new UK alcohol licensing rules

[a story on the radio]

so, what does everyone think about these new late drinking times then? i apologise if this thread has been done before...

[MrsCarbohydrate]

We've had "late" opening in Scotland since time began and our civilisation hasn't collapsed in on itself yet, so I reckon you'll be alright.

[looke]

It'll be exactly the same as before the rules changed, well once the Daily Mail and Express shut the fuck up and let people get on with it.

At the end of the day, you are always going to get people who drink too much who spoil it for everyone else.

[Laura Claudia]

I think it is great.
That is all.

[Phil C]

I think it's a mistake...although having said that, if you're playing pool it's annoying to get chucked out when you're in the middle of it.

I can't believe I'm even half defending the new laws.

[Laura Claudia]

I think it's a mistake.

...*cough*?

[a story on the radio]

hmmm, i'm still in two minds about it really. i like the idea that i can have a beer after 11 but i'm just concerned about the "breaking in" period. most people around my way just tend to turn into filth after about 10 o clock.

[generationterrorist81]

I'll just see how it goes. I don't think I'm going to change my own pubgoing habits much.

[secret fan]

in northern ireland pubs are open til 1am mon-sat, 12am on sunday. things are okay.

[Radiomanic]

Points for it:

1) No kicking out times means less people on the streets at one time = less conflict, less violence.

2) People will be able to sober up before they attempt to go home.

3) No more half empty beer glasses.

4) No more shit time filling nightclubs.

[*lisa simpson*]

Points for it:

1) No kicking out times means less people on the streets at one time = less conflict, less violence.

2) People will be able to sober up before they attempt to go home.

3) No more half empty beer glasses.

4) No more shit time filling nightclubs.

amen, and add

5) people won't feel such a pressure to hurry.

there won't be the hurry to down drinks in order to make last orders/chucking out. also, i know plenty of girls/women who will go out before clubbing and because they don't get out til early - mid evening, say 7 or 8, they won't eat properly first and they will neck drinks in order to get as many as possible in before closing. that way when they get to the club they are nicely tipsy (or, more likely, utterly fucked). if pubs are allowed longer hours, it would cut out this element - providing clubs nearby had similar policies and didn't penalise people for arriving later. what they should do is stagger pub closure and club opening so that there's a drift from one to the other, rather than a mad drunken stampede.

[Phil C]

...*cough*?

Look, I don't drink so I think *anything* to do with alcohol is a mistake.

[Karen]

I was watching the news last night and thought it was ironic that here we are, discussing the new licensing laws whilst a known alcoholic was dying in hospital.

[guntrip]

5) people won't feel such a pressure to hurry.

Quite, the problem seems to be not how much people drink, but how fast they drink it in..

Look, I don't drink so I think *anything* to do with alcohol is a mistake.

Well, that's your life choice and welcome to it, but that doesn't mean you get to inflict it on the rest of us.

I was watching the news last night and thought it was ironic that here we are, discussing the new licensing laws whilst a known alcoholic was dying in hospital.

... of a condition unrelated to his alcohol abuse, no?

I welcome this. I can't wait, personally.

[Guernica]

We've always had late closing in the USA, most bars close at 2:00 a.m. (this varies on state and local laws; Atlanta bars can stay open until 4:00 a.m. though few do; I think New York ones can too). I don't think it'll make much difference one way or the other in terms of increased problems.

As a visitor to the U.K. and admittedly an older person, one thing I did like about coming over was that you could go see bands in pubs and still get home at a reasonable hour. Expect that to change. Drastically. You'll end up with what we've got here, where the headlining act goes on at 1:00 a.m.

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

I don't really see it making much difference to be honest. If people want to drink more than they can handle, they'll still do it. And if people want to cause fights on the streets whilst pissed, they'll still do it.

[Laura Claudia]

Look, I don't drink so I think *anything* to do with alcohol is a mistake.

Ah. Well I did not know that.
But I had to say something, just because it is you, Phil ;)

[Phil C]

Well, that's your life choice and welcome to it, but that doesn't mean you get to inflict it on the rest of us.

I think you took me more seriously than I meant there - it was mostly a joke aimed at Laura.

But I'll answer you more seriously. It's not like I'm suggesting it should be banned, just that maybe it should be remembered that alcohol causes violence, more deaths on the roads and physical illness, so maybe it's not such a bad idea to not let people pour it down their necks in pubs all day and night. I know what alcohol does to people, I've lived with people who got aggressive when drunk, and that was his life choice, but that doesn't mean he gets to inflict it on me - or rather it did (I should stress that I was never actually hurt or attacked or anything, but the aggression was aimed at me quite a few times).

End of the day, it's your life-choice to drink. It's not my life choice to not get hassled by drunks if I want to go out, and the longer English people are allowed to drink, the longer they will drink, and the worse their behaviour will get. Now you tell me why it's fair that the rest of us - non-drinkers or people who don't get hammered - have to put up with that?

[Phil C]

Ah. Well I did not know that.

As a teacher, it makes me feel good to know that you've learnt something from me today :) (what's that? Marking to have done by Tuesday? eek)

But I had to say something, just because it is you, Phil ;)

Well, I don't know what I've done to deserve your attentions, but it's always nice to be noticed :)

[Angel Eyed Boy]

Well, I didn't notice the country descend into anarchy last night. Maybe tonight will be the crunch point.

[a story on the radio]

i think all of my previous worries were kind of proved wrong tonight. admittedly i did end up at a crap club but that was because it was my friends birthday. that's where he wanted to go. but, yeah, no riots or anything. the amusing thing is that the whole night was fantastic up until i got about 500 metres from my house whereby i got shouted at by some idiot for apparently looking at them (i.e what you looking at, you looking at my bird etc etc").

[guntrip]

I think you took me more seriously than I meant there - it was mostly a joke aimed at Laura.

Fair enough - I've just listened to way too much self-righteous claptrap from 'straight egde' people/prats in my life to be willing to listen to it any more ;)

But I'll answer you more seriously. It's not like I'm suggesting it should be banned, just that maybe it should be remembered that alcohol causes violence, more deaths on the roads and physical illness, so maybe it's not such a bad idea to not let people pour it down their necks in pubs all day and night. I know what alcohol does to people, I've lived with people who got aggressive when drunk, and that was his life choice, but that doesn't mean he gets to inflict it on me - or rather it did (I should stress that I was never actually hurt or attacked or anything, but the aggression was aimed at me quite a few times).

This happens in a minority of cases, however, and this is what I object to SO SO much about the absurd hysteria surrounding the changes in licensing laws - most people are not violent, vomiting anti-social drunks whose only desire when out on a Friday night is to down six pints of Stella, start a fight and pass out in a puddle of their own vomit in an alleyway somewhere.

In fact, I'd suggest there's a good deal of mileage in suggesting that those sorts of people have problems anyway, and alcohol is merely an escape / excuse.

Anyway, I think the events of the last week have proven that the country won't descend into anarchy..

End of the day, it's your life-choice to drink. It's not my life choice to not get hassled by drunks if I want to go out, and the longer English people are allowed to drink, the longer they will drink, and the worse their behaviour will get. Now you tell me why it's fair that the rest of us - non-drinkers or people who don't get hammered - have to put up with that?

I think you'll find it's more than just the two group's you've quoted there that have to put up with abuse from wankers - but then again, that's the key word - wankers. These people are wankers if they're drunk or if they're sober, I've been hassled just as much by sober people as by drunks so I don't think alcohol really makes the blindest bit of difference, and don't think that by being a "non-drinker" you're singled out for special attention, because you're not.

[azima]

did the new laws regarding music licenses come in with the drinking laws? or do they come in at a later date?

x x x

[Phil C]

Anyway, I think the events of the last week have proven that the country won't descend into anarchy..

I suspect the temperature might have helped on that one.

and don't think that by being a "non-drinker" you're singled out for special attention, because you're not.

By random people on the street? No, of course I'm not because they don't know I'm sober. But I promise you, non-drinkers become the centre of attention the moment it becomes known. I've got years of experience on this one.

[Laura Claudia]

whose only desire when out on a Friday night is to down six pints of Stella

Speak for yourself ;)

[Matt S]

did the new laws regarding music licenses come in with the drinking laws? or do they come in at a later date?

x x x

At the same point, I believe.

[guntrip]

By random people on the street? No, of course I'm not because they don't know I'm sober. But I promise you, non-drinkers become the centre of attention the moment it becomes known. I've got years of experience on this one.

Victim complex much?

Anyway, taken from yesterday's Metro, finally some words of wisdom on the subject:

CHEERS
I'd like to thank the Government for introducing 24-hour drinking. I used to have to get a taxi home, but now I can spend my taxi fare on beer until the buses come back on.

:mrgreen:

[Phil C]

Victim complex much?

Pardon me if I assume I know more about my own life than you do.

[rpmacmurphy]

Considering my love of the sauce its suprising to me at least that i have entered the fray this late but heres my view:

Im not a great fan of pubs much - dont get me wrong i do like a decent pub as a rule but most boozers around here are full of scallies that see the purpose of a night out as punching the crap out of bods who are just out for a good time,take for example Croydon which i have dubbed punch up city.You walk down the high street saturday night and its a challenge to dodge the pissed up assholes that spill out of the bars up top of town,its a sad reflection that they have uniformed fuzz and a meat wagon stationed nearby.
As others have pointed out theres the inevitability that there will always be those who will spoil it for everyone else but extending the drinking hours will provide the assholes time to get even more tanked up on ale and get yet more violent,im going to avoid my locals even more now-except the rather nice Coach And Horses where you can have a few beers in peace.