I’m not sure where the strange behaviour of forming queues in pubs came from but I disapprove. Most bars are big enough for customers to spread out and a good barperson will know roughly who is next. I appreciate that to the less confident or inexperienced customer it can be daunting but you soon gain confidence and join in. It’s character building and you meet interesting people..
By the same token I also disapprove of bars which are lined with stools on which locals resolutely sit leaving you to shout over their shoulder, when the barperson eventually acknowledges your presence, and try to pay for and collect your order using multiple upper body gymnastics. This is a feature of many Good Beer Guide pubs amongst others, surely only half the bar needs stools , leaving the rest for us lowly customers?
One of my local ‘Spoons has different issues, no less challenging. The long bar is split into three parts by two great big columns. The two end bars feature an identical range of real ales, the middle keg beer and soft drinks etc. For some reason customers queue at the middle bar but not the end ones, partly because they are smaller but mainly we know the routine. However, there are occasions where randomly, at either end the staff will tell you they are not serving at this end so go to the other bars. This causes a dilemma, do you join the middle queue or shoulder past it to the bar and assertively order, or go to the far end? A simple ‘No Service Here’ sign would help. Even when you place your order the beer could be pulled from a pump at the other end. So do you wait for your beer or walk down the bar to save the staff a journey? Having said that the beers are usually excellent and the staff friendly, accommodating and friendly.
Cheers
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