Why This Bar Built a Labyrinth Outside Its Front Door
The bar is now, technically, over 500 meters from the street.
A Bar In Kerala Made A 250m-Long Maze Wall To Beat Supreme Court’s 500m Rule https://t.co/PE3VSOoNEP via @indiatimes pic.twitter.com/H3HA35w0b8
— Enis Erkel (@EnisErkel) April 11, 2017
Last December, India’s Supreme Court banned alcohol sales within 500 meters (about a third of a mile) of national and state highways. Meant to reduce drunk driving, the law bothered many of the country’s hotel, restaurant, and bar owners, who saw only two choices: move their establishments, or lose vital revenue.
The employees of Aiswarya Bar—located 150 meters from Highway 17, in Kerala—saw a third option. A few days before the law went into effect, they began building a small maze out of prefabricated concrete walls, leading from the building’s entrance to the street. When they finished, the distance from barstool to road had stretched three times its original length.
“We have constructed an extended way to reach the bar,” Aiswarya’s manager, Shiju P., told the Times of India. “Now it is 520 meters from the highway.”
“A walk before and after a drink will actually be good for health,” a neighboring vendor, who is considering a similar strategy, added.
According to the Times, this solution was acceptable to excise enforcers. Once you’ve bent space and time, regular old state laws are easy.
Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.
Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook