Picnic on unoccupied pub benches - AIBU

[Grobagsforever]

Out for a walk with another family. 2 DC each. Proposed stopping to eat our picnic on some pub tables. Pub currently unoccupied e.g it's To Let.

We won't leave a crumb of mess -AIBU? Seems an entirely logical action to me that harms no one...(have previously spent money in pub and will do so again when it reopens).

I'd do this in a heartbeat if the pub is vacant. It's a completely different story if the pub is operating and open.

Then it would be the height of cheeky fuckery.

There is a wonderful cafe in the village where DH, DS and I rent a cottage in the Summer with a glorious outdoor space and the amount of folk you see taking up tables and getting their picnic out is shocking.

They don't even have the decency to buy a drink. The lady who owns the cafe spends most of her day asking people to move and policing sneaky picnics.

As a small business, it affects her takings massively.

It's not open, but are the people still living there? Pubs are still peoples homes.however you look at it it is trespassing

It's technically trespassing

This is how I feel about it. It's not public land.

If it's empty, as in unoccupied, I would. If there is still someone living there even though the pub isn't open/trading then I wouldn't.

I grew up in pubs and we were often disturbed when we were trying to relax in our garden between lunch and evening openings by random people wanting to use our pub garden as a picnic spot/park.

It's still private property. Would you have your picnic in the garden of an unoccupied house?

As long as it's not fenced off and you are climbing the fence to get in then YANBU.

This thread is so damn British it's hilarious 😂😂😂

This has to be the most pointless thread I have ever read.

Is it not too cold for a picnic?

If you have to enter the grounds (gate etc) then I would say no.

If it's benches on unenclosed land I can't see any problem.

Unless the owner is called Burns and has hounds. Then I wouldn't.

I must be severely uptight as I wouldn't dream of trespassing for any reason other than an emergency.

I don't think people have misunderstood the op have they Bunny? You seem a bit agitated.

As the pub is not operational, I think that’s fine. Had the pub been open, then not fine.

I think if it was a space open to the road, I'd probably do it in these circumstances. Not in an enclosed beer garden, and obviously not if the pub is in business.

not in the pub back garden surely?

If it wasn't a pub but an empty house with a to let/for sale sign, would you use seating in the garden to eat your picnic?

In situations like this I’d always ask myself if you’re doing any harm? You’re not taking business away from the pub because it’s not open, you’re not causing any damage, you’re not leaving a mess, you’re not causing a nuisance. Presumably if someone came along and asked you to move you would, so I can’t see why you shouldn’t have done what you did.

No problem if it's currently not in use.

Presumably if someone came along and asked you to move you would, so I can’t see why you shouldn’t have done what you did.

Most people know not to trespass even if it's unlikely they would be caught. It seems unfair to place the obligation on the owners to patrol their land constantly.

How would you feel if your house was for sale and temporary vacant and you arrived to a family picnicking on the front lawn? And their excuse was they'd move if you asked?

There's a difference between a pub and a private house obviously. You wouldn't buy a pub if you didn't like the idea of the PUBlic coming onto your property.

Put if the pub was open they wouldn't allow the public to come in and eat their own picnic in the pub garden

No problem if the pub isn't open and you don't have to climb over fences/walls to get it.

There's a difference between a pub and a private house obviously. You wouldn't buy a pub if you didn't like the idea of the PUBlic coming onto your property.

Of course there's a difference between a pub and a private residence. But most pub owners I know certainly don't like the idea of the public consuming their own food and drink in the pub's garden without making a purchase.

Many owners of vacant property are very wary of trespassers because of the risk of damage, forced entry, squatters etc.

But all they can do, if they even mind or turn up, is ask you to leave.

The pub was completely unoccupied with no one living there. The garden is accessed through an open gate. We would have moved had anyone asked.

In my view absolutely no material harm was done. It's not someone's garden, the pub land is likely owned by a large faceless organisation who couldn't care less. I wouldn't sit in someone's garden, no.

I'm the sort of weirdo who doesn't mind people using my drive to turnaround etc.