Yes: 57 (62%)
No: 35 (38%)
So roughly a 3:2 split there. Bear in mind that the poll was purely referring to drinking areas – the issue of children in dining areas, where their presence is arguably more legitimate, is a rather different one. It remains my view that the widespread admittance of children to bar areas of pubs is a major deterrent to adult pubgoers – it only takes one bad experience to put you off from going somewhere ever again. But, of course, if you complain about it, you will be painted as a evil child-hating bastard.
As a smoker, outside in the more clement weather, the beer garden is more like a kindergarten.
ReplyDeletePut 'em in the nursery!
Then the parents whinge at you for blowing smoke in the faces of their darling sprogs. And the response of "wtf else am I supposed to smoke?" doesn't go down too well.
ReplyDeleteTo both anons:
ReplyDelete1. I've never seen behaviour like that in beer gardens (and I go to a lot of pubs), so I think you're both exaggerating.
2. Given my previous point, is that why you're both anonymous?
Although, anon 2, if you do say WTF to a parent in front of their kids, I can see why it wouldn't go down well.
You evil child-hating bastard:)
ReplyDeleteit only takes one bad experience to put you off from going somewhere ever again. But, of course, if you complain about it, you will be painted as a evil child-hating bastard.
ReplyDeleteDays after posting my previous comment about this - where I said I had been annoyed by kids in pubs, but I couldn't remember when - I was severely annoyed by some kids in the local Spoons, particularly one toddler who seemed to be intent on screaming and screaming until [s]he was sick. (This was a weeknight - Curry Night, to be precise. The words 'babysitter' and 'too cheap for' come to mind.)
That was a bad experience all right - ruined my pint. Has it put me off going to the local Spoons ever again? Don't be daft.
So I'll rephrase your comment: if it only takes one bad experience to put you off from going somewhere ever again, then people are likely to think you've got a problem with children in general, & hence to call you a evil child-hating bastard.
"if it only takes one bad experience to put you off from going somewhere ever again"
ReplyDeleteIf it was a local pub I was likely to revisit, and I thought it might be an isolated incident, I might give it another chance. But, on a slightly different subject, I vividly remember several occasions outside the local area where I received either disgusting food or appallingly slow food service, and were I ever to find myself in those areas again I would certainly think twice before visiting those particular establishments.
My name is Paul and I'm an evil child-hating bastard. :-)
ReplyDelete