Pubs seem to think they're re-opening

[MidnightShambler]

I spend a fair bit of time in Denmark and cash has been virtually eliminated from society there. The first time I went, not being familiar with it and the fact my shitty bank charges extortionate rates to use my card abroad, I drew some cash out and gave my friend a load of DKK to go the bar in a pub we were in. She was genuinely surprised. Reckoned she hadn't physically seen cash in at least a couple of years and the bar probably wouldn't take it as there'd likely be no change to give. She was wrong about that though, so somebody must still be using it. I've got a Monzo card now though, I had to give in.

One day when we were walking through Aarhus, there was a busker playing outside the station and I asked her how he got paid, turns out he had a card reader in his guitar case on the floor.
'Ah' I thought, how the fuck do you give to beggars? Not that there's many about in Aarhus like but still.

'Homeless people? Card reader round their neck mate'. Hat fucked. The Running Man set inside a Danish YMCA.

[Blue Jam]

Hello Midnight Shambler, good to see you back. We need you in the snooker thread!

[idunnosomename]

Really enjoy that genre of Covid era journalism where a journalist goes to Venice/Amsterdam/Prague/Edinburgh and locals go "oh it's fucking brilliant, love how few tourists there are...we've got our city back".

"and we have no money"

[steveh]

Health minister now blaming pubs for spreading the virus.

Pub near where I live announced today that one of their managers is in an ICU on a ventilator, and they're the kind of place that follows the rules.

[jobotic]

*but not Wetherspoons.

[Icehaven]

'Homeless people? Card reader round their neck mate'. Hat fucked. The Running Man set inside a Danish YMCA.

I don't think you can even have a bank account without an address in the UK.

[BlodwynPig]

Health minister now blaming pubs for spreading the virus.

Pub near where I live announced today that one of their managers is in an ICU on a ventilator, and they're the kind of place that follows the rules.

so why keep them open. NE England brings in restricted measures (no socialising outside of household), but pubs remain open. FUCK SAKE

[Blue Jam]

Went to Paolozzi in Embra yesterday for beer and pizza. Had to order by scanning a QR code on the table and placing our orders on a website. Felt like Just Eat except we had to leave the house and we didn't have to do the washing up.

Seemed like a bit of a faff at first, but the order arrived really quickly and with extra toppings/withheld toppings all correct. As a fussy eater who gets nervous when waiters insist on not using notepads I could get used to this.

Also the pizza was excellent, the best I've had in Edinburgh for sure. I do like Edinburgh Beer Factory and it was good to see their restaurant and bar doing so well.

[wooders1978]

Popped into my local for a couple of bottles of peroni, the pub was largely empty having had a bit of a purple patch post lockdown 1. but a few of the old regulars were knocking about
It was rather nice to sit there, just me and the dog enjoying the pub vibe - I'm meeting some mates for a beer garden job on Tuesday, as a big pub goer pre COVID and it was nice getting back in the saddle but I'm still going to be very cautious for a while

[dissolute ocelot]

I'm at a loss as to why people would want to eat surrounded by plastic sheeting when they can get takeaway more cheaply. You'd hope that at least the food is hot eating in, but many places can't get that right.

I wouldn't mind ordering online in a restaurant, but lots of places are putting the menu online but still sending round staff to take an order. My one time eating out recently, the staff didn't bother explaining that you should scan the bar code on the table to get the menu (it didn't even say "menu", just a 2D code and a number), though we did work it out eventually. Except they hadn't bothered putting the drinks menu online so you just had to ask your server what beers or wine they had.

Also pubs and gastropubs requiring you to book a table online and not even taking walk-ups? It's nice to have a system, but if you're having to search for a web page, fill in a form, and pay a deposit rather than just asking at the door, no chance.

[Bazooka]

Lots of places you can just walk up to them, I can understand some placed don't want the entrance or Libby getting crammed, especially if the entrance is not very visible. On the other side of the coin, there are all those gimps that book tables and don't turn up, so I don't blame them asking for deposits or sperm donations.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Had a couple of pints in the outside bit of The Thornwood as I was off last week, they're one of the few places I've seen been quite strict about it although I've not been looking too hard.

[Blue Jam]

FUUUUCCKKK OFFFFFF:

https://mobile.twitter.com/LBC/status/1307794443668516864

I was being a right pisshead over the weekend because it was my birthday so I was going to be a bit healthier this week, but now I want to get down the pub before The Sturge closes them all again.

Had a couple of quiet drinks yesterday with my Kindle and two friendly dogs who joined me for a bit. It was nice. I missed getting my regular dog fix in lockdown.

[jamiefairlie]

It's blatantly obvious that alcohol and social responsibility don't mix. Close the pubs and the schools, they'll have to within a few weeks anyway so if they do it now they can save some lives.

[BlodwynPig]

It's blatantly obvious that alcohol and social responsibility don't mix. Close the pubs and the schools, they'll have to within a few weeks anyway so if they do it now they can save some lives.

'fraid so, sorry BJ and doggos

[Blue Jam]

Doggos and social distancing don't mix either, to be fair.

During the pub closures the closest thing I got to my regular dog fix was saying hello to a neighbour's cat, a very daft black and white Siberian who follows me while meowing, and then walks in circles round me when I stop walking. And the cygs of course, but they're almost grown up and no doubt they will soon they will fly off and forget me and my pumpkin seeds.

[Blue Jam]

I don't know about the pubs and schools- most pubs near me are being very sensible, and I wouldn't know about schools, but letting the students come back seems to have been a big mistake. Apart from the one I saw wearing a full hazmat suit they seem to have no concept whatsoever of social distancing and seem to be hanging about in groups in The Meadows, inside Tesco, outside Tesco... I won't be using buses again for a while and I'm just glad I no longer do any teaching.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yes. I follow a lot of pub accounts to help my bar guide and they're kicking off rotten. One example:

Figures from Public Health England show that there were 729 ARIs (acute respiratory infection) incidents in the week to 13 September that resulted in at least one positive lab test for Covid-19.

45% were in care homes
21% in education settings
18% in the workplace
8% "other"


Personally it seems stupid to try and single out stuff. It isn't people breaking the rules, it's the rules wouldn't have worked whether they were followed or not.

[Cold Meat Platter]

Pubs shutting at ten now.
Doomed superliner deck furniture repositioning.

At least it will stop people getting the zombie covid that emerges after dark.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Pubs shutting at ten now.
Doomed superliner deck furniture repositioning.

At least it will stop people getting the zombie covid that emerges after dark.

I think they had some of these curfews in Manchester, to the point that takeaways got done for delivering after 10.

Which really makes no sense.

In Scotland the drinking laws are shitter than England since the '24 hour' relaxation came in. You can't get a carry out anywhere after 10, which makes me think a 10pm curfew is a good way to make sure half-cut people get a carry out and congregate. I'm basing this on how many times I've meant to get a few to take home then missed it and stayed in the pub until closing.

[MrMrs]

Shut the pubs
Fuck the pubs anyway

[Blue Jam]

Drinking outside in public places is banned in Glesga isn't it? It isnae banned in Embra so at 9.50pm we'd probably just see people spilling out of pubs, into supermarkets, then into The Meadows to get pissed in large groups. And it'll be the students again. I feel bad for being so down on students at the moment but it really does feel like letting them come back was a big mistake.

Let's just see what The Sturge says the morrow.

[MrMrs]

Aye it's banned

[Cold Meat Platter]

Drinking outside in public places is banned in Glesga isn't it? It isnae banned in Embra so at 9.50pm we'd probably just see people spilling out of pubs, into supermarkets, then into The Meadows to get pissed in large groups. And it'll be the students again. I feel bad for being so down on students at the moment but it really does feel like letting them come back was a big mistake.

Let's just see what The Sturge says the morrow.

[Blue Jam]

Aye it's banned

It always feels strange to me when I visit Glasgow Green and note the complete absence of people with four-packs of Tennent's and disposable barbecues.



EDIT: Baws, CMP beat me to it. Incidentally I'm pretty sure that actually is The Meadows Limmy is superimposed over there.

[Cold Meat Platter]

Ha ha great minds etc. Your Scotch vocab is fair coming along Blue Jam. And I am a Scotch man in Scotchland.

Aye defo looks like the meadows.

[Blue Jam]

Ahahahaha I love Embra and started going native a good while back. My typing in Scots is not entirely deliberate. It is a bit, but "Get tae" is such a great way of swearing without swearing, if that makes sense. It's like "Jog on", which seems to have become popular with people who don't know how rude it really is.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Much like 'berk' then.

AFAIK you're not supposed to drink in parks and that, but it's not really enforced, even with their posh cctv cameras now. I've sat in resturants on sauciehall street while some guy has sat on a bench opposite drinking his merrydown looking vaguely towards us and I wouldn't want to take that away from me or him.

[Blue Jam]

To be fair I do love a Meadows barbecue, but now is just not the time for a big one. You're not a real Embra person until you've singed a little bit of The Meadows with a small box made of tinfoil and filled with charcoal. If you feel guilty about it just look at the scar left on the grass by The Circus Hub where they pitch their tent for the Fringe. A nice bit of barbecued halloumi justifies a bit of singed grass, a tent full of jugglers and unicyclists does not.

No barbecues in Holyrood Park though. Anyone who does that deserves to get eaten by swans.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I've deffo seen people brazenly fuck up the best grass in my park when there's a rough bit they could've gone in.

Anyhow it looks like 10pm curfews are go plus

Ministers are also poised to signal more working from home is required, just weeks after begging Brits to return to their offices.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12731999/uk-lockdown-boris-pub-curfew/