Savannah, Ga. (WTGS FOX 28) -- Savannah City Council is considering putting an alcohol ban on popular tourist activity.
You've probably seen quadricycles filled with people pedaling and drinking as they ride around the city.
Behavior complaints has the city thinking about banning drinking on the quadricycles while the vehicles are moving.
Council had a first reading on this item at Thursday's meeting, but it barely got any discussion in the meeting.
Although, it's been talked about for years.
The quadricycle companies says they're prepared to fight the ban, and the city says they could be willing to come to a compromise.
Patrick Connell is an attorney representing two quadricycle companies, Savannah Slow Ride and Pedal Pub. He's been representing them for two years.
"This issue about banning alcohol came up two years ago. We had the same conversation. As a result of it, I was engaged for two years and we came up with a solution and again it's been sitting there over a year and it changes the boundaries and it gets quadricycles out of the residential areas, but council didn't do anything with it," said Connell.
That ordinance that would change the boundaries is part of a larger tourism service ordinance that will be presented at next council meeting.
Alderman Bill Durrence says the process takes time, but they've gotten a lot of complaints from residents about the behavior of the people who ride the quadricycles.
"We have people on quadricycles yelling obscenities at children in squares, yelling at people on the street; the issue has been more than anything else, behavior,"
says Durrence.
He says he'd be willing to compromise if the boundaries keep them out of residential neighborhoods.
"If that greater restriction is enacted, then I believe most of us are willing to table the idea of the alcohol restriction until we see what happens there and it can come back up if in fact we get better behavior,"
said Durrence.
Connell says that's what they've been asking for all along. He also says the quadricycle companies have never had an alcohol-related citation in the eight years they've been open.
"We're not trying to fight with the city; we're trying to keep a viable business open that provides needed jobs at a very good level for people who come into the city and want to work,"
said Connell.
The boundary would keep quadricycles from going past Oglethorpe Street.
In two weeks, there will be a first and second reading for the alcohol provision and the boundary ordinance. They'll be presented and voted on then.