A barmuda triangle is an area where the concentration of bars is especially high. The number of bars located within an area known as a barmuda triangle may be greater than three, of course, and sometimes an area with only two bars may be colloquially termed a barmuda triangle. You may also hear this area also referred to as a beermuda triangle.
Commonly, a barmuda triangle can be found at an intersection or along a street. In college towns especially, bars tend to cluster together to appeal to students, encouraging students who are bored with one bar to patronize one which is located conveniently close by. The area may also be spread out across a neighborhood. In all cases, the phenomenon is characterized by an unusually high number of bars in proportion to other establishments.
The term references the Bermuda triangle, a section of the Atlantic which is plagued by mysterious disappearances and other phenomena. At a barmuda triangle, the rates of DUI arrests and accidents related to drinking are often elevated in comparison with other regions, thanks to the assortment of bars which makes drinking easy. Rates of violence may also be higher in this area, along with rates of sexual assault, although this is not always the case.
For bar owners, there are both advantages and disadvantages to being in a barmuda triangle. On the one hand, a central location ensures that the bar receives traffic from people on pub crawls, or people who might be bored with other establishments. Central locations can also appeal to walk-ins who may be unfamiliar with the area. However, it is also easy to lose patrons if a bar starts to be perceived as boring. To combat this, many bars offer entertainment, food, and very low prices to lure patrons in.
Some people are concerned about barmuda triangles, because they feel that the elevated rates of DUIs associated with them are a detriment to the health and safety of the surrounding community. In some regions, people have attempted to reduce the number of allowed liquor licenses in a neighborhood to cut down on the number of bars, and other communities have instituted tough crackdowns on underage drinking, as well as drinking and driving, to encourage patrons to be safe.