Is This A Case Of The Responsible Suffering For The Irresponsible?

[Bobbisox1]

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/wetherspoons-slaps-two-drink-rule-17622413

[Bobbisox1]

What they’re stipulating CJ, one drink with a meal then a second afterwards ( of before) depends on prefer I suppose

[teacake44]

Its a good question, and a difficult one. First off if my memory serves me well, when a Wetherspoons opened near me some years back now, and if you like first came on the stage as a pub chain, they promoted cheap beer/drinks, and in my view in turn promoted heavy drinking. That said I don't believe that young children should be exposed to such adult activities in pubs, even if their parents are in control, there is sure to me some inside that pub that a child will witness out of control. When pubs first allowed children in, it was providing it was for family sit down meal celebration, they themselves have allowed it to get beyond that to a certain degree.
Conclusion, they should provide a family room/ area, or keep children out of the drunken experience.

[Bobbisox1]

My own local pub ( not a WS) is guilty of this teacakes, what was once a pleasurable outing.....isn’t

[AuntPollyGrey]

I've read in my local paper of two instances where couples have been prosecuted for taking babies and children into pubs for an afternoon drinking session with their mates and been caught drunk in charge of a child. Perhaps this is what Weatherspoons is trying to address, but I feel that could be done on a one to one basis rather than making it a Rule. Don't most Weatherspoons have a childs play area? Our local Hungry Horse used to and we would walk down there on a Saturday afternoon mainly to let them play on the outdoor slides etc ( while sipping on a chilled small white wine lol!) but they were just enjoying themselves, they weren't feral and we certainly weren't drunk lol!

[AuntPollyGrey]

Teacake, with all due respect I've been in many family pubs during the day and have never seen drunken behaviour. I have seen bad parenting though, where the children are allowed to run unchecked between tables etc -that is down to bad parenting, not inebriation I think.

[Zacs-Master]

Doing it on a one-to-one basis leaves operators / managers open to claims of discrimination. Making it a 'policy' is unequivocal.

[Bobbisox1]

Our Spoons is a lovely old building , former Council offices and I welcome that instead of allowing these old buildings to go into a decline, but it has a steep staircase going up three floors and no facilities for children at all

[Zacs-Master]

I've never seen any facilities for children in a wetherspoons. Maybe a colouring sheet with a meal?

[AuntPollyGrey]

And full of students now bobbisox if its the one I'm thinking of ;-) My youngest goes in every Friday night with his Uni mates cos the beer is cheap and there is never any trouble, though he said it may be closing down?

[Bobbisox1]

APG, No but I do know the one you’re referring to, another well architected building too

[AuntPollyGrey]

We stopped at a Weatherspoons coming back from the Cotswolds and it looked fabulous from the outside, and old coaching inn, inside it was grubby with sticky carpets and a terrible menu. We had to move as the family next to us were making such a racket kids screaming throwing chips and running about, but the parents weren't drinking alcohol they had cups of coffee.

[Bobbisox1]

That’s definitely a case of irresponsible parenting then APG

[teacake44]

They've encouraged some parents just to walk off the street with their kids into a pub, this is where the problem is, they are not going in for the kids entertainment, only for there own fix.
If they really want to stamp it out, then return to how it was, and how it should be, if you want to take your children, then pre booked sit down meal only, in a family room, not just dossing in a bar area only for parents to get tanked.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Teacake have you ever been in a Weatherspoons?

[ludwig]

//Any parents failing to keep their offspring under control should be asked to leave, whether they have had a drink or two or not.//

Absolutely.

It's a strange rule because it's basically saying 'People with kids are not welcome here' without actually tackling the issue of bad behaviour.

They're obviously happy to take a family's money for the gammon and chips and Mr fishy kids nuggets or whatever, but you can kuff off and take your brats with you as soon as you're done.

I never go in Wetherspoons anyway.

[Bobbisox1]

Me either Ludwig , they always have a feel of a ‘ canteen’ the couple that I have been in , but for that reason, I never frequent them now

[ludwig]

// Me either Ludwig , they always have a feel of a ‘ canteen’ the couple that I have been in , but for that reason, I never frequent them now //

They're great if you want cheap beer, but I like to support small independent pubs that Wetherspoons undercuts. I can afford to do that, so that's my choice, and yes, Spoons are all massive and canteeny.

[TheDevil]

A better question would be:

Is getting drunk in a public restaurant whilst looking after children responsible or irresponsible?

I'd say irresponsible. No one in question would be considered responsible when getting drunk whilst looking after children in a public restaurant, surely?

The only factor would be how much alcohol does it take you to get drunk? Well the question is futile because whilst child minding you should not be drunk at all!

[Bobbisox1]

We have a pub here and it’s a Free House, nearly unheard of now, it’s warm and cosy in Winter with a log burner but also nice in the Summer with a garden

[TheDevil]

"they always have a feel of a ‘ canteen’ !

Well considering you never go in that's a jump to conclusion. Weatherspoons is fantastic.