FF/PD Nanny State Madness

[Macy]

Online petition yoke ( ) against the early club closing here

What real issue are they trying to bury this time?

[Ruairi]

That link doesn't work macy, just coming up as the search page

[Peadar]

That link doesn't work macy

Try this
I removed Macy's typo

[brendy_éire]

Makes more sense to have 24 hour pubs and clubs. Most of the problems with drink occur when everywhere empties all at once.

[cullenswood]

Makes more sense to have 24 hour pubs and clubs. Most of the problems with drink occur when everywhere empties all at once.

Totally agree with you there Brendy, but the politicians are too scared to take a measeure like that as they think all of us thick Irish will spend all night in the pub. I always use the Gaiety theatre as a prime example of where this is incorrect. It stays serving till 4am but anytime I've been there the place has always started emptying out around 2.30 - 3ish and is only about a quarter full by 3.30. This is because a lot of people have had enough by then. People can make up their own minds on this. Plus you don't have the "skulling three pints coming up to last orders cos the bar is about to stop serving" syndrome.

Extending opening hours would reduce the amount of people coming out at the same time, as everyone could chose when they wanted to leave at any time between 2 and say 4.30.

[Roo69]

http://www.petitiononline.com/night269/petition.html

[Peadar]

Plus you don't have the "skulling three pints coming up to last orders cos the bar is about to stop serving" syndrome.

I think that's a major contributing factor to the problem.
People are already after a skinful but may not be feeling the full effects of the alcohol. They get as much in as possible before the bar closes and lash it back when the bouncer asks them to leave.
The night air hits them, they're in a queue at the chipper or the taxi rank, one thing leads to another and there's a mill!

[joeSoap]

Basically boils down to the fact that FF want to run this country like a dictatorship if you ask me....

[Dodge]

Basically boils down to the fact that FF want to run this country like a dictatorship if you ask me....

Considering the move is being mooted by a PD man, you're slightly off there joe...

not by much mind...

[tetsujin1979]

I remember staggered closing times, based on the capacity of the venue being suggested before, was it ever seriously considered?

Just as an aside, has any of the petitions on petitionsonline ever worked?? Not trying to be pessimistic, just curious

[Jim Smith]

I think that's a major contributing factor to the problem.

Indeed it is. I'm old enough to remember when the pubs in Scotland used to close at 10pm and everyone had to be out by 10 past. A bell would ring at 9.30 and everyone would get a rake of pints and sink them, spill out into the street and then it would get lively....
When they extended the hours people ddn't drink that much more and tended to go out a bit later. Of course the clubs objected as they thought that there market would take a hit - and it did. However as someone who couldn't get in to a club in Glasgow other than the student union I wasn't too bothered.

[Peadar]

Just as an aside, has any of the petitions on petitionsonline ever worked?? Not trying to be pessimistic, just curious

I was going to ask the same thing.
Do they make the slightest difference to anything?

[Macy]

I was going to ask the same thing.
Do they make the slightest difference to anything?

I doubt it, just seemed better than work at the time, and an excuse to start the thread...

[pete]

Seems insane to me.

I thought the longer pub closing times for pubs has been great as kinda makes drink less as can go to pub later & less hurry...

Also heard some suggestion that nanny state may ban spirit doubles in pubs

[Peadar]

Also heard some suggestion that nanny state may ban spirit doubles in pubs

Isn't the rule, nothing bigger than a double?
That came in with the ban on Happy Hour, Fat Frogs and 2 for 1 promotions.
In all fairness though, you're in a busy bar, you ask the tender for 4 singles and Bob's your Marley, you've got 2 doubles.

[Dodge]

Were Fat frogs actualy banned or was it all press guff at the time? And no publican will ever turn down anybody willing to pay for double, doubles...

[Colm]

Were Fat frogs actualy banned or was it all press guff at the time?

Well I've asked for them in many different bars and clubs in both Cork and Dublin since they were "banned" and there was never a problem getting them....

[wws]

yeah, can just picture the legislation now...."Fat Frog Act 2004"

course they wernt banned - away trips to Longford just wouldnt be the same without them!


oh and I hate : Online polls, petitions and the current government

[Macy]

So regulating the licensing hours is the sign of a 'nanny state'? Sounds stupid to me, but as a matter of curiosity Macy, who else should regulate hours. The Vintners Association? Mothers Against Drink Driving?

I don't think it's a sign of a 'nanny state' at all. In fact, I suspect it happens in every democracy in the Western World. But, even at the expense of logic, why waste a chance to have a go? Let's pretend that its only in Ireland that licensing laws are made by the Government.

IMO there should be no licencing laws with regard to opening times (and lets be honest in many parts of the country there effectively isn't anyway). The pubs should open when they want to, allowing the customers to drink when they want to.

However, even accepting your point, it would be safe to say that Ireland is the only country that is trying to pull back opening times rather than extending them. Most other countries seem to see the benefits of more liberal opening times and more staggered closing.

Telling the population that they're not allowed to buy a drink at 2am and instead have to go home is a prime example of the nanny state, surely an old clubber like yourself can't be happy?

[Éanna]

Makes more sense to have 24 hour pubs and clubs. Most of the problems with drink occur when everywhere empties all at once.

the most sensible post in the whole bloody thread. of course, common sense and FF/PD policy don't exactly complement each other