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

@TheSoapyFrog

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 love the pub when I'm not pregnant! It's certain not because don't like them or have a cob on about them being opened. It's what I've seen in my area and what friends who've been inside have told me.

I had this conversation with my Mum actually. I'm in London and pubs are being totally sensible here. They're quiet and well spaced out. Our favourite where we stop for a soft drink when we walk the dog has built an outdoor bar on the side and you order there and they bring your drinks out to you, place them on another part of the bar for you to collect - all socially distanced. You have to register if you even want to go in and use the toilet. I'm not seeing any crowding or risky behaviour at all or even hearing of it locally.

Because I walk past one every time I'm in the city centre, it's a big glass fronted modern looking place and you can't not notice how packed it is..tables pushed together with upwards of a dozen at each table. And that's just one of many in our city centre. One of them has a sign up saying 27 seated inside, 84 outside, and it's on a busy street opposite a bank of shops. You have to go into the road to get past the crowd. And no, you can't report it to the police, apparently you have to confront the manager about it. Same goes for overcrowded shops.

Our local pub is visibly packed - the windows are completely clear and the benches outside front and back are very obviously full. The landlady is a friend and asked last weekend why we've not visited yet - I appreciate she needs to keep trade up but when I walk the dogs most evenings it's obviously well-packed and I won't actively choose to go somewhere unnecessary just for a drink.

I don't rant and rave, but if you're visiting pubs you have a duty of care towards yourself and others - a definite cluster of people over the weekend forgot that as they wandered pissed as badgers up and down our road as I drove home on Saturday evening and if I'm honest after a few too many, I'd guess that lots of people would forget social distancing guidelines - I'm sure I probably would.

3 in our local area were closed on Saturday due to lack of SD. That suggests "jam packed" to me.

Even looking through a window gives you a false perspective that makes people seem closer together.

Looking through a window does not generally change your ability to count, though. If it's a pub you know well and you have time to count more or less how many people are inside it, you have a good appreciation of how busy or not busy it is.

I love pubs and look forward to a time I will feel happy to visit one again. I understand why pubs are open- they are people's livelihoods and that matters- but I also understand why people are concerned about the risks, and I really don't think the majority of people in the busier pubs near me are socially distancing well at all, especially not when drunk. Plus it's quite irritating to be in an area where it's unsafe to be in a friend's garden but somehow perfectly safe to be in a pub surrounded by strangers!

We popped into a pub for a drink in Bristol last week. We were received at the door and asked to use hand sanitiser, then shown to a table inside by a very friendly young man wearing mask and visor. The tables were very well spaced and some had been removed. There was a one way system to use the toilets ( I ended up back outside because i got lost)
We felt every precaution had been taken and the pub was not very busy, with numbers limited. I just wanted to point out some good practice, well done Hole in The Wall.

I went to a pub in Peckham last week, so not an area known for being rule abiding! The beer garden was full in that every available table was occupied but they were well spaced out. We ate/drank inside and were the only people in there. We couldn’t approach the bar but had to order by app and the drinks/food were served to a nearby table that we picked up from to allow the bar staff to remain distanced.

Admittedly that was a weekday afternoon, not a Friday night.

Last weekend went to nearby town at 9:30pm went to 4 pubs, all "full" as they had a limit to number and stuck with it, hand sanitizer and lines on floor for distancing, bouncer at door stopping rule breaking. Never not got into any of these pubs before.
So they (appeared) full but not jam packed. Must be different in different places.

Looking through a window does not generally change your ability to count, though. If it's a pub you know well and you have time to count more or less how many people are inside it, you have a good appreciation of how busy or not busy it is.

Are you literally stood with your nose pressed against the glass?! Because that strikes me as a bit of an infection risk...

Pubs here are dead, the ones without beer gardens haven't bothered opening really........ I worry for them. And our economy in general, we are fucked. I can't see how we can recover from this, the affects are going to be felt for generations.

I have been to 2 pubs - one shows you to your table and then offered table service only with indoor area closed, other we were there about 2 hours and only ever 3 other tables occupied (of about 50).

Ive been to 4 local pubs since they opened. They tend to be full outside on a nice day in the sense that most or all tables outside are occupied at times, but these of course
are more spaced out than before. Inside, nowhere near full (and also not able to be full due to regulations on numbers)

Some might be, others won’t. It’s a small part of transmission though given how many are breaking the guidelines and socialising at home in groups with no distancing, travel abroad etc and they will be a drop in the ocean when schools go back with no distancing for six plus hours a day.

My local ones look busy outside. But the tables are spaced well apart and it looks lovely and chill in the beer gardens. Pubs aren't my thing, but this lively weather and the greater space. Mus the lovely to be a pub goer right now.

Ironic how a post moaning about people using anecdotal evidence to say pubs are overcrowded, is met by anecdotal counter stories on here.

It depends on where you live, some pubs are packed, some are not. What is so hard to understand? just because the pubs near you aren't busy doesn't mean all pubs in the country aren't packed.

@Hardbackwriter

Looking through a window does not generally change your ability to count, though. If it's a pub you know well and you have time to count more or less how many people are inside it, you have a good appreciation of how busy or not busy it is.

Are you literally stood with your nose pressed against the glass?! Because that strikes me as a bit of an infection risk...

Why on earth would I need to do that? I have perfectly good eyesight. Do you assume no one can see inside a building unless they are "literally stood with their nose pressed against the glass"?

@BernardsarenotalwaysSaints

They're not. My Dh is a engineer in the brewery trade. In & out of all types of hospitality establishment every day. All the owners are telling him trade is steady or down.

Trade is down though. Even with the pubs full their trade is still down comparatively.

@tiredanddangerous

I'm judging it by the size of the queue outside when I walk past. Presumably it's full if people are queuing outside to get in.

I've been to maybe 3 or 4 pubs since they opened. One we had to queue for...it wasn't because it was busy but because they were rigidly sticking to the rules, taking details, accompanying people to their allocated table and explaining the menu and rules. It was actually quite quiet and super well organised for what is usually a very busy and popular pub. My DB works in a normally packed city centre pub and they've been shutting up early every night as it's so quiet. There will always be idiots (both landlords and customers) taking the mick, but IME the vast majority of places are well organised and sticking to the rules.

Around here they are not jammed pack. We live in an area with a very low infection rate, extremely low death rate and people generally followed the guidelines and still do. Even FA Cup final night which usually would be extremely busy was quiet. My ex husband and some friends went out to watch the football with a pint and quite able to socially distance in their bubble.

Some areas of the country have spikes.... maybe they aren't following guidelines so well?

we decided to go and have a meal to support our local pub last week - we were the only ones in it

owners said they are having to take every day as it comes but they are likely to quit at the end of this month if it's no better

no pubs near us are busy at all

Live in a market town. 10 drinking establishments, 2 still closed. 1 only opened this week and small groups outside and almost no-one indoors (fabulously managed), 1 Wetherspoons - trade definitely down and all the others could not be described as jam packed! The one I know is busier I havent been in.

Lost a few in recent years and another lockdown will undoubtedly close more and the previous one might see the two which havent opened gone for good. Large part of the local economy and it will be a sad loss.

@JBizz

Ironic how a post moaning about people using anecdotal evidence to say pubs are overcrowded, is met by anecdotal counter stories on here.

It depends on where you live, some pubs are packed, some are not. What is so hard to understand? just because the pubs near you aren't busy doesn't mean all pubs in the country aren't packed.

To address your second point - If some of the pubs near me aren’t busy then yes that absolutely does prove that all pubs in the country aren’t packed. As you say, I am sure some are but that doesn’t mean that the tabloid pictures necessarily reflect the wider reality.

Surely if there a queue outside that's becuase they're not letting everyone in Some people are just determined that if its fun it shouldn't be allowed although I don't want a drink enough to queue for it

Our locals are absolutely fine and people are being sensible. we are in a tourist area so staying away from more touristy pubs both to keep safe and to give our visitors a chance to enjoy them (we have them for the rest of the year) Unless you are vulnerable i don't think we should be shaming people for supporting their local pubs.