We have recently seen the launch of the annual advertising campaign against drink-driving over the festive season. Of course the sentiment is laudable, even if the means of delivering it is not always as well-focused as it could be, but surely for every person who says “better get a cab, then”, there will be another who thinks “better safe than sorry, stay at home and get some cans in”. Might it not be the case that, over the years, the subliminal drip-drip effect of these campaigns, however noble the intention, has had the unintended consequence of encouraging people to stay away from pubs, even if they are individuals who realistically are not going to become offenders? In effect, it’s a high-profile annual anti-pub marketing campaign.
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I have not been in a British pub for 4 and a half years.
ReplyDeleteDon't like them any more.
Don't care any more they can all go bankrupt for all I care.
What a coincidence, I lost interest in going to the pub four and a half years ago as well!
ReplyDeleteAs to anti-drink driving, if people stay in their own homes and drink, that reduces drink driving; but if they go round to a friend's house and drive home, then nothing gained.
Finally, why on earth would anybody need to drive to the pub? Are there really so many people without a pub or three within walking distance?
Why would people drive to a pub?
ReplyDeleteGo to a country pub for a meal out with friends/family?
Go to a canalside pub? (We've a few around here)
Go to a music event in a particular pub? (Again, a few around here)
Socialise with someone who lives beyond the reach of public transport?
Go to assess a pub for CAMRA?
Change of scenery?
Drop in for a pint on the way home from work?
No, I can't think of any reasons either.
P.S. "why on earth would anybody need to" write on a blog called the Pub Curmudgeon when they don't like or go to pubs?
The thinking behind the post - which may just be one of those brain dump things that doesn't really apply - is that in a subliminal way these campaigns act as a deterrent to people who are not themselves driving to the pub.
ReplyDeleteI stopped going to the pubs because of all the discouragement I got. Between the annual anti-drink-driving campaigns to the smoking ban, I feel no pleasure in wasting my time going. Add to that things like self-righteous arrogant anti-smoking left-wing Marxist singer song-writer guitar playing artist-wanta-be's who dominate some of the pubs and whose anti-individual Marxist snobbish elitist anti-smoking nose in the air attitudes put me off, then I have no reason to go and see any of those types of toe-rags a strumming and howling at the pubs neither nor have to tolerate their anti-smoking snobbery.
ReplyDeletepubs dont really cut it for me either anymore, but this annual scare fest is lunacy, my wife doesn't like be to drive after a single bottle..
ReplyDeleteIt's a race to the bottom im afraid, I hope that sanity returns and we stop funding all these alarmists, but I dont think it likley, our leaders want us to eat sleep and work. If its not productive or essential, we shouldn't be doing it.
I personnaly cant wait for a CAMRA member to ask me to sign a petition to stop some new prohibition that affects them.
I feel sorry for the publicans myself.
The irony is that the anti drink driving campaign takes place when public transport becomes non-existent. I'm fond of quoting Belgium where trains, buses and trams run 365 days a year.
ReplyDeleteMark Wadsworth - it's obvious you live in London! Many, many people in England don't have a pub within reasonable walking distance and no evening or weekend public transport at any time of year.
Let's be honest here,all one will find in Pubs this Chritmas are
ReplyDeletethe loners,the unwanted ,the unloved ,the unwashed and ,of course,the blind folded ,ear muffed
hop and barley samplers.bless em.
Ex 7 nights a week pub fan
I've always stayed clear of pubs at Christmas. It used to be because they were far too busy, now it's because they don't want my custom. (RedNev - it's not that we smokers don't like pubs. We do. Pubs don't like us).
ReplyDeleteBesides, I'm a sole trader. My works night out consists of me with a paper hat and a tooter.
That's best done somewhere out of the public eye.
I'm one of the lucky ones. My local is half a mile away, serves good real ales, is populated by real people who attend regularly, does not have music blasting out, allows us to smoke inside using ecigs and has a fantastic landlady who serves the community and encourages 'community' in many ways.
ReplyDeleteIf only more pubs were like The Anglers Rest!
Russell
My four nights a week in the pubs has now changed to no nights a week. Since 2007.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, millions are without pubs in walking distance. The question is, 'do they care any more'?
Dear Curmudgeon
ReplyDelete‘When you have lost your inns drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England.’ Hilaire Belloc
This appears to be just another part of the strategy for the de-normalisation of England.
DP
"Let's be honest here,all one will find in Pubs this Chritmas are
ReplyDeletethe loners,the unwanted ,the unloved ,the unwashed and ,of course,the blind folded ,ear muffed
hop and barley samplers.bless em."
How would you know? You admit you never go into pubs? But with your intolerant and snobbish attitudes (proved by the quote above), I'm not surprised you don't like mixing with pub-goers. In fact, you don't actually like people at all, do you?
Sad little man. Enjoy your Tesco Value lager while you glumly watch TV alone.
"Sad little man. Enjoy your Tesco Value lager while you glumly watch TV alone."
ReplyDeleteClearly you share some snobbish attitudes. What next? Only nice people with degrees to be allowed to drink?
If only had a beer budget of £2.50, I'd try it.
"If only had a beer budget of £2.50, I'd try it."
ReplyDeleteFor that, you'd get 8 cans and might even have enough left for a packet of crisps.
And, if you drank it quickly enough, it might just put you over the drink-drive limit.
No Jon, you've missed the point. Anon hasn't a good word to say about those who go to pubs and his loathing of pub-goers seems to stem from the smoking ban. If people oppose the ban, fine, but to condemn all those who continue to use pubs suggests to me a very bitter person. A non-pub goer who comes onto a pub-related website just to insult people is almost certainly an isolated, pathetic individual who is the author of his own situation.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's all speculation but it seems likely to me. I wasn't referring to people who drink at home because they can't afford pub prices, and I've written about that on my own blog, particularly when opposing minimum pricing of booze and excessive beer taxes.
"and I've written about that on my own blog, particularly when opposing minimum pricing of booze and excessive beer taxes."
ReplyDeleteOK maybe I'll cut you some slack 8).
I still go to the pub, but a hell of a lot less, it just doesn't do it for me anymore. Typically I'll go on a special occasion, like some one is visiting, or a birthday.. But there is no intrisic pleasure in pubs for me anymore, the comraderie has gone, It is interesting that there are a number of non-smokers seem to have given up now their smoking drinking buddies arn't around anymore.
I can understand the anger of smokers who don't go to the pub anymore, a large minority of pubs customers were summerarily expelled, with no reasonable effort to accomodate them at all.
And when I say they were expelled I mean it, beer just isn't right for me without a smoke, so I can understand why some people will say 'Bugger this, I'm off', for a lot of smokers this is effectivly a ban against the person.
Ultimatly real ale will be differentiated from cooking lager with regards to legislation, the same way pipe and cigar smokers are differentiated from cigarette smokers.
BTW.. I really loath folk music, but I wouldn't have it banned.