to any European country which brought Tiesto and PVD, since much longer, how come they still party?

Come on you guys, the law is the law, and these laws are not being invented by locals, they have been forged in Europe from ages ago, with reasons, damn good reasons.

[Raneem]

^+1
I think this will control the fawda we have in Lebanon if the law is applied.
In Montreal for instance, which is considered to have the best nightlife in Canada, clubs and pubs in weekends have to be closed at 3 AM. Only Afterhours clubs (who have have specific permits for that) open at 1-2 AM and close at noon, without havin any permission to serve alcohol !!

So..You keep complaining about Lebanon being non-organized..and when laws are to be created to fix this matter, you complain again.
e-sam you might be right concerning the traffic jam, and now i'm sure that soon there will be new laws for the traffic, maybe forbidding horns for unneccessary uses after getting to organize the shit more a bit, just like in any other developped couintry.

Lebanon deserves to be treated as a developed country..And its people should start understanding that there are laws to follow to develop Lebanon.


Kudos to Baroud!

[mzy]

[TRANCExual]

[Raneem]

[System.S]

[Nicktalopia]

Since when people in Lebanon follow the law? This will be just another rule to find a way around and ignore.

People who made the new law should have been there when these clubs and pubs were being constructed among residential areas and without sound proof, but honestly the club owners being forced to close at certain time cause of their construction errors and bad location deserve it for taking those 2 factors for granted and thinking this day will never come.

[TranceFusion]

Biel and Forum de Beyrouth are very away from residential areas. I doubt that the events will stop at 2am.

I don't understand the title of this topic. Instead of being so negative maybe it should sound more like "Finally someone is trying to introduce civilisation in this chaotic society" ??? Clubs and pubs close around that time in Europe and America and events still end between 5 and 9am the next day! People enjoy their nightlife between 9-10pm and 1am and go home. They are happy that they went out, saw their friends, listened to music, drank a bit, met a girl/guy.

People here keep on nagging that no one cares about the laws and when a good one is introduced they start nagging even more that this law is shit. Instead of thinking "oh shit i won't be able to party till 5am" isn't it better to think "maybe things are finally taking a new turn, 3 hours of partying isn't that bad after all, in the end people living in those clubbing areas deserve some silence after 5 days of hard work"??? "Hellooooo egoism!" i say to that attitude! I get too often the impression that this society does not want to move forward. Now is one of those moments.

This has my full support and i really hope that this time the police will be fuckin professional and stop giving fuckin corruption signals to everyone.

EDIT:
Raneem and System K are right in their first posts.
Mzy actually this is VERY positive and it will remain this way if all lebanese clubbers will look at it this way instead of seeing it as a negative thing and trying to sabotage it. Don't worry though, Beirut will remain a hot spot during the summer. As for the politicians i agree that they are thieves and liars and corrupted, but it's also their task to organize their society so let them do this organization. If you're one of those who don't give a shit about laws then too bad... you'll have to get used to organized society where the law is applied everywhere and to everyone.

I really hope that soon the horns will be forbidden!! In Europe for example it is allowed to horn only in sudden/urgent situations (example: to avoid an accident with another car or people).

[JayCM]

[JayCM]