News Article Comments : Undercover drunk stings confirmed

RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

Here we go, being subjective again.  Define the limits of drunk for me one more time.  I am only 51 years old and have been in the business my entire life. 

I am still trying to figure out at what level different agencies consider drunk.  Is it when an adult male has 1/7 of his bogus intake of 28 units per week in a day, is it one pint for every 2 stone in body weight, is it when he cannot say the alphabet backwards in less than 8 seconds, or what?  Or might it be when he falls off the barstool the third time in an hour?  I am confused about this.

I know customers who weigh 20 stone that cannot handle two pints and I also have an afternoon regular patron who is female, 81 years old, and will drink 3 or 4 Boddingtons in the first hour she is here and then have two glasses of water.  She then will spend several hours doing crosswords. She walks straighter and more correct after these pints than I do sober. 

But I guess this means that I am serving a drunk?  By rights, I think she deserves the right to drink those pints.  Her son is city councillor and thinks it is a good idea she get out of the house daily and interacts with other people as she lives alone.  I guess I will have to tell her to beat it.

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RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

There is a real problem here.

As previously mentioned, this is highly subjective.  Alcohol makes you drunk.  How do you determine when someone has had enough to drink, without discriminating against build, physique, or weight of a person.  Is it possible to clearly identify the level intoxication from appearance?  You could serve a person a drink, and when they sit down, the difference between standing up, and sitting down, could cause them to pass out.  Is that the fault of a bar person?  Did that person eat a meal earlier?

If a person is inside a pub, drinks (which is the purpose of going to a pub), and as soon as they walk outside, and the fresh air hits them, becomes unsteady, or disorderly, is this a problem caused by them being served too much to drink, or from the differences in environment.  Who can be held accountable?

It comes down to figures, and because the Police seem so inept at most simple tasks thrown at them involving crime, they prey on pubs.  It is highly likely that a person visiting a pub in the evening, will become drunk.  Don't penalise landlords for serving alcohol:  Ban alcohol altogether.  Bring out a 'dulux' type card that bar staff can hold against the face, and determinable by shade, choose not to serve them.  It's not going to happen is it.  And neither is, the huge resources we contribute in tax, being appropriated properly, and used to reduce real crime. 

Next time a frightened pensioner, is locked inside their home on a Friday night, because a congregation of teenagers are making their life hell, at least we can be confident in knowing they won't be far away.  They'll be sat outside a pub with the engine running, 'catching' pubs serving people who have drunk more than the law would consider enough.  Completely unenforceable. 

This post replies to Graham Allman > RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

With no clear definition of irresponsible or drunk to which both parties (authorities and landlords understand will fines not just be tit for tat?  What I class as drunk and disordely may be different to yours!  More wasting vital resources - catch those drink driving rather than those being merry.

This post replies to james stevenson > RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

It is starting in my area this week I believe. Speaking quite personally I think it is pretty appauling that it has come to this, the minority has done it again. There are Licensee's out there who continually "serve a drunk with a drink" you know the guy, the one that, can't find his pockets to get at his money, knocks over the stools spills most of his ninth pint over some poor unassuming guy out for a quick pint while taking the dog for a walk.( I'm talking about the customer not the licensee by the way) Years ago most men used to go home from work have dinner, 40 winks and a bath and then take his wife out for a drink, these days I would say probably a good percentage of males go to the pub straight from work and stay till closing time, and then there are the guy's & gal's who don't even work who are there when you open your doors and in some establishments are still there at close.  I for one welcome the idea of 'drunk detectives' lets rid ourselves of the get rich quick revolving licensee and let responsible Licensee's do the job they have always done well.

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RE: Undercover drunk stings confirmed

Mr.Tobin's tone and comments are the same tatics used by the anti brigade on smoking

Yet another one who has nothing to do with the trade telling us what we are doing wrong

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