stuck beside the table from hell

[Champagne Sadie]

I am aware that large groups can be noisy, god only knows whenever I wind up at a works do someone is dancing on the table at some point during the evening...it was just strange to me that the mgmt put our sedate little huddle together with this group in the dining room part of the pub-- I would've had no problem with them staying in the pub part as it is pretty well-divided.

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Let me get this right.

1. You've been part of a rowdy party and this was fine?

2. You were subjected to a rowdy party, this was not fine?

Perhaps they didn't want to be in the pub part because of the smoking?

Sorry to play devils advocate, but in some cases there is no right or wrong, just acceptance that things are the way they are because.

[beandork]

The term Gastropub

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I've always struggled with this term, at home 'Gastro' is synonymous with diarrhea.

Worst intrusion during a meal for me actually didn't come from a diner. I was eating at a sidewalk table for a nice restaurant in St.Kilda Australia, and had just received a side of crispy olive oil/garlic/thyme potatos. A passing bag-lady was attracted to the smell, and left her trolley to come over and attempt to dip her hand into the bowl and nick some. She was very well-spoken however and didn't mention threesomes once.

[Rebecca263]

...Then there are the couples who don't just discuss sex, they indulge in it under the table...

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Oops, Sorry! Hey, wait a minute, what were you doing peeking under our table cloth?!

[Mark Donnelly]

I've never experienced anything like this, but Izabel, sounds like you're passing the buck in thinking it was the pub's responsibility. I'm afraid in life you get what you are willing to tolerate (take the Undergound for example - shocking service, expensive, but no one can be bothered to complain).

I may have misread your post, but filling in a form at the end of the meal is like shutting the stable door....

Sorry to be so harsh.

[SBonner]

I would have complained not only to my server but asked to see the manager. Best case scenerio would be to have been moved to another table or at least a bottle of something on the house. The pub looks interesting though. It's sad state of affairs that the bing drinking and lager louts are now taking over the gastropubs. One of the advantages of being an expat in Vancouver is to see less of the loutous(sp?) behaviour over here.

Stephen

Vancouver

Edited March 2, 2006 by SBonner (log)

[Champagne Sadie]

I would have complained not only to my server but asked to see the manager. Best case scenerio would be to have been moved to another table or at least a bottle of something on the house. The pub looks interesting though. It's sad state of affairs that the bing drinking and lager louts are now taking over the gastropubs.  One of the advantages of being an expat in Vancouver is to see less of the loutous(sp?) behaviour over here.

Stephen

Vancouver

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I see it differently. It's the gastro's taking over the pubs.

I think the word would be "loutish"

[Izabel_blue]

More war stories please!!! This is definiately keeping me entertained...

Yeah I think I've learned by now that I needed to complain, though I still maintain that the staff should've made more of an effort to make sure everything was OK.

About Gatropubs...yeah, I know the 'pub' part of the name should kind of tip one off about what sort of experience to expect....though this was in the dining room half of the space and they seem to be selling it all as more of a sedate 'dining' experience than a boozing one if you look at the website...

Oh, and about the dancing on the tables work dos-- we always book a private room, which is where I think large groups really belong...!

Edited March 2, 2006 by Izabel_blue (log)

[Andy Lynes]

C'mon, there is a perfect good reason why the authorities impose a closing time of 23:00pm. There is even a special name for the customers: "LaggerLouts"

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Plumbers behaving badly?

[Andy Lynes]

Yeah I think I've learned by now that I needed to complain, though I still maintain that the staff should've made more of an effort to make sure everything was OK.

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It's possible that by complaining the staff might have been able to calm down the table, but it would probably have only been a temporary respite and no doubt the noise levels would have risen as quickly as the reprimand had faded into the recesses of their booze addled brains. It's a bit like being on a train and a horde of boisterous school kids get on - you've had it and nothing you say or do is going to make any difference for more than about a minute. It's why the better restaurants limit table sizes to 8 or even 6 because larger groups can have a significant impact on the atmosphere of a dining room that can be very difficult to control.

[Scott]

but I'm thinking that there are times when boisterous and, yes, even sexually provocative conversations, with your drunken buddies in a gastropub are NOT 'twat' behavior

it's ALWAYS twat behaviour. the thing is when you're drunk you think it's the funniest thing in the world. I've been guilty of this myself.

[Rebecca263]

but I'm thinking that there are times when boisterous and, yes, even sexually provocative conversations, with your drunken buddies in a gastropub are NOT 'twat' behavior

...it's ALWAYS twat behaviour. the thing is when you're drunk you think it's the funniest thing in the world. I've been guilty of this myself...

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As you believe that your opinion is qualified as an arbiter, so shall I of my own opine, and as I have reveled at many a table with non inebriated or UI folk who engage in such vivacious conversations, (and some of those folk were over 84, come to think of it) I'll respectfully disagree with your own limited experiences, especially as yours seem to only include drunken memories!

[Champagne Sadie]

it's ALWAYS twat behaviour.  the thing is when you're drunk you think it's the funniest thing in the world.  I've been guilty of this myself.

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No it's not. It's called having a laugh, having some fun, having a life!

It might not always seem so funny to an onlooker, but it does not make you a twat.

Lighten up - or we'll all be in danger of becoming dul, souless, boring gits.

[Scott]

it's ALWAYS twat behaviour.  the thing is when you're drunk you think it's the funniest thing in the world.  I've been guilty of this myself.

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No it's not. It's called having a laugh, having some fun, having a life!

It might not always seem so funny to an onlooker, but it does not make you a twat.

Lighten up - or we'll all be in danger of becoming dul, souless, boring gits.

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I think we're talking about different things. We've all been the annoying drunken table/party at various times, that behaved badly. No doubt, we will again - and have fun doing it.

but lets not think we're being wacky, cool, and risque. which seems to be the point, it's one thing to get carried away, it's another to think it makes you cool.

[Champagne Sadie]

it's another to think it makes you cool.

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I never said it did. My suggestion (between the lines) was that we live and let live.

In pubs people drink.

Sometimes they laugh.

Sometimes it is noisey

Sometimes it is spicey. (That's why pubs are for adults)

If it's not your cup tea - stay at home.

[BertieWooster]

Oh, and about the dancing on the tables work dos-- we always book a private room, which is where I think large groups really belong...!

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ONce went to quite a posh indian a few days before xmas where the neighbouring works xmas party had a stripper arrive and, uhhr, 'perform'.

The management were very helpful in having our entire bill and lots of extra drinks charged to that party's table, as I think happened with most punters. Which dealt with our 'discomfort' and 'offence'.

[Matthew Grant]

I'd have watched and then feigned offence and discomfort !

What a great night out free booze, food and naked ladies! Woo hoo!

[erica graham]

I had to placate the Catholic Bishop of London in similar circumastances-he bumped into the stripper on the way to the toilets, she had just finished performing so was only dressed in a thong and two tassles!

Strangley enough, it didn't take an awful lot to placate him, he had a huge sense of humour ( and a couple of digestifs!!!)

[Meanderer]

A friend once showed me a small card he had "borrowed" from his father's restaurant. The text said, simply, "Please oblige the management by leaving quietly." He hoped one day to be in a situation such as the one that started this thread whereby he would give the card to his waiter and ask that it be delivered to the offending table. I don't know whether he ever employed this tactic, but it might be interesting to try it in the appropriate circumstances.

[BertieWooster]

I helped out in a bar in New York a decade or so back where, when parties were getting loud drunk rather than silent and morose drunk as was acceptable, the owner would lean over and whisper, 'Bobby thinks you're getting noisy', or words to that effect. At which said party would almost always drink up and leave.

Bobby was a wizened, tiny, old man who seemed permanently ensconced at one end of the bar. I only lasted a couple of weeks there, and never got up the nerve to ask why he had such an effect.

[Jenny McClure]

We were having dinner in a bar/restaurant quite recently. It was at the stage were most people at the tables were done or just anbout done with dinner and people were coming in for drinks. Anyway, we were sitting enjoying drinks at our table, delighted with ourselves as we had not only seats but table service as we looked on at the other peolpe crushed up at the bar trying to flag down the bar tenders. All of a sudden this very respectable looking man comes and sits with us at our table. He is convinced (or at least a very good actor) that he is long time friends of ours. He is a complete stranger and extremely pissed at that. He starts telling, or slurring ,to us about his life. No matter what we said could not get him to leave our table. It was kind of funny at the beginning, but after he'd asked the same questions about 3 times and started to try and pick a fight witht the table next to us, it was too much. Our waiter aware of the fact alerted the manager. The manager came over said something to the guy, I don't know what, but he got up and left the restaurant. The manager apologised profusely and didn't charge us for a thing all night. Needless to say this is now one of our regulars.

[Matthew Grant]

What?! The drunk guy is now a regular at your table? I'd probably put up with him as well if it meant free drink and food (see earlier post re: dancing girls also)

[BertieWooster]

Is there anything you wouldn't put up with in return for free drink and food Mr. Grant?

[Matthew Grant]

Probably not if it helped bring down my current food expenditure

[Scott]

it's another to think it makes you cool.

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I never said it did. My suggestion (between the lines) was that we live and let live.

In pubs people drink.

Sometimes they laugh.

Sometimes it is noisey

Sometimes it is spicey. (That's why pubs are for adults)

If it's not your cup tea - stay at home.

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Sorry I didn't make myself sufficient clear. I was trying to say that we were talking about different things, that the sort of thing you were saying was ok, was not the same as what I was objecting to.

I agree that sometimes, as you say, things get a bit loud and spicey, what I was trying to say - not especially clearly it seems - was that if you go too far - the fault lies closer to home, and not with those around you who take offense.

[Chris Amirault]

I just deleted a few posts in this thread that were personal attacks. Let's stay focused on the topic at hand -- and not enact the subject matter, eh? Thanks.