Is going out the new ‘ joyless fuck’?

[Dowser]

Been in all day so about 5-30 pm we had a drive to a picturesque N Yorks market town,
Thinking we might find somewhere not too busy for a quiet drink.
We eventually found somewhere that although busy -ish had a table . It had been an old coaching inn and nice inside but omg was like a drs waiting room.
We literally felt we’d walked into someone’s parlour . It was so quiet with about 3-4 tables occupied and no one was saying a word.

We ordered drinks and every few minutes could hear the greeter trilling away, wear your masks until you get to your table and then you can take them off.
This was, literally every few minutes as people were herded about and all seems so pointless.

We drank our over priced drinks and got out of there as fast as possible.

If that’s what the new going out is going to be like, we won’t be bothering.
I’d rather watch paint dry.

We went out on Saturday everyone chatting and happy, once you sit down it was same. Quite busy, about half full, no one sitting in silence. Does sound odd.

Apart from mask going in and out was fine. App to get service.

I go out for coffee nearly every day and we eat out at least once a week. We have never been evening pub people but have enjoyed a few drinks in the afternoon...I'm all for table service using Qtap!
Not had a negative experience anywhere, and that's going in about 7 different hospitality places a week at the moment.

I’ve been out for lunch to two different places recently and both times it was really good because they had all the windows open. Well ventilated is one thing but freezing is another 🥶

*cold, not good

@loobylou1967 with you all the way. Hospitality has been a living nightmare this year.
The govt make the rules and customers take it out on us 🙁. I don't remember a year before now of such rude, entitled and disrespectful customers. Especially when they are moaning because we are following government regulations or criticising things they have no idea about. The armchair publicans have pushed me over the edge this year, and this week has been the worst with new regulations again.
If you are going out, please be nice to staff, they've had a horrible year. The fine is £10k and potentially 14 day closure for customers breaking rules so can you see why it's important to be clear?
Where available download apps and order online - you make everyone's life easier and speed up service. You can download apps in advance too so you can have a sneaky peek at menus etc in advance.
It will settle down once people familiarise themselves with the government's new dictat.

Loubylou and eeyore I completely see that point too. No one is enjoying this and I'm worried lots of businesses will go under in the next few months.

I’m sure there are lots of rude and entitled people. I’m not one of them. I’m quiet and respectful. The way I’ve been treated recently is very off putting and that’s the point - I want to support these places but I’m not going in spending my money to be treated badly

I've not had the same experiences as you op. Went to a bar last week, it was fun and lively. The restaurant we went to afterwards had a good atmosphere. Was almost like normal.

ime it varies hugely. There are a couple of independent pubs/restaurants near me that are doing really well, the atmosphere is still cosy and lively even with the restrictions.

Another chain pub is a nightmare, they're using rules imposed on them from head office and can't deviate in any circumstances no matter how ridiculous. eg their text track and trace system wasn't working but they wouldn't take our details by hand because it wasn't allowed so we had to leave

I've been out for food and drinks a few times now and have had a lovely evening each time. Servers have been friendly, funny and attentive and I've not heard anyone being barked at. Table service is so relaxed and easy and I felt we could chat away about alsorts as we weren't being overheard by the people we'd usually be bumping elbows with at the next table! The other drinkers have been cheery and the atmosphere has been good too, everyone seems happy to be out and enjoying time with their friends. There must be plenty places near you that are the same. Maybe this is somewhere that would have been a bit flat pre-covid too.

The 10pm is a bit annoying, but really I should be heading home by then if I want to get anything out of the next day, so the next morning I'm quite happy about that too. I kind of prefer the new way...

Yes, it's becoming a miserable existence - and I think we are just existing now, in this world of masks and queues. Winter is going to be horrible.

I went to a pub on Thursday night, it was packed with diners, and they are usually wiping down tables and looking at their watches by 10pm anyway.

Still an alien experience. I felt like I was on a bank raid until we sat down, directly behind us we were back to back with diners, but table service was nice. We had a bottle of wine, a chinwag and left just before 10. Last orders were called at 9 which seemed so early compared to normal.

Atmosphere was fine until last orders, normal to loud levels of chatter.

I went out for a pub meal last night. The atmosphere was flatter. It did occur to me that we were all from different households, and sitting around a table we were less than 2m from each other.

YABU on your ‘overpriced’ comment: pubs simply can’t compete with supermarkets on alcohol price. For you, the experience given covid issues and the way those were handled by the pub wasn’t worth the price: fair enough.

We’ve been out occasionally at home and often on camping trips (3 since it was allowed) and it’s been fine. I’ve never been “barked at” but then I put my mask on before entering, follow the one way system and put my mask on again if I get up from the table (eg toilet). It’s not that hard to remember.

Yep. It's awful. I don't want to go shopping (unless utterly necessary) or out to eat.

My days are over with it all.

If mask wearing and SD is eventually dropped then I'll reconsider.

I've been out loads, pubs, restaurants, stayed in hotels, it's all been fine, just a little extra 'admin' but not joyless or terse or rude. Went to the cinema yesterday, perfectly fine.. Mask in lobby but not during film.

I feel like I need this stuff atm. We’ll keep going out regularly as it has been a nice time, people chatting and happy. A kind of opposite to much of the doom around.

I honestly don't recognise any of this!

We've been out loads since cafes/pubs opened in July and everywhere has been great - suitable covid planning, table service, busy (socially distanced) and we've never been shouted or moaned at. It clearly depends where you go as there are queues for some places but then we just try a different bar instead.

We're in Leeds so meeting family and friends is out now for a while but we're happy that we can still have some sort of social life albeit slightly different to 6 months ago!

It is soo joyless. I was really snapped at in a restaurant because I requested a high chair, she then started slagging me off to another table ‘some people just don’t understand how serious this all is, why would you request a high chair in these times’

Same waitress wasn’t even wearing a mask herself. Will never go back there and it’s put me off restaurants for now too.

I haven't found this to be the case and have eaten out at quite a few different places since mid-July, including a week's holiday where we ate out once a day. Generally I've found that places have good measures to reduce the risk, but that these haven't impacted on how welcoming staff were or how much I enjoyed my meal. I have avoided places where people look to be stuffed in and go for space.

I really enjoy eating out and masks haven't put me off. Bad service would, but I haven't encountered it, except at one hotel restaurant where I doubt Covid came into it!

One thing I will say - have noticed a higher proportion of restaurants getting it right in London. Better measures against Covid from the start. Other places seem to have a higher number of restaurants that - while still fine - seem to be less inclined to go further than strictly necessary. Tables less spaced, one-way systems not highlighted, etc.

On the other hand, I’ve been shouted at by customers when I’ve attempted to politely remind them that we’ll be closing the premises in an hour at 9pm.

I’ve had my job role turned on its head. Once my entire day was spent ensuring everyone who entered our pub was comfortable, looked after and relaxed. Now I’m a quasi bouncer. Constantly nagging customers to abide by the rules. It’s shifted our relationship to something entirely more confrontational. I fucking hate it.

And these people know the rules, they just believe perhaps that they are the exception. And the fine is on us. It’s so shit.

Oh and to top it all off, I can’t even smile at people to try to diffuse the tension.

Going to the pub round the corner from is has been ok, but my friend and I went for a meal in the city centre, and the bit that made me the most uneasy was having to leave my personal details everywhere. I know why they’re asking but having to leave names and phone numbers etc. just so you can have a drink was really off-putting. Plus the rules were different in every bar - some order through app, some at the bar, I don’t know, it was ok but not really spontaneous or laid back. Ended up being quite stressful, I’m not in a hurry to repeat it.

@SadderThanEeyore 100% agree with everything you said there.