Can Ban Hitting New Braunfels Tourism

Floating down the Texas Hill Country Rivers in innertubes and sipping beer is a long standing Texas summer tradition. Unfortunately so is the massive trash clean up. The city of New Braunfels got tired of it and banned single use containers--cans and bottles.  They didn't ban alcohol on the river, just the can or bottle it comes in. You can now buy insulated mugs that hold three beers.

Of course, that means that once that runs out, the only thing you have left to drink is the river water. And I don't know about you, but I've seen people who float all day long and never once pee. Wink wink.

So do these tubers now each carry two or three of the tree beer mugs? Can I take a corny keg and ice and dispense with a cobra tap?

Anyway, the can ban (along with the raging floods of 2010 and the 2011 drought) has taken its toll on tourism in the city. Now people are staying away because they think they can't drink beer in their inner tube.

I won't lie. When I tubed, I flooded my cans and let them sink. (And I peed while in the inner tube, but that's just between you and me.)  I should have put my empties in my cooler. I saw others through empty bottles into the trees along the shore. So I understand the city's complaint. 


So to all beer drinkers: Don't be a dick. Pack it in, pack it out. Okay?