How do you know that the pubs are "jam packed"?

[Jourdain11]

... unless you've been in them yourself? Otherwise, isn't it just anecdotal and likely to be exaggerated?

I was speaking to a friend who has been for drinks a few times in central London, and he said that it has been pretty quiet each time and most people are sitting outdoors, etc. But because of the pics of Old Compton St on the first night, everyone reckons it has been packed ever since!

Of course, if you've been in them and they are jam packed, then you're one of the people jam packing them

We live in a pub (partners pub) we’ve not been busy, in fact struggling a little. Everyone has been very good abiding by the rules.
I know some of the centre of town pubs have been really busy though, people queuing outside and fights breaking out most weekends.

I agree and it seems to be people who don't like pubs and have a cob on about them being opened up who are ranting and raving about pubs being packed to the rafters with vomiting louts.
I've been in quite a few pubs since they reopened and haven't witnessed anything like it. Just people sitting around enjoying drinks and food while distancing from others. I quite like it as it is now. It's less busy, less noisy, cleaner and you often get table service.
Only pub locally I've seen with a queue is the one with a really good beer garden.

I’m not shopping until after 7 when supermarket is much quieter. Pass lots of pubs, lots have put up gazebos, some even wooden structures so very busy outside, large groups of mostly younger people, no social distancing.

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

Because people I know have been to these packed out pubs and have taken photos when they’ve been. They were apparently appalled ....but still decided to stay. 🙄

That’s the mentality I don’t get, if your not happy vote with your feet don’t add to the issue

I've been in a couple of bars, both were busy but everyone was sat at a table and ordering was table service so no queuing at the bar. I wouldn't say any of them were rammed, most tables were full but there weren't as many people in the building as you couldn't stand for a drink. Both bars had bouncers on the door with walkie talkies to find out if there was a free table.

I live on the same street as them - i see the foot traffic, the people spilling outside and the people inside because of the windows.

The ones local (bar 1) to me have been packed at the weekend's only

I also think you have to be very careful believing what you see in the photos. When people were getting over excited about crowded beaches which don't seem to have caused any spike at all the press photos were being taken with powerful telephoto lenses which made everyone look far closer together than they were, albeit that, as always, there were some exceptions.

A few days ago I drove down a main road in London that runs through three different high streets. Outside pretty much every pub (passed maybe 10 or 12?) there were groups of people smoking and it looked busy. The ones with outdoor seating areas out front were full of people not social distancing. One pub looked like they were having a party - loads of people dancing outside and could see it was packed inside too.

I’m not a covid curtain twitcher at all, and don’t believe we should all be hiding in our houses, but it did make me feel uncomfortable seeing just how few fucks some people give.

I'd venture to suggest it's pretty common for those of us who live right near pubs OP. There are two within a few hundred yards of me, and one of them has had people spilling out!

Most pubs don't have windows, not that you can see in through?

Based on the pubs I've been to, they have been busy in the beer gardens but if you go inside there's no-one there. People seem to have absorbed the outdoors is safer message (possibly a bit too much).

I live opposite a small pub, with a huge car park. The car park fills up, people start using the road outside to park making it fucking difficult for buses to get through.

Every Friday and Saturday it's like this, people packed against each other, side doors open, people hustling in and out, some people even had to sit in their car boots. Music playing till bumfuck o'clock.

So yes, I know the pub is heaving.

@FinnyStory - they do in my area!

That’s the mentality I don’t get, if your not happy vote with your feet don’t add to the issue

It because it always other people that are the problem not them. They’re special. I’ve given up getting worked up over it. You can’t argue with stupid.

Our locals have all been very quiet and very civilised. I stopped to chat to a friend on wat back from bar the other night and was soon shifted (rightly) by the staff.

Local restaurant that's usually packed was very, very quiet when we went the other week. 3 tables out of probably 12 they could have used and maintained SDing. Their pick up and delivery service was very busy tho.

Shops quiet, garden centre was busy on sunday tho.

@FinnyStory

I also think you have to be very careful believing what you see in the photos. When people were getting over excited about crowded beaches which don't seem to have caused any spike at all the press photos were being taken with powerful telephoto lenses which made everyone look far closer together than they were, albeit that, as always, there were some exceptions.

Plus, in a lot of the "shocking beach footage" most people are actually distanced. Really, no one would lay down on a beach closer than 2 meters to another group, anyway! And most of the ice cream can queue footage, etc. that I have seen looks okay.

I also think you have to be very careful believing what you see in the photos. When people were getting over excited about crowded beaches which don't seem to have caused any spike at all the press photos were being taken with powerful telephoto lenses which made everyone look far closer together than they were, albeit that, as always, there were some exceptions.

But surely if you know your local pub you know how many individuals can be in there without making it packed? Just by counting the heads you'd know if it was packed or not?

A load of pubs here have shut (voluntarily) because of being packed and a cluster of Covid cases.

Unless they serve food and seat people. Close them all I say.

Yes, pix can be selected to reinforce the story they illustrate

But I can see how busy local pubs (and some eateries) are because I walk past and they have windows

I think it's more problematic in big towns and cities where younger people tend to gather. I live in a more rural area (although full of tourists) and pubs and strict about booking tables even for a drink and have said you may have to wait if there is no availability, so people aren't just cramming into a bar area or pub garden. You will only see photos of packed pubs, no one posts the ones where people are being sensible.

I agree and it seems to be people who don't like pubs and have a cob on about them being opened up who are ranting and raving about pubs being packed to the rafters with vomiting louts.

This. I saw someone ranting and raving on MN about pubs being open and then, on a different thread, saying they hadn't been out in the evening since their 9 year old was born. It's pretty easy to call for things you don't actually use or enjoy to shut.

An utterly bizarre number of people seem to buy houses near pubs and then be outraged that people go to the pub.

Going past pubs and seeing inside.

A lot of the pubs here (London - not central) have been busy but social distancing in force I.e. no standing except when walking to toilet etc. And spaced tables etc. I was also in Soho on Saturday night and sat outdoors - everywhere was implementing social distancing and the pedestrianisation of Soho is fantastic I hope it stays post-Covid. Generating a lot of additional covers and a European city atmosphere

Even looking through a window gives you a false perspective that makes people seem closer together. I was at the beach the other day (I know, burn me at the stake - and I went to the pub the day before!) and it was pretty quiet, loads of space to distance. If you stood and looked down the beach, though, it looked quite busy in a way it didn't if you walked down it. Perspective makes a big difference even if you're just looking, let alone when you start taking photos.