Action on Rip-Off Pubs: Call to Arms

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Watching Eddie Hobbs show 'Rip off Ireland' on Monday (which apparently 667,000 others did aswell: http://www.rte.ie/arts/2005/0818/hobbse.html).

At the end of the show he suggested that people go into pubs and order rounds of drinks consisting solely of tap water.

How about if we had a Boards Action Night out, where we selected a pub in Dublin that we thought particularly overpriced its drinks (Turks Head? Cafe en Seine?) and amassed there in huge numbers on the same night and just ordered water all night?

It wouldn't be the most exciting night out! but it would cost a pub the guts of a nights takings if we turned up in sufficient numbers and it would also send a signal to the other pubs that we don't want to be overcharged...

anyone interested? any suggested pubs?

grimloch

Roundtower2 wrote:

Watching Eddie Hobbs show 'Rip off Ireland' on Monday (which apparently 667,000 others did aswell: http://www.rte.ie/arts/2005/0818/hobbse.html).

At the end of the show he suggested that people go into pubs and order rounds of drinks consisting solely of tap water.

How about if we had a Boards Action Night out, where we selected a pub in Dublin that we thought particularly overpriced its drinks (Turks Head? Cafe en Seine?) and amassed there in huge numbers on the same night and just ordered water all night?

It wouldn't be the most exciting night out! but it would cost a pub the guts of a nights takings if we turned up in sufficient numbers and it would also send a signal to the other pubs that we don't want to be overcharged...

anyone interested? any suggested pubs?

Some places charge for tap water don't you know.

Although I will admit it might be interesting to see how this would turn out.

It would need quite a large number of people though and there would still be regular non-informed folk there.

karlh

we're not entitled to free water all night in a pub, they would just kick everyone out after a few people ordered it.

just don't go to expensive pubs/bars and support those who have rolled back prices.

personally, i blame the smoking ban on making places shít and expensive!

joejoem

I blame the parents

whippet

karlh wrote:

personally, i blame the smoking ban on making places shít and expensive!

they were sh1t and expensive before the ban if you remember

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

karlh wrote:

we're not entitled to free water all night in a pub, they would just kick everyone out after a few people ordered it.

think pubs have to provide tap water for free by law...if they kicked you out for only ordering water they'd be in trouble...

Sarsfield

Roundtower2 wrote:

It wouldn't be the most exciting night out!

Which brings us to the nub of the problem. While people consider alcohol as an essential item for a night out, the licenced trade can continue to sell it at inflated prices.

Selik

Good idea but where's the fun in sipping tap water all night???

An even better idea would be for everyone to organise gaff get togethers and just buy booze from an off-licence (preferably not one attached to a pub or affiliated in anyway with). That will hurt the pubs but won't scale back the craic too much!

MadsL

An even better idea would be for everyone to organise gaff get togethers and just buy booze from an off-licence (preferably not one attached to a pub or affiliated in anyway with). That will hurt the pubs but won't scale back the craic too much!

Fsssssssssshhhhooowwwwwwwwww!!!
(the sound of the point going right over your head)

Roundtower2

Roundtower2 wrote:

think pubs have to provide tap water for free by law...if they kicked you out for only ordering water they'd be in trouble...

I'm going to call bullshít on this.

Also a pub is private property, they can kick any one out for any reason wihin the limits of the law, eg the equal status act.

Don't think this problem is unique to Ireland. Any popular spots in any major city are always expensive. What we lack in irish cities however due to shortage of licenses is the "cheap pubs". Like Wetherspoons in England.

Ishmael

tbh, i'm just going to give up pubs and alcohol altogether, but thats just me.

And the question of wether this plan would work, i couldn't say, mybe it would, maybe you'd all get turfed out on your rears, WHO KNOWS!!! :eek:

Eoin Madsen

No, I'm pretty sure providing free drinking water is a legal requirement for a pub. On the other hand, I don't think there's anything stopping them from ejecting you for not buying anything, seating for patrons use only etc etc.

Eoin Madsen

Ishmael wrote:

tbh, i'm just going to give up pubs and alcohol altogether, but thats just me.

And the question of wether this plan would work, i couldn't say, mybe it would, maybe you'd all get turfed out on your rears, WHO KNOWS!!! :eek:

It might still be worth it for the scene it would make.

Me, I gave up boozing nearly 3 years ago, so I don't really care.

daywalker

Eoin Madsen wrote:

No, I'm pretty sure providing free drinking water is a legal requirement for a pub. On the other hand, I don't think there's anything stopping them from ejecting you for not buying anything, seating for patrons use only etc etc.

From a legal standing point, would that be legal? Would it be the same if i went into the pub with a friend who is drinking and me, driving say, not drinking could they eject me for taking up seating space?

Töpher

Get some crisps then with the water the first time!

Selik

MadsL wrote:

Fsssssssssshhhhooowwwwwwwwww!!!
(the sound of the point going right over your head)

And what exactly is the point Madsl?

Coz people aren't realistically going to take Eddie Hobbs up on what he said no matter what anyone likes to think. Sure, a little gang of peeps may well do it but what exactly will it achieve?

Very little that's what.

But hey, enjoy your glass of tap water and while you're at it order me a pint of Guinness.

JungleBunny

Surely they would throw everybody drikning water out after a while.
Like they do with the spanish students that go into a pub and then sit around 1 pint with 20 people for 3 hours.
I've seen taht happen quite often. Surely they would chuck us out?!?

Speaking of alcohol prices...... Are places that put up the price of a pint after a certain time actually allowed to increase the price??
I thought all prices have to be clearly displayed on the premisis. Any place I have ever gone into, that does increase the price throughout the night, only ever had the one price on the price list... that's is you could findy the bl00dy thing to begin with.

Just wonderin if anyone knows if they are allowed to do this?

Eoin Madsen

daywalker wrote:

From a legal standing point, would that be legal? Would it be the same if i went into the pub with a friend who is drinking and me, driving say, not drinking could they eject me for taking up seating space?

It probably is legal, but not something they'd do unless there's a large group of non-customers. I imagine if they threw out named drivers for not drinking it'd be contested in court and a law or precedent would be made - if it hasn't already.

Gandhi

I was in the Hi-B in Cork one day and the grumpy old man behind the bar turfed out this student and his girlfriend for drinking too slowly. The whole place just cracked up at the look on the youngfellas face.

RuggieBear

Roundtower2 wrote:

think pubs have to provide tap water for free by law...if they kicked you out for only ordering water they'd be in trouble...

I was kicked out of the porterhouse for ordering a pint of tapwater after 11 when the prices went up....

chump

I think the price of drinks in the city has actually improved overall since last year. Most pubs now have some "cheap" beer and there's more offers than there used to be... and a few cheap pubs... the better kept and fancier places will always charge higher but that's their choice...

The only real way to reduce the average cost is to increase competition, either by drinking at home more and making them attract us back to the pubs

or by increasing the number of licenses!

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Eddie Hobbs was saying in his show that even though Dublin has 35% of the population, it only has 8% of the country's pubs. You can't particularly blame the pubs for being presented with a golden egg and wanting to milk it (excuse the mixed methaphors!). I personally can't understand how the government can sit aside and let us be subject to all these high prices when they can do something about it i.e. loosen the legislation on new pubs.

The government could give us all a major effective tax cut if they reduced these restrictive practices in pubs, supermarkets, pharmacists etc. It's not only hugely annoying but a proportionally unfair tax on the poor. Of course, you'd never see all those bin protestor types doing something as useful as to campaign on issues like this that would really have an impact on the working poor...

Still we can't let pub owners think we are willing to be taken as fools. Drink water and make an impact!

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

it is also satisfyingly ironic that you're drinking water in order to get cheaper drink in the future... whereas Jesus may have turned water into wine; we're trying to turn water into a reduced price on wine!

Blisterman

So, how about this for the next boards beers.

Tomohawk

How many sitting TDs are publicans? I think you will find the answer gives just another insight into why the status quo regarding competition (or lack thereof) in this sector is being maintained.


I think this was Eddie Hobbs most salient point imho on mondays night program. Ah, the heady mix of irish politics and alcohol!!

Selik

Blisterman wrote:

So, how about this for the next boards beers.

Eh...

Surely you mean the next boards water?

MadsL

Giles wrote:

And what exactly is the point Madsl?

Coz people aren't realistically going to take Eddie Hobbs up on what he said no matter what anyone likes to think. Sure, a little gang of peeps may well do it but what exactly will it achieve?

Very little that's what.

But hey, enjoy your glass of tap water and while you're at it order me a pint of Guinness.

The point was to make a protest, not to sit at home and get p1ssed. Going to the offy and get hammered at home is hardly likely to say anything to the publicans now is it?

The fact that you, like most of Ireland, is totally apathetic about rip-off pricing means that, no, it would not have an impact. But at least he is thinking of ways to make the point about the blatant monopoly that we have to suffer. You on the other hand, don't seem to want to try and make a stand, because it wouldn't be enough craic.

As someone once said, "if you are not part of the solution...."

Bateman

ronoc wrote:

I'm going to call bullshít on this.

Also a pub is private property, they can kick any one out for any reason wihin the limits of the law, eg the equal status act.

Don't think this problem is unique to Ireland. Any popular spots in any major city are always expensive. What we lack in irish cities however due to shortage of licenses is the "cheap pubs". Like Wetherspoons in England.

True, but some pubs have monthly or weekly specials. An example id Grand Central on O Connel St, one of my current favourites, which a couple of months had Coronita, as well as some Brazilian beer for around €3.30, and currently sells Michelob at €3.35.

whiskeyman

grimloch wrote:

Some places charge for tap water don't you know.

Where?
I've never been charged, nor ever heard any of my mates being charged.
Would be interested to know

MadsL wrote:

The point was to make a protest, not to sit at home and get p1ssed. Going to the offy and get hammered at home is hardly likely to say anything to the publicans now is it?

Sure it is... if we all did it, where would their revenue come from?
The continuing surge in the off-trade is the best and clearest signal to the publicans that the public have had enough of the rip-off prices.

supersheep

This is one hell of an idea, but you'd need to make sure it happened a lot, got publicised and all that... OK. Right. We need to start up some sort of group, organise it, and keep it going for ages. Although it might **** up your chances of getting into a pub anywhere...

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

any chance that a mod could put a poll on this thread to see if people are interested in a 'flash mob' descending on a pub and only ordering water?

Obviously, after making our point (with appropriate media notification - i'll contact the Eddie Hobbs show and a few newspapers), we could then go somewhere reasonably priced for a few decent pints of proper stuff!

eirmail

One of the cheapest pubs in dublin is just around the corner from the Turks Head. It is Karma used to be known as Handels hotel. Last time I was there a couple of months ago a guinness was 3 euros a pint and a lager 3.50 euro.
Why don't we encourage people to go to such pubs instead of the more expensive ones. That would make much more since than just drinking water all night.

kstanl

The best solution is to just give up booze altogether. That's what I'm going to do for a year and, depending on how much money I save, maybe forever if the prices don't come down drastically