Saturday 20 March 2010

You Decide

From the BBC's Have Your Say.

Stunning ignorance? Or top drawer subtle satire?

Does the British pub have a future?

299. At 12:21pm on 20 Mar 2010, Sue Doughcoup wrote:

Not being a pub user I don't really know. I don't consider myself a pub user as I probably go into a pub about 4 times a year - and that's a good year. Before the smoking ban pubs were dirty, smelly places and I objected to the smell of smoke on my clothes. Now I can't afford the price or the time. I did try the pub after the ban with a few friends, but that very quickly tailed off because as soon as a conversation got going the smokers among us inevitably went out to have a smoke and the conversation ended abruptly. I cant see the point in having split smoking/non-smoking areas cos the smokers are too selfish and will only go in the smoking areas. Hardly a social occasion so I don't bother. Then again I don't drink much anyway - the odd bottle of ale every now and again.



21 comments:

Curmudgeon said...

Either way, it reinforces the point that the smoking ban made pubs safe for non pubgoers. As I have said in the past, "So the folk who used to go in a pub once every three months and moan about it being smoky, will now still go in every three months and say how much better it is that there’s no smoke and all those rough people are no longer there."

Anonymous said...

And then of course they still complain and explain why they haven`t been going more often :)
For some people it`s never good enough.

MikeF said...

"Not being a pub user..."
Says it all really. As much use as me commenting on the offside rule or whether astronauts should be allowed to have sex before a mission (emission hahaha).
I am becoming less of a pub user since (a) the smoking ban, (b) the advent of screaming rugrats in what used to be an adult-only environment, and (c) the smell of cabbage as the place is (sparsely) occupied by oldies having a roast with sprouts!

Closet England Lover said...

It will probably never occur to anti smokers that they have a choice of split or smoking pubs, or no pubs at all. Smokers like me are not going to stop smoking so that they can have an unbroken conversation. If smoking is so evil, why are they wanting to mix with us at all? What about the dreadfully dangerous effects of third-hand smoke? And how sick I became of going outside for a quick puff, only to find some whingeing drone had followed me outside because there was 'no one left to talk to' inside. I don't ever go to pubs now, and am spared the pathos of the earthquake-inducing shivering, the fake cough, the pulling tight of the coat, the pleading 'can't you put that thing out now and come back in?' My absence serves for an answer.

Anonymous said...

Smelly clothes.
Ah that old chestnut.
Well I suppose if you wear the same clothes for days on end it may be a problem.

Oldrightie said...

"the smell of cabbage as the place is (sparsely) occupied by oldies having a roast with sprouts!"

What's wrong with oldies and sprouts? Your turn will come soon enough!

Anonymous said...

Just google the name; she seems to have a selfish opinion on most topics if the BBC comments are owt to go by.

Miserable Old Git said...

Pubs are fucking brilliant. You can chat up the waitress, drink many pints of mild, eat pork scratchings and be a miserable git into the bargain!

Save pubs. Save our sanity.

Antisthenes said...

No doubt soon they will ban alcohol in pubs then everyone can go outside for a smoke and a drink and the non drinkers and non smokers can join them for a chat and eat there roasties and cabbage because food is banned as well because the smell is an irritant to the other pub users.

adamskirving said...

It's parody, here's 'her' comment on the banning of teachers who are members of the BNP:

"Of course they should be banned - and so should anyone who is a member of any other organisation or lifestyle. All the political parties, all the other religions, vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, motoring groups and caravan clubs, hostel associations etc etc. Anyone left to teach then?"

Chris Oakham said...

I've left two what I believe are well-argued posts on HYS. The first covers the facts about the influence of the smoking ban on pub closures and the second expressing amazement at the total lack of consideration of the antis and pointing out that we simply want choice.

Thinking about it, if loads of smokers started leaving totally righteous messages like Sue Doughcup, perhaps that would be better! It would make us look like a poor minority. Maybe Harpic Harmann would addus to the list of preferential minorities!

Catosays said...

I'd like if I may to make some comments on the smoking issue.

From the age of 16 until about 40 I smoked..in the latter years until I stopped, I was smoking about 30 a day..Players, Seniors, Gold Flake, Capstan, you name it. My wife was then smoking about 10 a day..mainly Rothmans.

One night whilst imbibing some Scotch we had a revelatory moment and decided to stop smoking. We even took a £50 bet as to who would resume smoking first. I'm pleased to say that neither have given in and that's some 27 years ago.

My daughter used to work as a croupier in a London casino and would creep in at about 5am. She was as quiet as a mouse but the stink of stale tobacco woke us both up without fail.

Nowadays, I visit my local at least twice a week and play Crib for it's team. This involves travelling to other pubs in the area.

It never ceases to amuse me that there are people who can not last 45 minutes without popping out of the bar for a drag.

I wonder how they can afford it ( a lot of the players are pensioners) and with fags at around £5 per packet that is a lot of money to throw away.

Still, it's your choice and it keeps my wife gainfully employed as a Therapy Radiographer.

Dick Puddlecote said...

"I wonder how they can afford it"

The trick is not to buy it in the shops. My milkman always has a supply sourced in Belgium. :-)

Anonymous said...

Old righty
Its not the smell from the spuds and sprouts which the silly old buzzards nibble with their loose teeth,its the nose paralysing farting whats the problem. At least nicotine was neutral.
Dont forget the stomach wretching
fumes from the freshly loaded huggies which the old bats grandcheeeeeeeeeeeeeldren have
added to the pot pourri of utter
despair.

Young at heart

BTS said...

It's a bloody classic piss take if you ask me. I laughed anyway.

Not as much of a piss take as the original story mind. Now that was the work of a truly Machiavellian wit..

Btw, why is that France are really good going forward unless there's a war on..?

Zaphod Camden said...

And the award for most unintentionally funny comment on a news website for twenty10 goes to....

...no, hold on, it's only March. I'm sure some fool will come up with a better one by December. It will be tough going though.

Particularly enjoyed "smokers are too selfish and will only go in the smoking areas". [adopts J.Paxman voice] Yessssss...

Antipholus Papps said...

It would make us look like a poor minority.

I'm instigating legal action against ASH for inciting hatred against an easily identifiable minority.

Neal Asher said...

Gawd knows - it might be satire.

Still waiting for the return of all those non-smokers driven from pubs by the stinky smokers. Then again, perhaps I missed it - I was standing outside with most of the staff having a cigarette.

Eddie D said...

The government refused to allow choice as they said it would not be a level playing field.

Well they have plenty of level playing fields now, where the pubs used to be.

Twisted Root said...

The world according to Sue Doughcoup (read the rest of her HS comments), solid comedy gold. Energy from waterwheels and absolutely NO litter whatsoever, or untidy people, or motorists, or smokers, or people who may inconvenience her in any way now or any time in the future and if there are they will be organised into litter picking chaingangs. No nonsense (she's from Yorkshire y'know).

lenko said...

It's all moot anyway... legislation will soon be introduced and passed (before the election) to ban all gatherings of more than 1 people. This will effectively force terrorists, or do I mean tourists, into the open.

Obviously the government will regret the passing of the English pub, but it hadn't been doing too well recently, for some reason.

And of course, the safety of the public is paramount.

(House of Commons bars will remain as before)