Smoking in pubs, free speech, having a laugh

[Wannalivewithcommonpeople]

Aibu to miss all this? The relaxed, laid back FUN of the 90’s to maybe maybe late 2010
ish?
I don’t smoke or take drugs anymore, hell I haven’t been able to drink in 21 months, due to long covid, but sat here watching 90’s & 2000’s music videos whilst Dh takes toddler out and thinking of the past.
Aibu to just bloody miss the simplicity and fun and to hate these times?

@Toadsinholes

Op I know exactly what you mean. Simpler times! I think it’s the phones that have been the problem - everyone constantly photographing themselves, filters, false ideas of beauty etc etc. everything was much more simple! You went out, got hammered with your friends, threw up on the way home, no-one cared, no-one took photos… good times. Also music was great, everyone watching/listening to the same thing was a good bonding experience.

I’ve also never seen anyone have their clothes set fire from a cigarette 🤣🤣

Yes this.

My local newspaper does a throwback every so often of pics from night outs early 2000's, I love looking through them, not a single microbladed eyebrow in sight, it's lovely to see! 🤣

@Wannalivewithcommonpeople I do know what you mean.

[quote Wannalivewithcommonpeople]@BusterGonad Exactly 😫I didn’t mean anything offensive at all and don’t say anything offensive[/quote]
Everyone gets offended these days, it's just the way it is and it's fucking bonkers imo.

@CounsellorTroi 😅You’re joking right?!
That comment just sums up everything I’m talking about. No ones clothes set on fire and nobody even thought or worried about that, oh ffs

@BusterGonad

I did poke my brother in the face with a cigarette once by mistake, he moved at the wrong time. He didn't particularly mind.

As long as you didn't set his clothes on fire, you're forgiven

@Wannalivewithcommonpeople

I admit I miss smoking, I miss not having a care in the world, not worrying about my health, the future, everything..just being in the moment.

Hmm, most of what you're describing is just youth though, not the 90s per se.

Everyone thinks their youth was a better time. Including the ancient Romans. The problem is that you’re getting old, not that passive smoking was somehow marvellous.

My local newspaper does a throwback every so often of pics from night outs early 2000's, I love looking through them, not a single microbladed eyebrow in sight, it's lovely to see!

My local paper does this as well, I've popped up a couple of times with my best Posh Spice spiky crown 'do

@CeleriacOfTheNight

My local newspaper does a throwback every so often of pics from night outs early 2000's, I love looking through them, not a single microbladed eyebrow in sight, it's lovely to see!

My local paper does this as well, I've popped up a couple of times with my best Posh Spice spiky crown 'do

Haha I've spotted a few people I know, including my aunt who was mortified when I sent her the photo.

But there is something about the late 90s/noughties that I'm worried has been lost forever.

You think that was the only time when socialising was fun?

What do you think the pubs and clubs were like before the late 90s?

I miss all my mates being down the pub at the same time, and the random mad nights, and not worrying about hangovers but pubs are still fun now, you just need to go with the right people. I socialise with people aged from 70 down to 18 and we all still have a laugh, it's better in the summer when you can sit outside, but it's always been like that.

@Toadsinholes 100%

@SNUG2022 It feels like it was all a dream now

As a sometime social smoker I don't miss smoking in pubs. One observation I have made over the years is that when there is a large outdoor area for smoking, it tends to be full of smokers AND non Smokers which makes me think smokers have more fun 😀
Regarding free speech, I think.the majority of people don't just think it's open season for racism , homopbobia etc, and more to with being able to express an opinion that some may disagree with, without becoming a social.pariah

I don't miss smoking in pubs. The smell was disgusting and sometimes you'd get caught by someone's lit cigarette. I was so happy when they stopped it.

@Narutocrazyfox Yes! Such carefree days, my main (and best) teen years were the mid 90’s (15/16 years old onwards)

Your version of freedom seems to be very much about freedom for you to do the stuff you like and for other people to put up with the consequences.

I don't miss coughing and coughing after my shifts working in a bar, nor the absolutely constant drip of racism (from outright abuse to the 'nice guys' in interviews asking what is your native language? English. Ah, but what do your parents speak? English. But was that their native language? Etc etc). Wokery is a small price to pay - and 'cancel culture' drama aside, there's still a lot of discrimination out there, ask any dark skinned woman about their experience on dating apps or when reporting pain to medical professionals.

Life without phones had some pluses, but I was also constantly lost and we had to spend a small fortune to stay in touch with family overseas, so I'll take it.

YANBU. I was listening to a 90s radio station the other day and thought how much fun it was back then. Everyone is so serious and sensible now, back then nobody gave a shit and I miss that.

The smelling of smoke never bothered me, I don't tend to get up the day after a night out, not shower, and put back on the same clothes I was out in last night. They go in the wash anyway

I miss those days. The days you could go to a gig and see the band and not everyone holding up a phone recording what's on stage.

The days we could get glammed up for the all nighters, we were gorgeous at 10pm.....and a state by 6am.....all waiting for the first train home on Sunday mornings.

Virtually no photos of those times because no one wanted to carry a camera around. And if you did you only had 24 or 36 pictures anyway.

Sitting in the pub was a joy and had to be finished by 10:45....because you know....last orders and all that.

Buying beer on a Sunday could only be done when the Offie was open between 11 and 1 or 6 to 10.....

(I watched My Mad Fat Diary recently and loved the soundtrack and sitting around in the pub scenes....it really reminded me of being young.)

I never smoked and miss smoking in pubs - proper pubs - not the wanky gastro pubs they are now where you just go to eat. The standing room only - 10 deep at the bar - dancing on the tables at the end of the night - cheap vodka and red bull for £1 nights

I miss the banter - you can't take the good old British piss now for fear of upsetting someone

I miss the pub crawls and sticky carpets in a dingy nightclub - falling out at 3am and walking home without fear of something awful happening to you

I miss that getting dressed up to go out was nice jeans and top and a bit of eyeliner not the 2 hour total face transformation and contouring it is now

Yeah I miss the 90s and 00s

What you are missing is your youth and you’ve conflated it with harder times now and are pointing the finger at the issue being about not being able to smoke (and accidentally burn holes in other peoples dresses in a club) and not being able to call people offensive terms with no challenge.

Can you give us an example of what it is you used to say that you don’t feel you can say now? I never have a problem with saying what I feel and can do it without offending people quite effortlessly.

@Georgeskitchen That’s exactly it about speech

It's just nostalgia. Pretty much everyone feels like that about their childhood and their teenage/student years.

We all look back on the past with rose-tinted glasses.

@Narutocrazyfox

I'm with you, OP!

I'm not ashamed to say I loved smoking in pubs, popping in on the way home from work and seeing who was about... It didn't matter who was there but someone always was! We'd have a few beers and set the world to rights. I sigh over those carefree days sometimes - things were so much easier then! (for context I was a teen in the late 80s early 90s) x

I'm with you both too. I miss those days

My best days were similar, I'd say 1997 through to 2007. I think banning smoking in bars completely changed them, they lost their charm.

@OakRowan

What do you mean free speech, you want to be casually racist/sexist/homophobic/offensive in public? That's not the good old days.

This is usually what people mean when they complain about lack of ‘free speech’.

YANBU

I loved it, the smoking, drinking and dancing. So carefree. It was great. I would still smoke now if it wasn't so bad for you and expensive and also the stink.

I saw a rave the other day, EVERY single person had a phone, what a boring rave, no one was lost in music or caught in a trap so glad they weren't so commonplace in the 90's.

I can also confirm that despite being in a lot of packed like sardines clubs, not one person went up in flames from a cigarette. 🤣🤣🤣