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Free water in pubs/clubs?

  • 20-06-2008 01:03AM
    #1
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭


    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.


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Comments

  • #2
    Stercus Accidit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,758 ✭✭✭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.


  • #3
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,537 ✭✭✭✭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


  • #4
    Stercus Accidit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,758 ✭✭✭Stercus Accidit


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

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


  • #5
    eamoss
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭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 :D

    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.


  • #6
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,340 Mod ✭✭✭✭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:


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  • #7
    Bob the Builder
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭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.


  • #8
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    jmccrohan wrote: »
    Would this be a club on "A Otherwise Lilt Smut"?
    Late night anagrams are fun
    :pac:
    Heh, it was indeed :D


  • #9
    dav1b
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭dav1b


    It's far too late for anagrams!

    A otherwise lilt smut? where the hell is that?


  • #10
    kmart6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,173 ✭✭✭✭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!


  • #11
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,340 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    JC 2K3 wrote: »
    Heh, it was indeed :D
    That kinda explains it then... Trying to cut down the druggies doing pills in the toilets :)


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  • #12
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭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.


  • #13
    marcsignal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭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


  • #14
    Naikon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭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.


  • #15
    eVeNtInE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭eVeNtInE


    This post has been deleted.


  • #16
    Adyx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭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.


  • #17
    Rabies
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,257 ✭✭✭✭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.


  • #18
    danniemcq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭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


  • #19
    Saint_Mel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,602 ✭✭✭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!


  • #20
    Gone West
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,374 ✭✭✭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.


  • #21
    oranjeboom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 93 ✭✭oranjeboom


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


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  • #22
    Nickibaby*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 676 ✭✭✭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...


  • #23
    Nickibaby*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 676 ✭✭✭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.


  • #24
    oranjeboom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 93 ✭✭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.


  • #25
    Nickibaby*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 676 ✭✭✭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 :D

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


  • #26
    Hobbes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭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.


  • #27
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭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.


  • #28
    toiletduck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭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:


  • #29
    j1smithy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭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...


  • #30
    Extraplus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭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."


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  • #31
    Blisterman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 7,534 ✭✭✭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.


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