Free water in pubs/clubs?

JC 2K3

So I was in a club last night and went to the bar and asked for a glass of water. I was told the tap wasn't working (which I knew was a load of crap as I'd gotten water at the start of the night) and that they only had bottles of water for €3. I've been in different clubs before where this has been the case also, usually on dance nights where people will be drinking less alcohol, which explains the logic behind it, but is it legal? If it is then I personally think it shouldn't be.

And as a matter of interest, is it illegal for restaurants/cinemas/anywhere that serves food and drink to refuse a request for free tap water? I've had difficulty in the past getting water in some of these places too.

Stercus Accidit

I am also interested in the law regarding this,

I want to be able to cause a fuss drink water in case I dehydrate and am unable to find a few euro in the pocket.

rossie1977

it only happened to me once ever in blinkers in athlone of all places before they did it up. last night i was ever there too

the bar dude gave the same excuse, tap was broken

Stercus Accidit

Probably some law that they cant have an event if the tap is broken too

"Oh your taps broken, yeah your going to have to shut for the night now then lads..."

eamoss

When I am getting water in a club it is normally at the end of the night when I am trying to sober up

But when I am out but not drinking I always just ask my mate to get it for me because I couldn't be arsed queuing up.

Only time I have ever had to pay for water in a club was when I was in Spain.

Jonathan

JC 2K3 wrote: »

So I was in a club last night and went to the bar and asked for a glass of water. I was told the tap wasn't working (which I knew was a load of crap as I'd gotten water at the start of the night) and that they only had bottles of water for €3. I've been in different clubs before where this has been the case also, usually on dance nights where people will be drinking less alcohol, which explains the logic behind it, but is it legal? If it is then I personally think it shouldn't be.

And as a matter of interest, is it illegal for restaurants/cinemas/anywhere that serves food and drink to refuse a request for free tap water? I've had difficulty in the past getting water in some of these places too.

Would this be a club on "A Otherwise Lilt Smut"?

Late night anagrams are fun

:pac:

Bob the Builder

Who cares about clubs anyway; They just found ice on Mars in the last 15 minutes.

Regarding the €3 thing, thats a rip-off. Just drink it from your local river. Bring a straw.

JC 2K3

jmccrohan wrote: »

Would this be a club on "A Otherwise Lilt Smut"?

Late night anagrams are fun

:pac:

Heh, it was indeed

dav1b

It's far too late for anagrams!

A otherwise lilt smut? where the hell is that?

kmart6

Has never happened to me where I've been asked to pay!

There would have to be some kind of H&S rule against not having a running tap!

Jonathan

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Heh, it was indeed

That kinda explains it then... Trying to cut down the druggies doing pills in the toilets

JC 2K3

jmccrohan wrote: »

That kinda explains it then... Trying to cut down the druggies doing pills in the toilets

Cut down? I don't think they care about the drugs, just making more of a profit, which, as I've said, explains the logic behind it, but I'm interested in the legality of it.

marcsignal

The next time you get a pub/club reciept, you will/should notice 'water' on the receipt is charged as Euro0:00, meaning that if it is already in the database, you will be charged for it in the future.

get used to it

Naikon

It won't be long before clubs start charging money for tap water.
Outside energy costs, water is next in line in terms of expense, so these places may find it feasible to charge.

Mind you, most bar sinks are not run off mains water.
That or they really just want to screw customers.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Adyx

AFAIK it is illegal. A club I worked in got done for having no running water in the taps in the toilets and bars. (Before I worked there!) It was more about druggies there too though. It was such a sh!thole I'm not sure we even had bottled water.

Rabies

Over here water must be freely avaible along with a choice of food. It is required for your license. Regular inspections are done by the cops and DLA.

We got in sh!t last week becasue a new member of staff told a customer the kitchen was closed.

danniemcq

yeah my head hurts from the anagram but get the gist behind it i think. yeah i thought like JMC when i first read the thread. although sad case of affairs if someone is driving and stays on water all night, cost more than a night pissed

Saint_Mel

rossie1977 wrote: »

it only happened to me once ever in blinkers in athlone of all places before they did it up. last night i was ever there too

the bar dude gave the same excuse, tap was broken

In fairness though ... everything in Blinkers was broken!

Gone West

Naikon wrote: »

Outside energy costs, water is next in line in terms of expense, so these places may find it feasible to charge.

Thats simply untrue.
Sorry but theres much bigger things than water to pay for, even for a pub. I can think of at least 10 offhand.

oranjeboom

What happened to the designated driver getting free coke all night. Had that stopped?

Nickibaby*

It is against the law not to provide free tap water but because bottled water has such a high mark up restaurants and bars try to avoid providing tap water.

I personally wouldn't want the tap water though, in alot of areas in Ireland it can be very dodgy.

I was just thinking they can prob get away with charging you for giving a glass of water by putting a service charge on it but not for the actual 'tap water' itself. Because you are using the establishments glass and their staff have to serve you and you are drinking it on their premises. Just a thought...

Nickibaby*

oranjeboom wrote: »

What happened to the designated driver getting free coke all night. Had that stopped?

I think that was run by Coca Cola it was a 'Designated Driver Campaign' for the month of December only.

Editing all by posts today i'm not with it at all! It's starting up again in July.

oranjeboom

Nickibaby* wrote: »

I think that was run by Coca Cola it was a 'Designated Driver Campaign' for the month of December only.

Oh really ah well thats what happened to it then. Pity.

Nickibaby*

oranjeboom wrote: »

Oh really ah well thats what happened to it then. Pity.

Sorry I was wrong in what I said in my last post before I edited it

When it runs and what pubs participating in it can be found on http://www.designateddriver.ie

Hobbes

Friend of mine got tap water in a glass one time and they tried to charge her 2 euros as they said the ice was made from bottled water.

Run_to_da_hills

A known trick is to have just warm water running in the jacks, I have seen it in London, (The water there is horrible anyway). There is talk of pubs charging for tap water because they claim they are paying for it in rates anyway.

toiletduck

oranjeboom wrote: »

What happened to the designated driver getting free coke all night. Had that stopped?

In my experience most people looking for that used it as a mixer :rolleyes:

j1smithy

Nickibaby* wrote: »

I personally wouldn't want the tap water though, in alot of areas in Ireland it can be very dodgy.

The tap water in Ireland is of a pretty good standard actually [and the incident in galway was the exception not the norm]

To the OP, I have been in a nightclub down the country where they ran out of tap water, leaving me with no choice to pay for bottled water (was driving). Thought at the time it was ridiculous considering I had just paid €12 in... Still at a loss as to how you run out of tap water as well...

Extraplus

I used to work behind the bar in a late night dance club in Dublin. It got bloody frustrating serving pints of water all night!

On the legal side:
http://historical-debates.oireachtas...410130010.html
Seanad Éireann - Volume 178 - 13 October, 2004
Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages

Mr. Michael McDowell touched on the subject in a reply to a slightly different question:
"Senator Henry asked about serving water. It is not a legal requirement on any night-club to have tap water available at all. However, I would imagine the Judiciary would take a very poor view of any night-club preventing access to running water. As Senators know, in the past it was seen as a partner in the consumption of ecstasy and the denial of access to it was regarded as having a serious health implication. Quite apart from that matter, there is the economic issue. I do not expect publicans to supply tap water over the counter for nothing. Decent publicans to their credit frequently do. We cannot say that as a matter of right anybody is entitled to enter licensed premises and ask for tap water for nothing."

Blisterman

Fabric in London, don't give out free water. It's £3 a bottle behind the bar too. Scandalous.

Of course, nearly everyone in the place is e'd out of their heads, and they must sell about 5 beers all night.

It's the only club I've been to, where there's never anyone at the bar. I suppose they have to make money somehow.

Vertigo100

its illegal trust me. in ireland anyway

The Artist

eamoss;56307110
Only time I have ever had to pay for water in a club was when I was in Spain

not good to drink out of tap water in spain as its not suitable for drinking.
Nearly everyone buys water in spain.
you can get 5litres for about €1 !

The Artist

Vertigo100 wrote: »

its illegal trust me. in ireland anyway

Water must be provided at all pubs /clubs.
As i work in the clubs for simple reasonsdehydration is a issue.
The clubbers have the right to obtain water at all times.
We check everyone for drugs before they go in as in times its still in the clubs which its hard to catch them.
But its nothing to do with the drug issues for water its the health and safety matter.
If a bar/club says their taps are broken, thats bull.
They simply trying to cash up the innocent party for bottled water.
If thats the case i would not work in a bar/club that dosent provide tap water!

GoldenArmz

I've worked in 2 clubs and 2 pubs and I know that it is definitely illegal not to have a tap behind the bar. Not sure if it is illegal not to dispense water but we were always encouraged to anyway. Even after the bar had closed.

swingking

I remember being refused water after a wedding when the bar had closed. F'in ridiculous if you ask me.

I'd love to name and shame

GirlInterrupted

Alan Ford wrote: »

not good to drink out of tap water in spain as its not suitable for drinking.
Nearly everyone buys water in spain.
you can get 5litres for about €1 !

I did once without thinking, and believe me I paid the price......:(

Run_to_da_hills

Nothing stopping someone removing the top of a toilet cistern and taking a few scoops if they are that badly stuck

Jello

OP I'm presuming this was at Kavinsky in Spy on South William Street (there I've named and shamed!), think I saw you mention you were going on the Dance/Electronic forum.

Anyway yeah they charge €3 for water there and it's an absolute joke. The whole tap isn't working excuse is a load of bullh*t as I was at MSTRKRFT there in Spy there a while ago and they gave a similar excuse, same thing for the Boys Noize gig. No club would have taps broken for that long.

It doesn't help that it's like a sauna inside Spy and you're usually in desperate need of some water... could be another reason why they charge so much, as they know people are so warm inside their sauna!*

*club

Run_to_da_hills

Some late bars and night clubs forbid glasses to be taken into the jacks, they say this is a "health & safety" issue.

DenMan

When I lived in Malta we could get free bottles of water in the pubs and clubs in Paceville. It is a huge area filled with loads of bars and clubs of all tastes. 24 hour vodka bars and steakhouses, everything you can think of. Water bottles were given to customers free because the knew the customers would be there for a long time and would keep coming back. Unlike here in Ireland you can walk into all the clubs and come out and go into others without having to pay at the door again. We are light years behind. Unfortunately we don't get the weather, especially at night.

Overheal

So I suppose I should be charged for the water I use to flush the jacks when I go for a piss, too? You won't see that on many restaurant bills.

I used to work in a Night Vlub in Carlow (you know which one) and during Rag Week of all times the management told us we weren't to be giving out any tap water, but were to instead push the stock of bottled water: These €3 little shíts that barely had enough water in them to get your tongue wet. When you think about how much drinking was going on that week: thats just wrong.

Anyway I quit: after disregarding the order they put me on duty for 9 nights straight and I went cracked.

If its not illegal it should be. I'd like to see a new Health and Safety law put in place requiring one of these to be outside any club bathroom

Unlike here in Ireland you can walk into all the clubs and come out and go into others without having to pay at the door again. We are light years behind.

and it'll stay that way until enough people stand up and do something about it.

unreggd

Ha jus worked that out! :P


afaik its only illegal for a bar/club to refuse free water

Not for restaurants tho

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I've never been refused tap water in a pub or club on a night out thankfully!

MizzLolly

I know it's not a pub/club issue but I was at an Indian Restaurant before (hmmmm Indian yummy) and they only served bottled water. Shocking part is, a bottle of Cobra beer was cheaper than what they were selling small bottles of Ballygowan for!

The Artist

GirlInterrupted wrote: »

I did once without thinking, and believe me I paid the price......:(

what happened?

The Artist

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Some late bars and night clubs forbid glasses to be taken into the jacks, they say this is a "health & safety" issue.

the reason why they cant go in with glasses is not allowed,these mental trouble makers will use it as weapons and its not nice.
We have a policy not to allow them entry into the toilets with glasses and bottles.
There has been alot of occasions of the public have been poisoned or very sick due to the glasses or bottles swapped in the clubs filled with urine or drugs.

Run_to_da_hills

Alan Ford wrote: »

the reason why they cant go in with glasses is not allowed,these mental trouble makers will use it as weapons and its not nice.
We have a policy not to allow them entry into the toilets with glasses and bottles.
There has been alot of occasions of the public have been poisoned or very sick due to the glasses or bottles swapped in the clubs filled with urine or drugs.

Maybe glass but I have been in venues where even plasic glasses are forbidden from toilets.

Kazuma

It is illegal, worst case I've ever had of it was wandering around Manchester at night looking for a ****ing bar to get a glass of water after a Paradise Lost concert at the Students Union (the ****ers at the SU wouldn't even let me have a glass of water, because "I had no student ID", even though I had just spent the last 3 hours at a concert there!
But yeah, I believe there's something in the constitution (both Irish and British) about not refusing a thirsty man a drink?

The Artist

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Maybe glass but I have been in venues where even plasic glasses are forbidden from toilets.

plastic has less injury pact as we allow them through as its still difficult to watch them if they done anything to them.
theres no point in trying to stop everyone comming out of the toilets.
That is why its so difficult andhard work to prevent the dangers happening.

Naikon

FuzzyLogic wrote: »

Thats simply untrue.
Sorry but theres much bigger things than water to pay for, even for a pub. I can think of at least 10 offhand.

I will have to revoke my previous post:o
I was talking through my ass.