Etiquette when asking for a stool in a pub?

THFC1

Hi guys, i'm a newbie on these boards.

Just wondering what people's opinions are regarding peoples etiquette, when it involves asking for a stool in a pub? This whole issue has come up with me and my friends more than once, with us all having good and bad experiences. Generally, when we've asked people if we could take an empty stool in a busy pub, people said no problem and were on the whole sound about the whole thing.

But, we've experienced some downright bad and rude behaviour too. These include, people saying a particular stool or stools was taken and they were waiting on a friend or friends, this 'friend' subsquently didn't turn up and some of my friends were left standing for the night.

Other bad experiences include, people refusing to give you an empty stool or stools and looking at you as if you had two heads for daring to ask for it in the first place.

And thirdly, people talking amongst themselves, while deliberately putting their feet on empty stools, to discourage people asking for it in the first place.

I'm wondering if any of you have experienced rudeness like this? and what's your opinion on 'stool asking etiquette' (for want of a better phrase). Thanks.

AlmightyCushion

Smash a glass. Then say "I'm taking this, gotta problem with that (add bitch to the end of it if it's a woman)" while holding the broken glass to their neck. Stab them afterwards to show everyone else you mean business.

Phlann

Firstly, Spurs are ****.

With regards the stools, I don't see why asking for one should be a problem. I've never had anybody act the dick about it.

My sister did once ask Colm Meany if she could take the spare stool from his table and he told her no, as his coat was sitting there.

No joke.

jaffa20

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Smash a glass. Then say "I'm taking this, gotta problem with that (add bitch to the end of it if it's a woman)" while holding the broken glass to their neck. Stab them afterwards to show everyone else you mean business.

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

no need for such a graphic reply

javaboy

Phlann wrote: »

My sister did once ask Colm Meany if she could take the spare stool from his table and he told her no, as his coat was sitting there.

No joke.

That's terrible. We should come up with a nickname for him that illustrates how selfish, inconsiderate and unsharing this Colm Meanie guy is. Any ideas?


Mitchell and Webb did a sketch on this. Quite funny it were.

Abi

I'd never hold up a stool for the sake of propping up my feet, or someone running late. Thats akin with holding someones place in a shopping que while they are only starting their shopping. Bollox tbh. Theres generally an arrangement in place as to what time you are meeting up at. Anything more than holding a stool while you can see the would-be seat-holder ordering from the bar is unreasonable imo.

Quality

Tell them your pregnant.

Or that you are just out of hospital and need the stool.

Niamho!

funnily enough its one of those things im normally hesitant in doing. asking for a stool. most of the time they're grand about it but ya never know. people can be very rude. you either want the stool or you dont.

javaboy

Niamho! wrote: »

funnily enough its one of those things im normally hesitant in doing. asking for a stool.

My GP's not. Go in with anything from a broken toe to conjunctivitis and he asks for a stool. I think he collects them.

Abi

Quality wrote: »

Tell them your pregnant.

Or that you are just out of hospital and need the stool.

Joo! joo ant jore lies! I no longer believe you are pregnunt.
Evil-tricker-snakey-snake woman.



;o

truecrippler

I wouldn't be asking anybody for a stool. Things like this are best left in the toilet.

WindSock

javaboy wrote: »

That's terrible. We should come up with a nickname for him that illustrates how selfish, inconsiderate and unsharing this Colm Meanie guy is. Any ideas?

And as for stools, fair enough if it's reserved for a mate, but I recki=on 1/2 hour maximum. Then surround the loner and proceed to drink and talk loudly beside them or something. and the feet thing you could still ask, sometimes I just rest my feet on other stools but am happy enough to surrender if someone wants it. It doesnt belong to anyone really.

javaboy

truecrippler wrote: »

I wouldn't be asking anybody for a stool. Things like this are best left in the toilet.

That's a very immature thing to say. You know we're talking about bar stools and yet you still go on and make a poo joke. For shame.

WindSock

Quality wrote: »

Tell them your pregnant.

Yeah then once youy have recieved said stool, proceed to drink large glasses of whiskey

markos79

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Smash a glass. Then say "I'm taking this, gotta problem with that (add bitch to the end of it if it's a woman)" while holding the broken glass to their neck. Stab them afterwards to show everyone else you mean business.

ac you are a legend top reply!!!!!!!!!!!:D:D:D:D

ejmaztec

Would it make any difference if a pigeon was on the stool?

theboytaylor

I was meeting mates in Grogan's in town once.

I was first there (by a while it turns out) place was pretty full
so I couldn't even stand by the bar. After a quick scan I seen a
stool vacant with this group of 2 or 3 chatting away.

I approached the guy nearest and asked in the nicest possible way if
I could sit on the stool and rest me weary bones.

The answer was fair enough as long as I got up when the girls he was
waiting on showed up. I think that was probably the rudest/unreasonable asking-for-a-stool related comment I've received.

It turns out his anxiety over the precious seat (how more than one person
could use the stool was lost on me) was unfounded as I had drunk up and met my mates after half an hour or so, with no sign of his.

supertramp

putting your feet on the empty stool is rude?? i do that all the time but I'd always give it up.....

Kold

It's perfectly acceptable to ask for a stool if you see one free. However if they say it's taken then it's taken.

Only a dickhead would keep the stool if noone was coming.


Wow. How did this run over one page?

ateam

supertramp wrote: »

putting your feet on the empty stool is rude?? i do that all the time but I'd always give it up.....

Of course it's rude, you're not at home!

D. Murphy

supertramp wrote: »

putting your feet on the empty stool is rude?? i do that all the time but I'd always give it up.....

Yes? Your putting your dirty shoes all over the stool, Who knows what you could have stepped in.

Overheal

D. Murphy wrote: »

Yes? Your putting your dirty shoes all over the stool, Who knows what you could have stepped in.

you could have stepped in someones stool for all we know :eek:

japbyrne

why are there never enough stools.
Anyone ever asked.

Your supposed to ask before you take a stool?

flyingoutside

javaboy wrote: »

That's terrible. We should come up with a nickname for him that illustrates how selfish, inconsiderate and unsharing this Colm Meanie guy is. Any ideas?


Mitchell and Webb did a sketch on this. Quite funny it were.

But it was Colm Meaney!!! he was in star trek you know:D

WindSock

theboytaylor wrote: »

I was meeting mates in Grogan's in town once.

I was first there (by a while it turns out) place was pretty full
so I couldn't even stand by the bar. After a quick scan I seen a
stool vacant with this group of 2 or 3 chatting away.

I approached the guy nearest and asked in the nicest possible way if
I could sit on the stool and rest me weary bones.

The answer was fair enough as long as I got up when the girls he was
waiting on showed up. I think that was probably the rudest/unreasonable asking-for-a-stool related comment I've received.

It turns out his anxiety over the precious seat (how more than one person
could use the stool was lost on me) was unfounded as I had drunk up and met my mates after half an hour or so, with no sign of his.

You should have just said ah yea, no bother. I bet your bottom euro he wouldn't have come back and told you to get off of it.

elmyra

javaboy wrote: »

That's terrible. We should come up with a nickname for him that illustrates how selfish, inconsiderate and unsharing this Colm Meanie guy is. Any ideas?

Bwahaha! Legend.

OT - "Hey, sorry to interrupt you there, would you mind if I took that stool? Cheers"

Dave!

Can't say I've experienced any rudeness in this situation...

I ask and they either say yes or no. I've often held stools (no, not poo) for friends, and so understand perfectly why someone else would do likewise.

mawk

Kold wrote: »

Wow. How did this run over one page?

Im just thankful for an AH thread thats not about tinkers or deciding how important breast size is



stool etiquette; ask politely, if they refuse saying someone else is coming, take them at their word. at least for a while

Dave!

On a related note, does anyone ever notice how tinkers often have decent sized breasts? I personally think that's quite important. Especially for the females.

Discuss.

Slidey

Someone comes up and asks is this stool taken?

Look them in the eye and say, yeah.. my bestest invisible friend colin macmakeyupey is sitting there.. duh

JC 2K3

Where's the fun in turd burgling if you're going to ask first?

hussey

just stand beside them and point to a corner then shout
"Oh my GOD, look what they are doing to that poor, tall slim busty blond"

then steal the stool ... and their drink

AnonoBoy

Phlann wrote: »

My sister did once ask Colm Meany if she could take the spare stool from his table and he told her no, as his coat was sitting there.

Colm Meaney's a prick though. Everyone knows that.

Anti

1. Go to stool.

2. Grab stool.

3. Profit ???

5starpool

Kold wrote: »

It's perfectly acceptable to ask for a stool if you see one free. However if they say it's taken then it's taken.

Only a dickhead would keep the stool if noone was coming.


Wow. How did this run over one page?

A thread about tumbleweed here would get more than one page of posts.

Also, I am thinking about proposing a motion to ban anyone that doesn't use 40 posts per page and then posts saying there are x number of pages when that is patently untrue for some of us, thus making us reference the number of pages currently in the thread, thus wasting precious seconds when we could be finding out what age people lost their virginity at or waht their least favourite county is. That or some such matter of equal importance.

FlutterinBantam

Only reason a bar stool should be "reserved" is if the stool occupant is releasing a stool in the bang room or taking a whizz.

Otherwise it's free furniture,and the Flutt would bridle quite considerably up if his polite request was refused.

No mistake .

Sherifu

As long as some lad doesn't push in my stool it's all good.

Also, what's a 'bang room' flutt?

MOH

There's also the problem in noisy places where you're asking/being asked for a stool, but neither party can hear the other.

Problem being you ask "Is this stool taken?" and they hear "Is this stool free?", answer no, and then reach out and grab the stool as you start to walk away with it; or else it goes the other way and you walk away leaving the unused stool and them looking at you thinking you're some sort of mad person.

And if you try to avoid this by exagerrated nods and gestures towards said stool while asking the question, that's invariably the point where the music stops/pub goes quiet and again you just look like a loon.

Gone West

unless you're asking for a stool sample, any polite or friendly way will do fine.