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Policy

I'll Need to See Your Permit

Radley Balko | 5.7.2008 12:54 PM

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I don't know which is worse, that the city of Cleveland requires a "music permit" and a "pool table permit," or that failing to obtain one is a criminal offense.

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NEXT: Inhale Your Vapor If You've Got It

Radley Balko is a journalist at The Washington Post.

PolicyNanny StateAlcohol
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  1. fyodor   17 years ago

    That's a weird either/or, Radley. It's kinda like saying, I don't know what's worse, that he pointed a gun at an innocent man or that he pulled the trigger!

  2. ed   17 years ago

    Cleveland doesn't rock?
    Drew Carey's got some 'splaining to do.

  3. Blue   17 years ago

    Right here in River City.
    Trouble with a capital "T"
    And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!

  4. KD   17 years ago

    Its like presidential candidates - I don't know which is worse.

  5. Blue   17 years ago

    Oh, we've got trouble.
    We're in terrible, terrible trouble.
    That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool!
    Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble!
    With a "T"! Gotta rhyme it with "P"!
    And that stands for Pool!!!

  6. Pro Libertate   17 years ago

    Isn't the heart of rock 'n' roll in Cleveland?

  7. John-David   17 years ago

    A-hem.

  8. P Brooks   17 years ago

    "The Iranians are, even as we speak, preparing to flood this great land of ours with musical pool tables. We must strike now, and strike hard, to save ourselves. The bombers are one the runway, fueled and ready; it's your call, Sir."

  9. John-David   17 years ago

    Anyway, like one of the commenters on the original blog noted, it's surprising Cleveland doesn't also require toilet permits.

  10. Warren   17 years ago

    Friends, lemme tell you what I mean.
    Ya got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table.
    Pockets that mark the diff'rence
    Between a gentlemen and a bum,
    With a capital "B,"
    And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!

  11. Guy Montag   17 years ago

    ed,

    Same goes for The Presidents of the United States of America and Ian Hunter.

  12. Pro Libertate   17 years ago

    Of course, some claim that Detroit is "Rock City". But I don't hold with that.

  13. Nephilium   17 years ago

    IIRC you also technically need a permit to kill mice and rats...

    And the Heart of Rock and Roll is also not in Cleveland.

    Nephilium

  14. Taktix?   17 years ago

    As a native Pittsburgher, I've been telling you all for years that Cleveland sucks.

    You can pick up your crow sandwich in the box outside my office...

  15. J sub D   17 years ago

    Of course, some claim that Detroit is "Rock City". But I don't hold with that.

    That's only because you don't know shit about Rock 'n' Roll. 😉

  16. smacky   17 years ago

    As a native Clevelander, I've been telling you all for years that Cleveland sucks.

  17. Warren   17 years ago

    It's just another Sunday in a tired old street
    Police have got the choke hold, and we just lost the beat

  18. Nephilium   17 years ago

    Taktix:

    At least our freeway system makes some kind of sense... and our entire downtown isn't comprised of one way streets...

    Gods I hate driving in Pittsburg.

    Nephilium

  19. Bingo   17 years ago

    Detroit is "rock city" in the sense that most of the buildings are derelict and collapsing into rubble.

  20. Urkobold?   17 years ago

    CLEVELAND WAS MUCH COOLER BEFORE IT SHORTENED ITS NAME FROM THE ORIGINAL "CLEAVAGELAND."

  21. Guy Montag   17 years ago

    Of course, some claim that Detroit is "Rock City". But I don't hold with that.

    Nah, that would be Chattanooga.

  22. Pro Libertate   17 years ago

    Guy,

    On Lookout Mountain, you can See Seven States.

  23. Guy Montag   17 years ago

    See Seven States

    Another fine band!

  24. ed   17 years ago

    Nephilium | May 7, 2008, 2:23pm | #

    IIRC you also technically need a permit to kill mice and rats...

    I see IIRC a lot now and I finally looked it up, not knowing what it meant.
    The third one seems appropriate.

    If I Recall/Remember Correctly
    If I Read Correctly
    If I Really Cared
    If I Recollect Correctly
    If It Really Counts

  25. jub-jub   17 years ago

    As a Cleveland native who escaped during the great Brain Drain of 1960-present, I can tell you that this news is about as surprising as the tides.

  26. Guy Montag   17 years ago

    Idunno, I think Baltimore might be running really close on the suck title.

  27. Jake Boone   17 years ago

    As a Cleveland native who escaped during the great Brain Drain of 1960-present, I can tell you that this news is about as surprising as the tides.

    Okay, okay... get off my back already!

  28. Jake Boone   17 years ago

    Goddammit. Stupid Remember Me button ruined my joke. I'll try again.

  29. King Canute   17 years ago

    As a Cleveland native who escaped during the great Brain Drain of 1960-present, I can tell you that this news is about as surprising as the tides.

    Okay, okay... get off my back already!

    (Sigh.)

  30. Guy Montag   17 years ago

    LOL

  31. DannyK   17 years ago

    Dang. Look at the chronology:
    12:54 Item Posted
    1:01 First "Cleveland" comment
    1:02 First Music Man reference comment

    You gotta move fast (or have a very boring job) to keep up around here.

  32. JW   17 years ago

    I got no Cleveland jokes. ::sniff::

    Actually, what's worse is that the Plain Dealer treats these things as if they're perfectly normal.

    "Can you believe it? He didn't have his glass frosting license!"

  33. John-David   17 years ago

    You want to *sniff*, JW?

    I never got my hat tip. Unless Radley got this independently of the email I sent Reason about this story.

  34. VM   17 years ago

    Cleveland joke: the UNIVERSITY SCHOOL. ptttfff

    [inside joke]

  35. Jaap Weel   17 years ago

    But do they require a bee license?

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