Pete Holmes for mayor!!!!!!

A lot of workplaces won't let you stash that bottle of wine, either. (At least, according to policy.)

Not everyone can work at an alternative "news"paper.

Kudos for doing the right thing. It's goofy, but buying alcohol during work hours wouldn't exactly be kosher either.

t sucks that he has to apologize for doing nothing that hurts anyone.

you really don't see how having a city attorney flout the law (designed to cover all levels of city job holders equally) could end up hurting? hell, i could easily imagine a Mr Holden who would be on the front lines decrying Holmes if he acted in dismissive fashion which held him above the expected behavior of a city-hall security guard.

tempest in a teapot. watch dori monsoon have him publically flogged and forced to resign in disgrace.

@3: as long as it's not an open container, why would it matter?

fuck i'm glad I work in a rational profession.

He isn't actually a city employee--he's an elected official. I would assume that would exempt him from the employee rules.

@2, @3

So you are saying that a City employee (or any business) goes to Safeway and shops at lunchtime (own time) and buys a bottle of wine and leaves it in her car when back at work & parked on company property has violated any rule?
Sheesh.

"Hopefully his next job is figuring out a way to unchain the City of Seattle from this dumb policy."

He can help the state remove cannabis from the controlled substances list at the state level!

@8: Not sure why you're changing the scenario. He brought it into his office.

Not defending the rules, just asserting that it's not uncommon as a policy. Whether it's enforced is a separate matter. But if it is policy then a high-ranking official should be treated like the lowest-level worker.

@10

Oh I agree w/ u that Holmes did right thing but just suggesting that I am sure that alcohol also banned "at work" but that that would include bottle of wine in shopping bag in car if parked on company property. No? All sounds dumb.

@12 maybe he didn't drive from work to the pot shop or even have a car near work. Does anyone know his commuting habits?

Oh Dom, I'm sure Stranger staffers have brought untold amounts of pot, liquor and god know what else (kratom, cocaine for levamisole testing) into the office over the years. It may surprise you that sort of thing does not fly in many other workplaces.

But yeah, this is a really stupid thing to make a big deal over, and a lot of idiots will get waaaay too upset about it. Just write him up and be done with it, like anyone else in the office.

What an idiot.

That's a pretty good cartoon. The cop who drew it should quit his day job (partly because he's probably a dick).

@16: looks like they had a tourist cartoonist draw it - one of the guys on the waterfront

Actually, city policy is that you can have booze on city property as long as it is not open. An example would be if you bought a bottle of something at lunch and were taking it home, or if a department were raffling gift baskets that contained a bottle of wine.

There's really nothing to keep you from drinking at lunch, either, as long as you do it off property and don't get legally drunk and return to the office.

Of course, this is all for office workers. If you have a CDL, you are randomly tested, and if there is anything in your system you are fired.

Yeah, some of these policies are pretty dumb. I worked for a local producer of dairy products - blessed are the cheese makers - and had to take a drug test upon hiring, because we held federal contracts. I never got anywhere near the milk, didn't process or ship it, but it was a requirement nonetheless. Now, I'm glad I work in an office where there's beer in the fridge, wine on the shelf, and occasionally a bottle in my desk drawer. My boss even bought me a shotglass from Ireland on his vacation trip last year. So long as I'm not drinking on-the-clock, nobody gives a shit.

It's refreshing to be treated like an adult by ones employer.

From my days working custodial, I'll just say that people stash a fuckload of booze in their desks. It's kind of awe-inspiring when you think about it. Oh, yeah, and custodians definitely look through people's drawers. Especially their bosses'.

Actually, city policy is that you can have booze on city property as long as it is not open. An example would be if you bought a bottle of something at lunch and were taking it home, or if a department were raffling gift baskets that contained a bottle of wine.

Maybe that's how they do things over at City Light, CVdR. I would think twice before browsing the wine section of a grocery store while at work. If my co-workers store bottles in their desks, they're brave / dumb / unaware of how much trouble they could get into.

Imagine pot isn't wine in your analogy, but instead it is a loaded gun.

More seriously: Holmes is fully aware of the looming Federal Drug Free Workplace nightmare. His department will have to defend any city employee caught between our new weed tolerance and the Feds' stupid DARE-era policy. If Holmes doesn't wake up sweating over the standard practice he just established, he isn't very far-sighted.

Well I guess I should just follow the laws I agree with as well . I will be disregarding the car pool rules and drive solo in the car pool lane. i see smoking is ok at concerts now both dope and cigs so I am bringing a nice cigar . I will ride the harley in Bike lanes as It is a bike and I do not agree with those laws . Enjoy do what you want and disregard any law you do not like.

At least this isn't one of those smarmy, obsequious apologies, or a non-apology (I apologize if I offended anyone…). Holmes gave us a straight-up explanation of what happened and why, and an unambiguous apology for violating a rule. All signs of a classy, stand-up guy.