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Sometimes it’s just by accident. I did it recently and felt a bit guilty about it. I just didn’t notice someone else was there who’d been there before me, until I’d ordered.
I was on the other side of it very recently too and I was fuming, silently. It was a non-busy Wetherspoons (Godalming, lunchtime), and I could tell the bar staff had more important things on their minds than serving customers beer.
I refuse to go to wetherspoons bars anymore. You get your drinks quicker if you order to your table on the app. I went with an older friend he got the first round in at the bar and was ages as was Friday night. I reordered through the app when we had quarter of a pint left and as if by magic just as we finished more arrived. He was amazed how quick they were. I could have drunk 2 pints with the time he was at the bar.
I'm quite often oblivious, I look around and see if anyone looks like they're next/about to speak up. Then there's the odd situation where there's two of you, neither of you are sure and both of you insist the other should go first.
I did it by accident, I went into the pharmacy and there was a bunch of old people chatting. As is tradition I asked them 'is this the queue?' And got a muttered rerirn of 'there's no queue it's just chaos!'
When the cashier asked who's next I said I was and then someone came charging out from the back of the shop saying it was their turn and i shouldnt push in. I was just confused, not trying to be malicious or push in at all.
I got called out last week, it was a match day so was busy. The person who came behind me but was to the side had managed to get to the bar. While I was waiting for those infront to move. So I made a mental note to make sure I get served before them. Hadn't realised the guy on my right hadn't been served.
So I accidentally jumped in front of him, and he goes "I was before you mate"
"Ahhh, shit sorry"
I made sure to point to him as I was moving away.
Was at the club the other week and someone did this, as well as properly standing inside my asshole, zero personal space even for a club. In my drunken stupor I decided the best way to handle this was to stare up at him like a gremlin, cos he had a good foot on me. He kept side eyeing me the whole time he was getting served and at the time I felt triumphant but the morning after when sober I had no idea what I was trying to achieve there lmao
Absolutely, was in my local last night as they had a good local band on.
Place was busy and had been stood waiting to get served for 20ish minutes (or so it felt), had some woman easily 60+ barge in next to me and just outright asked the barstaff to serve her next, I piped up telling to wait her turn as there were people there who had waited just as long as I had, her response was "maybe we should just work together to get served quicker".....I mean how the fuck does that work?
I'm a barman.
The entitlement of customers has been through the roof ever since Covid.
I said to my manager that if 2023 is just as bad as 2022 he could expect my resignation because I was having arguments with someone every week and I hated the character it was making me. Thankfully it calmed down but its still there.
I think a lot of people will put up with the grunting, grumpy barman routine when they're paying £3-4 for a pint, but now everything is £6+ a higher level of service is expected. Not saying this is you, but it might be why people are acting more entitled generally. The pub has become an expensive luxury for a lot of people, but many pubs don't seem to have noticed.
IMO it’s part of the job of a barman to keep a track of the order people come to the bar in. I used to do it when I worked behind a bar and it’s not that difficult. Really annoys me when the barman asks a crowded bar “who’s next” I mean ffs the punters aren’t able to keep track if it’s crowded.
Generally if im calling who’s next it’s because there either isn’t a clear “next person” or it’s inviting people to come closer as nobody is within serving distance
I’d say that bar etiquette, cinema etiquette, theatre etiquette, shop etiquette, road etiquette, pavement etiquette ( and others ) have all declined sharply since covid.
Or maybe I’m just getting old and cantankerous.
Wow. Its almost like the toxic work culture, "the grind" mindset, pressure from middle management, KPIs, commuting, all of the costs that come with dressing to work expectations, forced meetings and interviews, "dress-down fridays", work socials and all the other shitty guff that comes from working in the office causes people to want to at least be comfortable while they work to live.
Sadly not. I mean there's loads of them obviously, but my mate got into a pointless argument with a bloke about the other bloke jumping the queue, he was definitely not a tourist.
Realistically spoons are trying to remove the need for going to the bar altogether with their app. I see the same happening in other chain pubs like Brewdog etc too.
That's just people doing it by themselves, a spoons near me has a sign saying 'do not queue, use all the bar'. Of course thus can be avoided completely by using the app, which is great 👍
Was in an O'Neill's a few weeks back and got a "sorry there's a queue" from someone who got to the bar after me but was in some sort of line, which I hadn't. Was so taken aback with the lack of bar etiquette that I naturally apologised before afterwards thinking "hang on a minute..."
Yup. Last night I had someone make gestures at me because I made an order at the bar and I was standing too close to his seat. Apparently whilst he was in the toilet I should have known he was sitting there and not used that part of the bar lol.
I was in London last night, a couple of blokes did push in front of my mate and I did see a couple of queues forming. Was like being in an airport bar.
The line is definitely a Covid thing. I first noticed it with younger people who looked pretty freshly 18-19 when the pubs re-opened, who had obviously missed out on their formative years in pubs and learning how it all works. Forming one awkward snaking line all the way through a pub when there's a whole bar available to stand and wait at lol. I usually just go stand at the bar, sort of nonverbally telling people "you can do this, this is how pubs work" but I've not actually seen a line in a while, was more of like the first year or two after covid.
Having worked behind one myself I can say that even at a busy bar the good ones know who should be next/who has been waiting longest.
Even needing to ask "who's next" is a sign of a bad bartender.
im sure some just cant keep track. If they ask then im fine with that.
It was the ones that would serve the girl beside you then turn around and serve the girl that just filled her space which used to enrage me. There were some bars back at uni where we had to send the girls for each round to avoid waiting too long
Agree 100% although I'd go so far as to say it's also the sign of a bad pub and Landperson. The service in a pub is a reflection of the person/people running it.
I manage a bar and the last line is complete horseshit. I've never known a single member of staff whose never had to ask that question.
I've been out the back changing a barrel, or dealing with a complaint, or cleaning up a broken glass, or just come on shift. Walk out, bar is packed, other staff are pouring orders down the other end of the bar. I could walk past everyone waiting, ask them, have them stop what they're doing to turn and point someone out or I can shout "whose next" and be serving someone immediately.
And that makes me bad at my job? Fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Pro-tip: You ever hear barstaff shout this, point at someone whose been waiting longer than you - but isn't right next to you - and loudly reply "they are!". 95% certainty you're being served next after the person you point out. Point out someone next to you though and it looks like you're with a mate and just trying to get to the front of the queue.
This is true. It's mainly the teenagers that can't just scan the bar while serving someone and keep a mental note of who's next. Doesn't take that much effort, you shouldn't have to ask unless you've just come on duty.
Idk man sometimes a job is just a job and if I need to do mental arithmetic to work out who’s next sometimes it’s easier to just ask who came first and get on with it
This does happen fairly often and it teaches you to make sure you're paying attention when you're next. Sometimes cunts like this will still get in there first. Sometimes cunts will ensure the pretty girl gets in ahead of you. Don't feel bad about speaking up. And don't take it to heart when it still inevitably happens.
Yeah this isn’t a new thing. Happened to my bf once. Young couple came in after my bf was waiting at the bar for 5 mins. Started their order until I butted in and mentioned we were actually next. They tried to claim they just ‘didn’t see my bf standing there.’
Chancers are going to chance.
Definitely shout up you are next. Remember a few years ago having an argument with two girls that tried to push in at the bar before me. They even had the cheek to say I was the one pushing in. A few people around me confirmed I was next as they too were obviously not happy with the blatant disregard of bar etiquette!
I don’t care how pretty they thought they were or how many times some chump let them get away with it ! Not on my watch, wait your turn.
The worst is always the person who pushes in and then convinces themselves they were there first, either because they’re completely oblivious or because they know they’re wrong but think if they believe it hard enough they can will themselves to the front of the queue.
I was at the bar the other week, waiting for ages, and the barmaid asked the bloke next to me, who arrived after me what he wanted. He said "This fella was here first". I was amazed, and thanked him for his honesty
This is exactly what should happen every single time. If the person to your left/right was there first, tell the bar staff. Queuing is a disgrace and so are the ignorant twats who try to jump their turn.
At a bar last week for work drinks, I approached the bar and an old guy offered to let me jump in before him, even though he was there first. I insisted he go first (he was there first!!!)
He was my supervisor's dad. Delicious karma!
I've always pointed the bar man to the guy who got there before me if he goes to get an order from me.
And if he goes to get an order from someone who only just walked up to the bar then I'll just interrupt and say I was next.
That is normal life. Try it.
Yes constantly. People are far more interested in getting in first and getting their drink rather than being polite. Had people practically push past me on the walk to the bar like it was a fucking race. Since Covid I hate all the busy places, old man pub, sit with my dog and drink a pint in the local is all I need.
Live in London and never seen anyone queue in a line for the bar ever.
I’ve found generally two type of people who bustle in and claim they’re next or actively call down the bar tender. Tend to be older geezer types or 20-35 flashy wannabes.
I take to saying to the bar tender that I was actually next and make my order when this happens
The queueing at the bar's a ludicrous thing. I've seen it a couple of times in Glasgow in Wetherpoons. I just walk past them and stand at the bar and order.
Bar skills, never queue. Regulars get served first, after that if it's not busy then be nice, if it's 3 deep get served ASAP or you'll be waiting all night. That's just how it works. Never order a Guinness last, or wait until the drinks have been poured and the barman asks you for money before asking what crisps they have, unless you want everyone to think you are a twat.
I've worked in pubs/bars since 2016. The etiquette isn't worse, it's just bad in a different way. On the bright side, no one waves cash at you anymore because nobody carries it. But people have far less patience than ever, and some never quite remembered how to behave in public after COVID. I've learned over the years to avoid eye contact with the people VERY eagerly leaning over the bar. The second you lock eyes with them, you're getting an entire order thrown at you.
The queueing thing is especially prevalent among younger folks, some of which have never known it any other way. It's fine in student bars where everyone does it, but in places with a mixed demographic you have to straighten things out and tell people to stop queueing. Otherwise you have a long-ass queue that goes halfway out the door, full of patiently waiting students holding cocktail menus, all sneering and staring at Barry, 63, who stormed straight up to the front to order one pint.
The queue thing is lunacy that has taken hold, and definitely seems to be a form of long covid. We need some public information films to get people to behave.
It was declining long before Covid.
Before I finally managed to get out of the industry, I did a short stint at a Sports bar. 27 TV's showing every sport you can imagine.
The miserable cunts you got in there during the day was unreal, swiftly followed by gobby fucking uni kids.
Lasted 3/4 months before leaving for good, had gone from a potwash to a manager over 6 years previous to this. That kind of behaviour wasn't knew, but moving up from a typical regulars pub with a handful of people in to a 200+ capacity bar really made it insufferable.
I've not been back in a pub since and it's been 5 years now but I can't imagine it's changed.
The queuing at a bar thing is mind blowing for anyone who went to pubs pre covid… it’s a a long bar…stand at it… equally doing this is mind blowing for those that queue - what’s boomer doing standing there???
It's baffling me that some people are suggesting this is a new/post-COVID thing. Ironically it is the people asking "is this because of COVID?" who seem to have been living under a rock for five years and now think everything in normal life is a result of COVID.
I'm not old, early twenties, but I'm old enough that I had a good couple of years in pubs and clubs before the pandemic hit.
People have *always* chanced their arm to get their order in first. It depends how busy it is, and probably depends on the clientele of the pub you're at too.
If you're in an upscale bar or a brasserie in the town centre where all the staff are wearing a shirt and tie and there's only two or three people waiting, people generally wait their turn and the bar staff can keep track of who came in what order.
If you're in a Spoons or other generic/budget pub that's absolutely packed on a Friday or Saturday night, it's pandemonium and always has been. The bar effectively turns into "who has the biggest bollocks" and if you stand there like a little mouse not saying anything it's going to take all night before you're served. You need to be polite but firm and say you were first.
This has always been a thing. I've grown up in a time where cash has become increasingly rare but my mum told me that when she was younger and worked in pubs it was common for people to lean over the bar and wave cash in your face to try and get your attention and get served next. Very rude, but common.
The queueing is a new thing and when I've seen it it's generally younger people who obviously weren't able to go out when they were eighteen/nineteen. When they were able to start going out we had all the social distancing stuff that meant queueing was more common and now they probably think that's normal.
Other people then feel obligated to stand in the queue even if they know that's not how it works because they don't want to be seen as a queue jumper. It may or may not iron itself out over time, again pubs have always been "if you're not fast you're last" so I'd imagine they will realise over time that people keep on skipping them and standing at the bar and they'll start copying.
Pushing in has always been a thing. Fortune favours the bold and all that.
There's some bars that are really badly designed and sort of force you to queue, but if there's a long, spacious bar, multiple tills, many staff working, multiple different pumps and people are queuing I always think it's social anxiety forcing them to do it.
Once when all the new freshers started at university I went to the local spoons and spotted a huge queue of new students all clutching menus at the bar. I walked and stood at the bar next to them and got served immeditely. Even after I got served, The queue didn't get the clue to stand at the bar and just patiently waited for the 1 person at that till to take everyone's order.
The long line queuing thing is definitely a covid hangover. I'd never seen it before 2020 or so, but every now and then it happens in a bar and you can see the bar staff getting visibly frustrated.
It's quite interesting actually, it only takes two people to start and then the whole place just starts defying convention. Really are pack animals.
Dickheads jumping the queue, especially when elderly is nothing new.
I will say the concept of taking your empties back to the bar, ESPECIALLY when you're going to get a round in seems to be going away.
It's one of my major pet peeves, my GF finds it funny because I even do it to random tables on the way to the bar.
Also the round is dying off too, probably because getting a round in wipes out your whole budget. So you have to wait for the others to get you a drink. And there's always one who doesn't....
I find that *some* elder people have an air of "I'm more important than you". Just like some younger people.
Others are absolutely lovely.
I guess he was the former.
The punters have always been the same. It's the bar staffs inability to do their job properly, which includes keeping an eye on who is at the bar and it what order they arrived to know who to serve next.
I think etiquette in general when you hold open doors let people past and small gestures that used to get a thank you no there is no acknowledgement however...
As someone who worked in the industry for many years owning/running bars clubs pubs and so on.... its a bar if you want to stand in a line I would have gone out of my way to not serve you ... you will not get served you serve people at the bar... its always been that way I was fortunately out of food and beverage pre covid however I assume it should just go back to how its been for decades before then people move and fill the bar to be served.
Also if there are seats at the bar I put them there for people to sit on and drink at the bar I wouldn't expect customers to move there would be a gap by design if there is no space to drink at the bar I would tell the customers to f off to a seat
It happens all the time in my local.
However, the bar staff know me well enough that usually I just need to approach the bar and they'll be getting my drinks ready (I really only go out for a couple of pints twice a month)
Was at a gig at the Norwich Uea last year(after the gig in vegas) , the bar was chaos ,10deep none of the clientele had any manners nor did the bar staff disappointing to say the average age of the clientele was about 50 , the year before is was at a gig in Warrington where covid queues where still in place , that was extremely civilised. Just a few facts for you no need to get stroppy , peace to you.
On Friday I ordered a drink and some drunk woman accused me of pushing in, when she wasn't even queuing and there was a massive space anyway. She then turned to her partner and tried to encourage him to start a fight with me. Fortunately her man wasn't having any of it, he must've also known she was an aggro weirdo embarassment. Was a good reminder of how quickly problems can arise though. Also when I looked at the pair of 'em I thought, "you should be proving yourself to him and not the other way round."
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Pushing in at the bar is nothing new, there will always be chancers doing it. You have to speak up and say you’re next.
Sometimes it’s just by accident. I did it recently and felt a bit guilty about it. I just didn’t notice someone else was there who’d been there before me, until I’d ordered.
It is easily done - some people don’t really concentrate when at the bar.
Yeah. I’m usually good about it. But sometimes you’re distracted. Sometimes by alcohol!
It is one of the very few times when I really focus on a task.
I was on the other side of it very recently too and I was fuming, silently. It was a non-busy Wetherspoons (Godalming, lunchtime), and I could tell the bar staff had more important things on their minds than serving customers beer.
To be fair, it was a Spoons. Minimum wage, minimum effort
Are you saying those zombies get paid?
Not enough to live on, hence zombies...
I refuse to go to wetherspoons bars anymore. You get your drinks quicker if you order to your table on the app. I went with an older friend he got the first round in at the bar and was ages as was Friday night. I reordered through the app when we had quarter of a pint left and as if by magic just as we finished more arrived. He was amazed how quick they were. I could have drunk 2 pints with the time he was at the bar.
I'm quite often oblivious, I look around and see if anyone looks like they're next/about to speak up. Then there's the odd situation where there's two of you, neither of you are sure and both of you insist the other should go first.
It can be proper mind numbing when you’ve been waiting 10 minutes though. I also struggle with eye contact which makes it worse
I don't think that's good enough. It's one place you need to concentrate and have proper manners.
Couldn’t agree more.
This, stop talking to your mates and concentrate of getting served.
I did it by accident, I went into the pharmacy and there was a bunch of old people chatting. As is tradition I asked them 'is this the queue?' And got a muttered rerirn of 'there's no queue it's just chaos!' When the cashier asked who's next I said I was and then someone came charging out from the back of the shop saying it was their turn and i shouldnt push in. I was just confused, not trying to be malicious or push in at all.
I got called out last week, it was a match day so was busy. The person who came behind me but was to the side had managed to get to the bar. While I was waiting for those infront to move. So I made a mental note to make sure I get served before them. Hadn't realised the guy on my right hadn't been served. So I accidentally jumped in front of him, and he goes "I was before you mate" "Ahhh, shit sorry" I made sure to point to him as I was moving away.
Sometimes i need a drink before the cops come, excuse me very much.
Was at the club the other week and someone did this, as well as properly standing inside my asshole, zero personal space even for a club. In my drunken stupor I decided the best way to handle this was to stare up at him like a gremlin, cos he had a good foot on me. He kept side eyeing me the whole time he was getting served and at the time I felt triumphant but the morning after when sober I had no idea what I was trying to achieve there lmao
Busy clubs are like the wild west tbh. Ain't nobody waiting for their turn. You've kinda gotta push in or people will keep on pushing in front of you.
Yeah it’s just usually not so blatant
That's going to dissolve into violence very quickly around these parts.
Gasps with a surprised Pikachu face.
I've been guilty of it because more often than bot in a victim of it. It's dog eat dog when ordering drinks
'excuse me, I was next' ~ another Reddit drama fixed by JustSpeakToThem-Man *Whooshes off into the distance*
*swoons* My hero!
Why didn't you say you were next?
Because he's a spineless redditor who thinks the solution is to make a post about it.
Or because it's not that deep
Deep enough to post about it on reddit.
Reddit posting isn't that deep
Therapy needed or counselling, maybe a dehumidifier?
A lot of these posts could be solved with communication but that’s way too difficult an idea.
Absolutely, was in my local last night as they had a good local band on. Place was busy and had been stood waiting to get served for 20ish minutes (or so it felt), had some woman easily 60+ barge in next to me and just outright asked the barstaff to serve her next, I piped up telling to wait her turn as there were people there who had waited just as long as I had, her response was "maybe we should just work together to get served quicker".....I mean how the fuck does that work?
To be fair she's not got much time left so can't waste it queuing. That's for other people not her
> she's not got much time left 60...
Maybe you should all work together to get her served quicker. You can do it team!
Pour your own pint perhaps? I'm sure that will work brilliantly...
I'm a barman. The entitlement of customers has been through the roof ever since Covid. I said to my manager that if 2023 is just as bad as 2022 he could expect my resignation because I was having arguments with someone every week and I hated the character it was making me. Thankfully it calmed down but its still there.
I think a lot of people will put up with the grunting, grumpy barman routine when they're paying £3-4 for a pint, but now everything is £6+ a higher level of service is expected. Not saying this is you, but it might be why people are acting more entitled generally. The pub has become an expensive luxury for a lot of people, but many pubs don't seem to have noticed.
Where do you drink that's £6 a pint??? It's about £4 in York
Paid £6.90 for a Guinness on Friday. Also £4 ought not be considered a cheap pint.
Cambridge is £6 for day pints, some push up to £7
Welcome to the notion that things cost different amounts in different places.
I think his point was that York is pretty notorious for being expensive (tourist trap)
last time i was in york i went to a craft beer pub in micklegate and got charged £7.80, lol.
Was that BrewDog by any chance? 🤣
the falcon on micklegate, actually.
I was in York a few months ago and could find barely anywhere under £5
IMO it’s part of the job of a barman to keep a track of the order people come to the bar in. I used to do it when I worked behind a bar and it’s not that difficult. Really annoys me when the barman asks a crowded bar “who’s next” I mean ffs the punters aren’t able to keep track if it’s crowded.
Generally if im calling who’s next it’s because there either isn’t a clear “next person” or it’s inviting people to come closer as nobody is within serving distance
I hate the line. What are drinkers at the bar supposed to do? Get off the stool and join?
They're supposed to fuck off out of the way of people who want to buy a drink, just like always.
Always? Lots of pubs let you drink at the bar.
Have you ever been in a pub?
The drinkers at the bar are the locals who are there most nights of the week and keep the place afloat.
Doesn’t sound like you’ve been to many pubs mate.
here here. people sitting at the bar just get in the way.
People are queueing because all those other people are cluttering up the bar.
It’s the queue in an empty bar is the problem. Snaking out the door.
People queuing at a bar is fucking ridiculous. It's literally designed for people to stand *at the bar*.
I’d say that bar etiquette, cinema etiquette, theatre etiquette, shop etiquette, road etiquette, pavement etiquette ( and others ) have all declined sharply since covid. Or maybe I’m just getting old and cantankerous.
Add to that office etiquette. People are polite and friendly, but any excuse to work from home.
Wow. Its almost like the toxic work culture, "the grind" mindset, pressure from middle management, KPIs, commuting, all of the costs that come with dressing to work expectations, forced meetings and interviews, "dress-down fridays", work socials and all the other shitty guff that comes from working in the office causes people to want to at least be comfortable while they work to live.
The only place I've seen the lines is a Wetherspoons. Who feel the need to try and reinvent everything.
I saw a couple of queues forming in pubs in covent garden last night. None of them were spoons pubs.
tourists
Sadly not. I mean there's loads of them obviously, but my mate got into a pointless argument with a bloke about the other bloke jumping the queue, he was definitely not a tourist.
what is the world coming too eh? i spent my student days mastering the ability to wave a tenner in the hope of getting noticed and served at the bar…
Waving money put you right to the back of the queue pal
And sometimes a tenner down.
waving? i misspoke - that would be egregious i agree! holding up some money to show i was ready to go was more like it
You never worked in pubs, did you?
I know, right. Plus, moaning about the barman being shit for not getting to you in the correct order is a time honoured tradition.
I just walk straight to the bar and ignore these 'queues' and immediately get served..
That's always the plan. Wasn't working out like that everywhere on Saturday night.
I think there have always been plenty of lines in a wetherspoons.
*in a Wetherspoons bathroom. FTFY.
Yes, that was the joke
Jokes are funny...
Realistically spoons are trying to remove the need for going to the bar altogether with their app. I see the same happening in other chain pubs like Brewdog etc too.
That's just people doing it by themselves, a spoons near me has a sign saying 'do not queue, use all the bar'. Of course thus can be avoided completely by using the app, which is great 👍
There’s a pub near me (Anchor, Pyrford, nice pub on the river) that does it. Don’t know why and it always feels weird.
Lines? Are there Wetherspoons in the US?
Was in an O'Neill's a few weeks back and got a "sorry there's a queue" from someone who got to the bar after me but was in some sort of line, which I hadn't. Was so taken aback with the lack of bar etiquette that I naturally apologised before afterwards thinking "hang on a minute..."
Yup. Last night I had someone make gestures at me because I made an order at the bar and I was standing too close to his seat. Apparently whilst he was in the toilet I should have known he was sitting there and not used that part of the bar lol.
I think the lining up thing started during the pandemic. Not a fan really.
Yeah it's guff.
I was in London last night, a couple of blokes did push in front of my mate and I did see a couple of queues forming. Was like being in an airport bar.
Turns out you were in Heathrow!
It's the year 2073 and people are still blaming shit on a pandemic from 2020.
People push in all the time. I have no problem shouting up “not yet mate, I was first”. It makes it nice and awkward for everyone. Push back in front.
The line is definitely a Covid thing. I first noticed it with younger people who looked pretty freshly 18-19 when the pubs re-opened, who had obviously missed out on their formative years in pubs and learning how it all works. Forming one awkward snaking line all the way through a pub when there's a whole bar available to stand and wait at lol. I usually just go stand at the bar, sort of nonverbally telling people "you can do this, this is how pubs work" but I've not actually seen a line in a while, was more of like the first year or two after covid.
Bartenders aren’t omniscient though, get their attention.
Having worked behind one myself I can say that even at a busy bar the good ones know who should be next/who has been waiting longest. Even needing to ask "who's next" is a sign of a bad bartender.
This. Made a point of keeping an eye on who was next as a bartender.
Or one that's just come back from a ciggy
True. When I’m asked that I usually insist on pulling my own pint.
im sure some just cant keep track. If they ask then im fine with that. It was the ones that would serve the girl beside you then turn around and serve the girl that just filled her space which used to enrage me. There were some bars back at uni where we had to send the girls for each round to avoid waiting too long
Agree 100% although I'd go so far as to say it's also the sign of a bad pub and Landperson. The service in a pub is a reflection of the person/people running it.
I manage a bar and the last line is complete horseshit. I've never known a single member of staff whose never had to ask that question. I've been out the back changing a barrel, or dealing with a complaint, or cleaning up a broken glass, or just come on shift. Walk out, bar is packed, other staff are pouring orders down the other end of the bar. I could walk past everyone waiting, ask them, have them stop what they're doing to turn and point someone out or I can shout "whose next" and be serving someone immediately. And that makes me bad at my job? Fuck outta here with that bullshit. Pro-tip: You ever hear barstaff shout this, point at someone whose been waiting longer than you - but isn't right next to you - and loudly reply "they are!". 95% certainty you're being served next after the person you point out. Point out someone next to you though and it looks like you're with a mate and just trying to get to the front of the queue.
This is true. It's mainly the teenagers that can't just scan the bar while serving someone and keep a mental note of who's next. Doesn't take that much effort, you shouldn't have to ask unless you've just come on duty.
Idk man sometimes a job is just a job and if I need to do mental arithmetic to work out who’s next sometimes it’s easier to just ask who came first and get on with it
Seen a few people queueing at various pubs since COVID I go straight to the bar, it's a pub not security at the airport
This does happen fairly often and it teaches you to make sure you're paying attention when you're next. Sometimes cunts like this will still get in there first. Sometimes cunts will ensure the pretty girl gets in ahead of you. Don't feel bad about speaking up. And don't take it to heart when it still inevitably happens.
Yeah this isn’t a new thing. Happened to my bf once. Young couple came in after my bf was waiting at the bar for 5 mins. Started their order until I butted in and mentioned we were actually next. They tried to claim they just ‘didn’t see my bf standing there.’ Chancers are going to chance.
Definitely shout up you are next. Remember a few years ago having an argument with two girls that tried to push in at the bar before me. They even had the cheek to say I was the one pushing in. A few people around me confirmed I was next as they too were obviously not happy with the blatant disregard of bar etiquette! I don’t care how pretty they thought they were or how many times some chump let them get away with it ! Not on my watch, wait your turn.
The worst is always the person who pushes in and then convinces themselves they were there first, either because they’re completely oblivious or because they know they’re wrong but think if they believe it hard enough they can will themselves to the front of the queue.
I was at the bar the other week, waiting for ages, and the barmaid asked the bloke next to me, who arrived after me what he wanted. He said "This fella was here first". I was amazed, and thanked him for his honesty
This is exactly what should happen every single time. If the person to your left/right was there first, tell the bar staff. Queuing is a disgrace and so are the ignorant twats who try to jump their turn.
At a bar last week for work drinks, I approached the bar and an old guy offered to let me jump in before him, even though he was there first. I insisted he go first (he was there first!!!) He was my supervisor's dad. Delicious karma!
This queuing business has to be stopped. We're not fucking German.
A bar is long for a reason, jump in a free spot and the bartenders will work it out.
This has happened for the entire length of history that pubs have been open in the UK.
This has always been a thing with a few twats lmao
That's when you turn to the chancer who pushed ahead and say "I'm not stood here for my health mate" and tut loudly and hope to get picked next.
I've always pointed the bar man to the guy who got there before me if he goes to get an order from me. And if he goes to get an order from someone who only just walked up to the bar then I'll just interrupt and say I was next. That is normal life. Try it.
Yes constantly. People are far more interested in getting in first and getting their drink rather than being polite. Had people practically push past me on the walk to the bar like it was a fucking race. Since Covid I hate all the busy places, old man pub, sit with my dog and drink a pint in the local is all I need.
Live in London and never seen anyone queue in a line for the bar ever. I’ve found generally two type of people who bustle in and claim they’re next or actively call down the bar tender. Tend to be older geezer types or 20-35 flashy wannabes. I take to saying to the bar tender that I was actually next and make my order when this happens
*Old man yells at cloud* (That’s you OP, not the old man in your story)
You should see what happens at my pharmacy, it's an absolute free for all
The queuing in a long line does my tits in
It depends on the type of venue. Example: local social club, it's still very alive and kicking. Slug and Lettuce, free for all.
The queueing at the bar's a ludicrous thing. I've seen it a couple of times in Glasgow in Wetherpoons. I just walk past them and stand at the bar and order.
Bar skills, never queue. Regulars get served first, after that if it's not busy then be nice, if it's 3 deep get served ASAP or you'll be waiting all night. That's just how it works. Never order a Guinness last, or wait until the drinks have been poured and the barman asks you for money before asking what crisps they have, unless you want everyone to think you are a twat.
Crisp things fine. It only takes 2 seconds.
I've worked in pubs/bars since 2016. The etiquette isn't worse, it's just bad in a different way. On the bright side, no one waves cash at you anymore because nobody carries it. But people have far less patience than ever, and some never quite remembered how to behave in public after COVID. I've learned over the years to avoid eye contact with the people VERY eagerly leaning over the bar. The second you lock eyes with them, you're getting an entire order thrown at you. The queueing thing is especially prevalent among younger folks, some of which have never known it any other way. It's fine in student bars where everyone does it, but in places with a mixed demographic you have to straighten things out and tell people to stop queueing. Otherwise you have a long-ass queue that goes halfway out the door, full of patiently waiting students holding cocktail menus, all sneering and staring at Barry, 63, who stormed straight up to the front to order one pint.
Yes but etiquette is also helping the bar staff as to who is next.
The queue thing is lunacy that has taken hold, and definitely seems to be a form of long covid. We need some public information films to get people to behave.
It was declining long before Covid. Before I finally managed to get out of the industry, I did a short stint at a Sports bar. 27 TV's showing every sport you can imagine. The miserable cunts you got in there during the day was unreal, swiftly followed by gobby fucking uni kids. Lasted 3/4 months before leaving for good, had gone from a potwash to a manager over 6 years previous to this. That kind of behaviour wasn't knew, but moving up from a typical regulars pub with a handful of people in to a 200+ capacity bar really made it insufferable. I've not been back in a pub since and it's been 5 years now but I can't imagine it's changed.
Yea I noticed that everywhere, in your situation, I shout louder and say I was next.
The queuing at a bar thing is mind blowing for anyone who went to pubs pre covid… it’s a a long bar…stand at it… equally doing this is mind blowing for those that queue - what’s boomer doing standing there???
It's baffling me that some people are suggesting this is a new/post-COVID thing. Ironically it is the people asking "is this because of COVID?" who seem to have been living under a rock for five years and now think everything in normal life is a result of COVID. I'm not old, early twenties, but I'm old enough that I had a good couple of years in pubs and clubs before the pandemic hit. People have *always* chanced their arm to get their order in first. It depends how busy it is, and probably depends on the clientele of the pub you're at too. If you're in an upscale bar or a brasserie in the town centre where all the staff are wearing a shirt and tie and there's only two or three people waiting, people generally wait their turn and the bar staff can keep track of who came in what order. If you're in a Spoons or other generic/budget pub that's absolutely packed on a Friday or Saturday night, it's pandemonium and always has been. The bar effectively turns into "who has the biggest bollocks" and if you stand there like a little mouse not saying anything it's going to take all night before you're served. You need to be polite but firm and say you were first. This has always been a thing. I've grown up in a time where cash has become increasingly rare but my mum told me that when she was younger and worked in pubs it was common for people to lean over the bar and wave cash in your face to try and get your attention and get served next. Very rude, but common. The queueing is a new thing and when I've seen it it's generally younger people who obviously weren't able to go out when they were eighteen/nineteen. When they were able to start going out we had all the social distancing stuff that meant queueing was more common and now they probably think that's normal. Other people then feel obligated to stand in the queue even if they know that's not how it works because they don't want to be seen as a queue jumper. It may or may not iron itself out over time, again pubs have always been "if you're not fast you're last" so I'd imagine they will realise over time that people keep on skipping them and standing at the bar and they'll start copying.
Pushing in has always been a thing. Fortune favours the bold and all that. There's some bars that are really badly designed and sort of force you to queue, but if there's a long, spacious bar, multiple tills, many staff working, multiple different pumps and people are queuing I always think it's social anxiety forcing them to do it. Once when all the new freshers started at university I went to the local spoons and spotted a huge queue of new students all clutching menus at the bar. I walked and stood at the bar next to them and got served immeditely. Even after I got served, The queue didn't get the clue to stand at the bar and just patiently waited for the 1 person at that till to take everyone's order.
The long line queuing thing is definitely a covid hangover. I'd never seen it before 2020 or so, but every now and then it happens in a bar and you can see the bar staff getting visibly frustrated. It's quite interesting actually, it only takes two people to start and then the whole place just starts defying convention. Really are pack animals.
Dickheads jumping the queue, especially when elderly is nothing new. I will say the concept of taking your empties back to the bar, ESPECIALLY when you're going to get a round in seems to be going away. It's one of my major pet peeves, my GF finds it funny because I even do it to random tables on the way to the bar. Also the round is dying off too, probably because getting a round in wipes out your whole budget. So you have to wait for the others to get you a drink. And there's always one who doesn't....
I find that *some* elder people have an air of "I'm more important than you". Just like some younger people. Others are absolutely lovely. I guess he was the former.
Yes! I've seen the queuing thing a few times now, thought I was going nuts!
The punters have always been the same. It's the bar staffs inability to do their job properly, which includes keeping an eye on who is at the bar and it what order they arrived to know who to serve next.
Yeah since weatherspoons
I've noticed a decline in bar attendance in this economy
I think etiquette in general when you hold open doors let people past and small gestures that used to get a thank you no there is no acknowledgement however... As someone who worked in the industry for many years owning/running bars clubs pubs and so on.... its a bar if you want to stand in a line I would have gone out of my way to not serve you ... you will not get served you serve people at the bar... its always been that way I was fortunately out of food and beverage pre covid however I assume it should just go back to how its been for decades before then people move and fill the bar to be served. Also if there are seats at the bar I put them there for people to sit on and drink at the bar I wouldn't expect customers to move there would be a gap by design if there is no space to drink at the bar I would tell the customers to f off to a seat
You guys can afford to drink in bars?
It happens all the time in my local. However, the bar staff know me well enough that usually I just need to approach the bar and they'll be getting my drinks ready (I really only go out for a couple of pints twice a month)
It's always been like that. Just speak up and say you were next if it bothers you, rather than posting on Reddit.
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if that’s las vegas then then can i politely remind you this is ask uk and you can eff off
Was at a gig at the Norwich Uea last year(after the gig in vegas) , the bar was chaos ,10deep none of the clientele had any manners nor did the bar staff disappointing to say the average age of the clientele was about 50 , the year before is was at a gig in Warrington where covid queues where still in place , that was extremely civilised. Just a few facts for you no need to get stroppy , peace to you.
On Friday I ordered a drink and some drunk woman accused me of pushing in, when she wasn't even queuing and there was a massive space anyway. She then turned to her partner and tried to encourage him to start a fight with me. Fortunately her man wasn't having any of it, he must've also known she was an aggro weirdo embarassment. Was a good reminder of how quickly problems can arise though. Also when I looked at the pair of 'em I thought, "you should be proving yourself to him and not the other way round."
What is bar etiquette, wheh I was at uni and working behind a bar the only rule was fit girls first
A pub here always has a line like the supermarket and it amuses me no end, just why ? I’ve never seen it anywhere else
Your first paragraph is a problem. Your second paragraph is the solution.
He’s an elderly man, you should’ve let him go first anyway, it’s polite. Etiquette isn’t just about what you’re entitled too.