Pub annoyances #834

[aleandhearty]

#5 Chewing Gum

Someone cant be bothered to find a bin to put their gum in or wrap it up for later disposal so kindly leaves it somewhere for someone else to find (just as a for instance under the bar ). Persons finding it later will of course be glad for the sticky warm surprise on their fingertips, or possibly annoyed.

Reminds me of this gem from the wonderful Emo Phillips:

"I was in a bar the other night, hopping from barstool to barstool, trying to get lucky...but there wasn't any gum under any of them."

[Evil Gazebo]

#5 Chewing Gum

Someone cant be bothered to find a bin to put their gum in or wrap it up for later disposal so kindly leaves it somewhere for someone else to find (just as a for instance under the bar ). Persons finding it later will of course be glad for the sticky warm surprise on their fingertips, or possibly annoyed.

I find that my lifelong opposition to capital punishment is impossible to maintain when considering people who leave chewing-gum under tables etc.

[arwkrite]

I tend to keep way from high bar stools and tables. My short legs do not raise my bum high enough for a casual hitch onto the seat. Its more like an in-elegant scramble to gain altitude. Once in position I find my thighs jammed beneath the table with the worry of blood supply being stopped. In the ungainly descent I find gum attached to my trouser legs.No I am neither keen on nor adapted for high altitude drinking.

[NickDavies]

I tend to keep way from high bar stools and tables. My short legs do not raise my bum high enough for a casual hitch onto the seat. Its more like an in-elegant scramble to gain altitude. Once in position I find my thighs jammed beneath the table with the worry of blood supply being stopped. In the ungainly descent I find gum attached to my trouser legs.No I am neither keen on nor adapted for high altitude drinking.

Bar stools. Fine if they are few and the counter is long, or if there's just one which an old bloke usually called Albert has occupied for the last 55 years and no-one dares sit on it let alone take it away. Too often though you are confronted with an unseemly row of builder's bums, the owners of which get preferential service while flirting with the lone barmaid, while everyone else is forced to queue up at the 18 inch gap left.

[Kake]

I tend to keep way from high bar stools and tables. My short legs do not raise my bum high enough for a casual hitch onto the seat. Its more like an in-elegant scramble to gain altitude. Once in position I find my thighs jammed beneath the table with the worry of blood supply being stopped. In the ungainly descent I find gum attached to my trouser legs.No I am neither keen on nor adapted for high altitude drinking.

I'm with arwkrite here — I'm just under 5 foot 3, and consider bar stools to be a particularly cruel form of punishment.

(PS Hello! RogerB kindly let me know that everyone had moved here. Good to see so many familiar names.)

[gillhalfpint]

Don't know whether to feel deprived or lucky on the chewing gum as I have never found any yet on stools or tables - only stood on it on floors.

Agree with bar stools though as being difficult to get on and a nuisance when you can't see the pump clips for the row of people chatting to barstaff from them. The Wellington in Birmingham now has arrows on the bar giving a large arear where no bar stools are allowed. Hope more take it up.

Gill

[arwkrite]

Bar stools do not just congregate around the bar. More pubs are putting in high tables with high stools. It appears to be a natural progression from free standing plinths which drinkers were supposed to gather around. I only ever found them to be collection points for empty glasses. When I visit JDWs I find the seat and cubicles taken and the high stools and tables left for the late comers.They may be popular in clubs where wanna be celebs can pose in public as on a stage but but not all of us have the legs for it. Which reminds me I must get some waxing strips.

[Kake]

Bar stools do not just congregate around the bar. More pubs are putting in high tables with high stools.

Yes I do wonder if perhaps it's an attempt to discourage older drinkers in favour of younger people.

[NickDavies]

Yes I do wonder if perhaps it's an attempt to discourage older drinkers in favour of younger people.

It's the whole sorry business of pub furniture these days. They can't just have normal tables and chairs. As well as high stools you can't climb on to in a dignified manner there's those wretched sofas which you can't climb out of. At least you can see the telly from a high stool. From a sofa on a busy day you get a wholly unappetising view of a large number of sweaty crotches.

[trainman]

there's those wretched sofas which you can't climb out of.

The Postal Order at Crystal Palace has now removed two of these wastes of space, along with the ludicrous low tables they used to guard, and put back regular tables & chairs like the rest of the central seating area. So, four tables to seat four each, or a crazy uncomfortable arrangement likely to attract a solo sprawler? No contest. The pub needs some more attention (& more handpumps), but this was a small step in the right direction.