Do Pubs not like it if you drink on your own ?

Jumboman

I've a freind whos a bit of an alco who spends a lot of time in pubs on his own he told me he was asked to leave dandelion because he was spending too much time there on this own. Its unlikely the barman would know hes drinks a lot because he would never drink more than 3 pints in a pub before he goes on to the next one. Hes very quite and does not cause any trouble he just sits in a corner or at the top of the bar and has a few pints and is able to handle his drink without coming across drunk.



Surely in the current recession pubs would welcome anyone as long as their not causing any trouble ? I cant see why my friend was asked to leave when he never causes any trouble.

Staff Infection

Haven't been in Dandelion in a long long time but the last time I was it seemed to have an abundance (verging on almost being the sole demographic) of youngish women drinking cocktails so maybe he just stood out?

I'm guessing here but if you were the barman and everyone in the pub is a lady with a strawberry daiquiri except for one bloke on his own in the corner you may be suspicious or just more conscious of his presence. It could have been a "maybe you'd prefer x pub up the road instead" kind of a thing rather than "you're barred for drinking on your own, come back when you have your friends".

I've been in plenty of old man style pubs and seen people enjoying a pint on their own so maybe he could try those kind of pubs instead.

Sunnyisland

Never ever heard of anyone been asked to leave a pub cause he drank on his own,sure for a lot of drinkers that's what its about,one man and his pint, or woman.

Sofiztikated

If he's drinking on his own, then you have no way of knowing what way he acts when he is on his own.

He could be a bit leery, making the standard clientele uncomfortable.
Again, they could be suspicious of bag snatchers.

Could be a 100 different things.

mikemac1

It's an issue if he was taking a table during busy food service or having a big corner section to himself while others were standing.

But he's at the bar and bothering nobody.

Your friend was not barred. He can certainly go back but as said above, there are lots and lots of old man pubs where he enjoy a few quiet drinks.

Jumboman

Sofiztikated wrote: »

If he's drinking on his own, then you have no way of knowing what way he acts when he is on his own.

I've known this guy for over 10 years, I've seen him drink 8 pints or more without him causing any trouble hes the last person who would start a fight.

Maybe the barman doesnt like him because hes very quiet and is not sociable.

thewayiam

Maybe he wasn't as sober as he thought!

Jumboman

Another thing I heard also is that pubs dont like it if you only ever drink sort drinks. Can anyone confirm this ?

thewayiam

Jumboman wrote: »

Another thing I heard also is that pubs dont like it if you only ever drink sort drinks. Can anyone confirm this ?

If your sitting their drinking one soft drink for three hours, then yea, it would p*ss the pub owners off.

super_furry

thewayiam wrote: »

If your sitting their drinking one soft drink for three hours, then yea, it would p*ss the pub owners off.

Can't see why. There's a much, much higher margin on soft drinks in pubs.

Daveysil15

There seems to be a bit of a stigma in Ireland about going to bars and clubs alone.

Sofiztikated

Jumboman wrote: »

I've known this guy for over 10 years, I've seen him drink 8 pints or more without him causing any trouble hes the last person who would start a fight.

Maybe the barman doesnt like him because hes very quiet and is not sociable.

As I've said, it wasn't about starting a fight.

He could have been seen to be lecherous, it could have been suspicion of bag snatching, casing a place, anything.

There are certain places where doing a certain activity (in this case, The Dandelion, drinking, quietly on your own) are suspicious.

super_furry wrote: »

Can't see why. There's a much, much higher margin on soft drinks in pubs.

But one drink over three hours? I'd be fairly annoyed meself!

minidazzler

super_furry wrote: »

Can't see why. There's a much, much higher margin on soft drinks in pubs.

Over 3 hours most people would have an absolute minimum of 3 drinks if there's alcohol, nursing a coke for 3 hours to the point where it's just a watered down mess, that guy would weird me out.

That said, I've never heard of a guy who regularly drinks in a pub to be asked to leave if he is a reliable source of small income. Regulars in a lot of bars are the life blood, they pay the electricity, it's the visitors who pay the profit. Most bars will recognise this and treat regulars very very well. Mis-pours etc go to the guys who are belly to the bar 3 times a week.

It's either a case of a really really sh1t bartender, or your buddy is a bit unnerving. I don't know the bar, but I'm gonna go with a mixture of both.

Whatnuclearsub

There is no reason why someone can't drink alone in a pub and it would be highly unusual for a pub to tell someone to leave for no reason. A pub is a business and telling your customers to leave isn't good for business. Even someone that milks a coke for hours on end is still business it doesn't cost the pub anything to have a customer in their bar. So for some reason your friend was bad for business, who knows why?

harry Bailey esq

i often enjoy a pint on my own,newspaper as my company.that said,certain pubs i wouldn't,because id stand out.Dandelion would be one of those places.

hardCopy

I can think of few places that would be less enjoyable for a quiet pint.

harry Bailey esq

hardCopy wrote: »

I can think of few places that would be less enjoyable for a quiet pint.

if your a regular that's all very good.wouldn't me my cup of tea,with a few pals no bother but on me own nah. each to their own i suppose

symbolic

I love going for a beer by myself but there's defo certain pubs I'd go too. Dandelion wouldn't be a place I'd think of going. Like sinnotts round the corner or up to Peters pub or that kinda place.

My initial reaction to the thread was that drinking on your own in Dandelion is a bit odd! But like others have said, each to their own.

Saruman

A quiet pub, a book and a pint. Pure pleasure.

Turpentine

Whatnuclearsub wrote: »

There is no reason why someone can't drink alone in a pub and it would be highly unusual for a pub to tell someone to leave for no reason. A pub is a business and telling your customers to leave isn't good for business. Even someone that milks a coke for hours on end is still business it doesn't cost the pub anything to have a customer in their bar. So for some reason your friend was bad for business, who knows why?

It does if they're taking the seat of someone who was going to buy 5 or 6 pints, a shot of Jameson and two packets of peanuts.

Whatnuclearsub

Turpentine wrote: »

It does if they're taking the seat of someone who was going to buy 5 or 6 pints, a shot of Jameson and two packets of peanuts.

If they are only occupying one seat out of many seats in a pub that other people could use then whats the problem? If you had a group of people doing it then I could see your point.

adamski8

I think the answer obviously some do and some dont.
Why he chooses the dandelion for a quiet drink is bemusing alright, expensive and full of posers.
The fact that they asked him to leave is indicitive of how bad the place is to drink.

harry Bailey esq

adamski8 wrote: »

I think the answer obviously some do and some dont.
Why he chooses the dandelion for a quiet drink is bemusing alright, expensive and full of posers.
The fact that they asked him to leave is indicitive of how bad the place is to drink.

yep that would be my line of thinking,a solo drinker would stick out like a sore thumb in there,not the sort of vibe you want when ya want a quiet one on your own.barman sounds like a tosser to be fair though,or maybe the management have a policy?

Sofiztikated

People keep saying that the barman was a tosser or whatever, I've yet to see anything that proves it so.

He asked someone to leave. We don't know for what reason, and we don't know what was said.

As a couple of people have said, the Dandelion is a strange place for a quiet pint. Maybe he gave the barman sufficient reason to be suspicious. This automatic assumption that because he's a barman, he must be a greedy cúnt is getting fierce old.

rubadub

Sofiztikated wrote: »

He asked someone to leave. We don't know for what reason, and we don't know what was said.

Yep, its all guessing, I think there is more to the story. Like how long was he there? must be long enough for the barman to cop he was not waiting on anybody, was anything said before this? etc.

Whatnuclearsub wrote: »

If they are only occupying one seat out of many seats in a pub that other people could use then whats the problem?

If he was at a table he could be in effect taking up several spaces, as many people will not want to sit with another at their table. McDonalds use split tables, so even if you are right up beside someone it is not like you are joining "their table".

daRobot

Daveysil15 wrote: »

There seems to be a bit of a stigma in Ireland about going to bars and clubs alone.

Or doing anything alone for that matter.

Check out Co.Bondi in Australia for example. It seems paddy needs to roll with his 'crew'.

Ardeehey

Love going for a couple of scoops on my own and have worked in many pubs/clubs over the years. Generally if in a normal pub then as long as a lone drinker isn't annoying anyone else who's not interested then they are welcome. In a nob-end place like Dandilion it's probably because he wasn't a woman! If they don't want his business then it's their loss, plenty of other watering holes to try!

Whatnuclearsub

rubadub wrote: »

Yep, its all guessing, I think there is more to the story. Like how long was he there? must be long enough for the barman to cop he was not waiting on anybody, was anything said before this? etc.

If he was at a table he could be in effect taking up several spaces, as many people will not want to sit with another at their table. McDonalds use split tables, so even if you are right up beside someone it is not like you are joining "their table".

Yeah this is true, but when pubs get busy you will usually get someone asking the question, is there anyone sitting here? and then the chairs are whipped away! But I know what you mean. Its probably for this reason most people who go to drink in a pub on their own use the bar stools and have a chat with the barman.

harry Bailey esq

rubadub wrote: »

Yep, its all guessing, I think there is more to the story. Like how long was he there? must be long enough for the barman to cop he was not waiting on anybody, was anything said before this? etc.
see that's the thing,a lone drinker shouldn't be expected to be 'waiting for somebody else' a lone drinker should be left alone to drink their pint.

Ape Lincoln

I often drink alone. I've suspected that workers in pubs in the City Centres are a bit weary of men drinking alone for extended periods of time. I ordered a whiskey on my own in a place by Abbey St one Friday night and had a few of the staff come outside checking up on me ie. they'd wander outside pretending to be looking to pick up empty glasses while throwing an eye in my direction - there was only one table outside occupied ie. the one I was at.

Ape Lincoln

Saruman wrote: »

A quiet pub,.

Good luck these days (in Dublin central anyway). You can bank on there being a loud sound system or 55million inch TV blaring sports news!