Anyone think bars should sell soft drinks cheaper to designated drivers?

BetterThanThou

In a pub, I've seen a coke or red bull cost something like €3.50, cheapest I'd ever see is around 2.50 for a coke, a small bottle that's smaller than a 1.50 bottle out of a shop. On a per ML basis, a coke would usually cost you more than a pint. Personally, I think pubs should sell drinks to designated drivers at cost price, in order to encourage the practice. If I'm in a bar not drinking, I'd still probably spend nearly as much money on soft drinks as I would alcohol, I really think the price of soft drinks needs to be lowered.

FanadMan

The IVF used to run a scheme that gave free soft drinks to the designated drivers. But most pubs running it ripped the arse out of it by charging the drivers for their drinks and claiming them back

AlmightyCushion

Sounds like a great idea.r One person buys the whiskey, the other buys the designated driver coke on the cheap for the mixer.

Kevin McCloud

Be cheaper now for the designated driver to go on the sauce than drinking coke and just get taxi home.

OP, you seem to be mistaking pubs for public service providers instead of commercial profit making businesses set up to make as much money as possible for their owners.

BetterThanThou

Deleted User wrote: »

OP, you seem to be mistaking pubs for public service providers instead of commercial profit making businesses set up to make as much money as possible for their owners.

Pubs are a commercial business, there's no mistaking that, but at the same time, even though it's not their intention, the majority of the drunk driving problem is caused by pubs, I've never heard of someone driving home from a house party after drinking. It's a problem caused by pubs, so it's the responsibility of the pubs to help minimize the damage.

Xenji

A good few pubs around my area offer the designated driver a free soft drink, it is a scheme Coke are implementing.

Erm, I think you'll find the majority of drunk driving cases are caused by people consuming alcohol. I'm no more aware of statistics being published by the courts on the exact location of this consumption taking place (pubs or private residences) than I am of publicans grabbing drivers by the throat and force feeding them copious amounts of liquor before strapping them back behind the wheel of a car.

"Drunk" drivers do however mostly tend to be sober before deliberately driving to the pub and asking for alcoholic drinks, so it's not as if they're not in control of their actions. Publicans for the most part couldn't give a flying fcuk what you do with yourself after they've taken your money, but yeah, probably prefer that you live to drink (ie spend) another day.

Pretending the "responsibility" lies with the publican instead of the driver is a shocking cop-out in my opinion.

Usually if I'm out with a designated driver I will buy his/her drink and likewise the other people he/she is bringing home.
If I have to spend an extra 2.50/5 euro to go out for a drink and get a lift home then that's good value imo.

RobYourBuilder

Coke run a promotion where the designated driver gets a free soft drink in designated pubs over the Christmas period: http://www.coca-cola.ie/community/designated-driver-pub-finder.html

BetterThanThou

Deleted User wrote: »

Erm, I think you'll find the majority of drunk driving cases are caused by people consuming alcohol. I'm no more aware of statistics being published by the courts on the exact location of this consumption taking place (pubs or private residences) than I am of publicans grabbing drivers by the throat and force feeding them copious amounts of liquor before strapping them back behind the wheel of a car.

"Drunk" drivers do however mostly tend to be sober before deliberately driving to the pub and asking for alcoholic drinks, so it's not as if they're not in control of their actions. Publicans for the most part couldn't give a flying fcuk what you do with yourself after they've taken your money, but yeah, probably prefer that you live to drink (ie spend) another day.

Pretending the "responsibility" lies with the publican instead of the driver is a shocking cop-out in my opinion.

By your logic, if a drug dealer supplies someone with heroin and it ruins their life, it's not the drug dealer's responsibility. I'm not saying it's the publican's fault, but it's a very real problem, and people who are essentially doing society a service, designated drivers, should be thrown a bone, rather than milked for their cash. I know very few people who'd be willing to go out and be a designated driver, and those that would don't drink anyway. If they could get a can of coke for a euro(definitely over cost price) and around a tenner not drinking compared to 50 or 60 drinking, then people would probably be more willing to take on the role of being a designated driver.

wandatowell

Club orange with a dash of red lemonade. €2.50. Job.

MadsL

Deleted User wrote: »

OP, you seem to be mistaking pubs for public service providers instead of commercial profit making businesses set up to make as much money as possible for their owners.

Given that it is possible to install soft drink gun style dispensers that to dispense syrup+soda mixes at a cost of a few cents per serve, it's staggering that the public in Ireland put up with the mixer bottle prices.

theteal

Pint of blackcurrent. If they want more than a euro for it, they can go swing.

floggg

BetterThanThou wrote: »

Pubs are a commercial business, there's no mistaking that, but at the same time, even though it's not their intention, the majority of the drunk driving problem is caused by pubs, I've never heard of someone driving home from a house party after drinking. It's a problem caused by pubs, so it's the responsibility of the pubs to help minimize the damage.

Does that mean newsagents are responsible for lung cancer since that's where most people buy their cigarettes?

Banjo String

I also think they should sell cheaper drinks made of alcohol to people not driving.

In the name of equality.

c_man

FanadMan wrote: »

The IVF used to run a scheme that gave free soft drinks to the designated drivers. But most pubs running it ripped the arse out of it by charging the drivers for their drinks and claiming them back

I worked in a pub during one of those schemes. It had to end due to the amount of people taking the piss out of it i.e. people asking for their free coke and claiming to be a designated driver, then using it as a mixer with spirits.

RedPandaDan

BetterThanThou wrote: »

In a pub, I've seen a coke or red bull cost something like €3.50, cheapest I'd ever see is around 2.50 for a coke, a small bottle that's smaller than a 1.50 bottle out of a shop. On a per ML basis, a coke would usually cost you more than a pint. Personally, I think pubs should sell drinks to designated drivers at cost price, in order to encourage the practice. If I'm in a bar not drinking, I'd still probably spend nearly as much money on soft drinks as I would alcohol, I really think the price of soft drinks needs to be lowered.

If you want to see better service from pubs, the solution is to remove the limitation on the number of pub licenses. Then they would have to compete on service and I reckon a lot of practices would change.