Driberally tonight

Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. And the more we tip the bartender, the more frequently he hands out free dishes of chips and dips. I hope to see you there!

José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

This week's topic: The new SEPTA Fare Guide (PDF) includes a system map that (finally!) indicates the Regional Rail zone limits -- now you can see at a glance which zone fare you'll have to pay to get to the 'burbs and back. To pay for this change in convenience, SEPTA will be eliminating mid-day, counter-commute, and off-peak fare discounts: fares are now "weekday" versus "evening and weekend," rather than peak versus off-peak. Base fares on the buses and trolleys will stay at $2, but a transfer will be $1. Oh, and my monthly TransPass is going from $78 to $83. Dammit. Changes will implement Thursday 1 July 2010. Happy Independence Day weekend!

"Come for the beer, stay for the check"