The Zion Curtain

When we were in Utah over the holidays there was wide press coverage about a certain state senator who wants to tighten the already stranglesome state liquor laws. As they currently stand, it is illegal for a bartender to pass a drink to a patron over a counter at a restaurant. That would make the establishment a "bar" which are more or less illegal in Utah. Instead, the patron must order his drink through a clear plexiglass barrier, colloquially known as a "Zion Curtain." The bartender then prepares the drink and walks around the barrier and hands the drink to the patron, thus preserving the non-barness of the establishment and presumably the morals (or at least mores)of the desseret state. It also gives rise to a great phrase, "Zion Curtain," that I personally think should be adapted into broader useage to describe any general cultural gaps between Utahns and their fellow Americans. This particular lawmaker is not satisfied with the Zion Curtain and is proposing that the preparation of the drink in plain sight of everyone in the restaurant, including young, impressionably minors, encourages underage drinking (or if we're being honest, any-age drinking). His solution? Have the drinks prepared in a separate dark closed space, a kind of alcohol closet and then stealthily passed to the sinning patron, thus attracting as little attention to the vice as possible. Governor Huntsman opposes the Zion Curtain and certainly opposes the closet preparation approach, leading me to believe he's one of the few Utah lawmakers who has actually spent time outside the state. I for one was shocked and amused to read about the state of the state's liquor laws in general, and impressed with the creativity of some lawmakers in actually coming up with ways to make them more restrictive. As it is, in order to go to a bar-like establishment for the main goal of drinking alcohol, a person must actually join a private club, pay a subscription fee, present a membership card (as well as valid id) and submit personal information such as address, phone number and date of birth into writing. This way, the state officials can run background checks on all the members to ensure that they are in fact over 21, which remarkably is still the legal drinking age in Utah. I guess it doesn't affect me much as I a) do not live in Utah and b) like many residents in Utah, don't drink. But I can't help but wonder if the state's resources, especially in a time of recession, might be better marshalled. Perhaps they could focus on better snow removal instead.