Thursday 16 September 2010

The Faff & Fluster

One fascinating aspect of people’s behaviour in pubs is the extreme difficulty elderly couples seem to have in deciding where to sit. Of course, we’ll all get there eventually (with a bit of luck) but it’s still amusing to watch.

“Where do you you want to sit, Ethel?”

“Oh, I don’t know, anywhere, George.”

“Here then?”

“No, not there.”

“How about here by the window?”

“Oh, all right.”

...two minutes later...

“Ooh, there’s a draught here, shall we move over there?”

I recall one occasion in a Cornish pub where I had bagged what was obviously the best-placed table in the room, and an elderly couple came in and tried out each one of the six or seven other vacant tables before settling on one.

Maybe there is something to be said for the restaurant practice of in effect telling customers where to sit and putting the onus on them to refuse.

4 comments:

  1. Strange but true. I recall an elderly couple in a pub in Sale debating endlessly over what amounted to identical choices of seating.

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  2. Seems yo happen quite a bit on this side of The Pond foo.

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  3. Retirement provides so many more opportunities to take ones time and make leisurely decisions to maximise life's small pleasures :-)

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  4. Since demographics suggest a couple called George and Ethel are going to be in their 90s, I think you're a little hard on them - it's great they're even getting down the pub at that age. Couples in their 70s, which is who you're probably complaining about, are more likely to be called Bob and Mary, or John and Shirley.

    Remember - all the Sharons and Traceys are now in their 40s.

    ReplyDelete

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