Dry City

Melbourne, or rather Victoria, no actually Australia, is a dry place, in more ways than one. And it is getting dryer. Today was the earliest ever 'Total Fire Ban' day in Victoria, yet there were still over 130 fires today, as reported in this The Age article. 30deg C temperatures, low humidity and a strong wind all contributed, as did the lack of rainfall. It has hardly rained here at all since I arrived nearly three weeks ago. The Missus says it has been chucking it down at home in Bury St Edmunds and she's had to put the heating on. I'm starting to miss it.

But there is a common dry theme between Bury St Edmunds and Melbourne. Both places have a ban on drinking in the street. Here is the sign proclaiming it at the crossroads just outside my hotel.

I'm curious as to why it stipulates hours. Does that mean you can booze as much as you like on the streets during the daytime? And it doesn't stipulate that it applies to alcoholic drinks. Does that mean you can be fined $100 for drinking from a bottle of water at night? Oh-oh. Work-life balance alert. Spill-over from work life here. Guess who's been involved in discussions over contractual requirements.