Why is there parking at pubs?

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I was just thinking about this because of the non alcoholic beer or wine thread.

Why are there parking lots at pubs? I haven’t noticed in a long time because I haven’t needed to look and I rarely go to pubs except restaurant pubs very occasionally I guess, but they used to have breathalyzers at the door.

There are a couple of popular ones here - stand alone buildings - with parking lots - right in the centre of town. That doesn’t make sense. I know designated drivers have long been a thing but drinking in pubs is expensive, and if people can afford that, why not just take a taxi or an uber and make better use of the lot and eliminate the risk or the need to have a designated driver? If metered parking were available on the street only and someone forgot to plug/ update the meter because they were too tipsy, they’d be towed as a consequence and nobody would be arrested or fined or injured in a car crash. That makes sense to me but there’s probably a reason I’m not thinking of. I just can’t think of an important reason to have a parking lot. It seems like a parking lot would invite more problems than it would help.

It’s not my biggest burning question. It just came to mind, so why not ask it out loud.

 

[Luce NDs]

What if some don't wish to hear such questions ...

 

[Luce NDs]

@paradox ... is it tragic the people that reject some information out there for reception? Like a tree falling in the forest and someone being immune to such sounds ...

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

What if some don't wish to hear such questions ...

I guess not , eh?

 

[BetteTheRed]

There's lots of pubs here, but they're sort of in two places: downtown where there's tons of other businesses, or in plazas where there are convenience stores, drugstores, take out places. So no pubs with their own parking. Maybe a fussy restaurant but that's different.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Might make a good letter to the editor question.

 

[Northwind]

Not everyone drinks at pubs. At least in this area. Pubs have great food. Not to mention, other places sell alcohol such as restaurants and bars.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Not everyone drinks at pubs. At least in this area. Pubs have great food. Not to mention, other places sell alcohol such as restaurants and bars.

That’s true. But because you don’t have to order food at pubs (vs restaurants and ordering food with a drink helps to slow things down - both alcohol absorption and dinking pace that’s why it’s required in restaurants) there tends to be more people just there to have drinks later at night, having more alcohol over a shorter period of time.

I’m way over thinking this probably because I haven’t heard of any recent problems but it was just something that came to mind today.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

That’s true. But because you don’t have to order food at pubs (vs restaurants and ordering food with a drink helps to slow things down - both alcohol absorption and dinking pace that’s why it’s required in restaurants) there tends to be more people just there to have drinks later at night, having more alcohol over a shorter period of time.

I’m way over thinking this probably because I haven’t heard of any recent problems but it was just something that came to mind today.

I tried to look up stats about drinking pace or number of drinks per person in bars/ pubs vs restaurants but surprisingly I couldn’t find any specific to that, which I think would help with planning around safety and discouraging driving. The only thing I found was that event planners (weddings, catered events etc) plan for about 1 drink per person per hour. Nothing about bars vs restaurants so maybe it’s an insignificant difference or maybe there just aren’t any stats about it. I think that people are more likely to go to a pub at night just for drinks whereas a restaurant is more about eating. Pubs=drinks primarily, maybe some food. Restaurants=food primarily, maybe some alcohol. Generally. In my experience.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Also pubs depends on time of day. During the day they’re often more like restaurants here - people ordering food with or without a drink - but then there might be a few regulars who sit at in there all day but restaurants typically have about 1 hr 1/2 - 2 hrs max policy, or at least preference per table. They don’t like people hanging around just ordering drinks ( it’s usually not allowed unless there’s a lounge area, or they’ve already ordered food and eaten it, or else the restaurant can be fined I think), nor do they like people eating then lingering taking up a table and not buying anything. Pubs don’t generally care - they want people to stick around and order drinks, food or not, as long as they’re not over-serving an obviously drunk person. They might be fussy if a group is not ordering anything and they’re taking up a table. Not official stats, just anecdotes and observations.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Big groups like birthday parties or staff parties, is different again at restaurants. The more people at one table for an event, the more appies, meals, desserts and drinks they order, and the longer the party stays, vice versa, so the restaurant might not try to rush people out as fast. Time is money so whatever’s most efficient. Based on experiential observation. All in all I think people are more likely to drink over the driving limit in pubs, though.

 

[JayneWonders]

We went to a pub on Sunday night. Three adults, 1 car --- only one beer was consumed. We all ate dinner.

I'm not sure why you would presume that everyone at a pub drinks until they are impaired? Seems like a major jump in logic?

 

[paradox3]

I'm not sure why you would presume that everyone at a pub drinks until they are impaired? Seems like a major jump in logic?

Drinking and driving is still a serious issue. North Americans are starting to consume less alcohol overall but it is still a problem for society.

I thought @Kimmio Laughterlove was just taking a light-hearted approach to get us thinking a bit.

Breweries are starting to compete for market share of non-alcoholic beer which is another interesting thing. I have ordered non-alcoholic beer in a pub and no one bats an eye..

 

[paradox3]

Not everyone drinks at pubs. At least in this area. Pubs have great food. Not to mention, other places sell alcohol such as restaurants and bars.

I haven't been in a pub solely to drink since my university days. You are right, they often have great food.

Yes, restaurants also sell a lot of alcohol.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

We went to a pub on Sunday night. Three adults, 1 car --- only one beer was consumed. We all ate dinner.

I'm not sure why you would presume that everyone at a pub drinks until they are impaired? Seems like a major jump in logic?

Someone can feel fine but be impaired after a couple of drinks, especially when ordering food isn’t required. And even if they’re driving fine, they could still get in trouble at a road stop. People, I think, would rather not have that happen to them and if they didn’t drive to the pub they wouldn’t have to worry about that. I don’t drive but I know it’s something drivers need to be careful about.

They’re open until 2 am though and after 9 or so people aren’t generally going for dinner, it’s more more younger people going for drinks. I’m thinking that not having a parking lot might help people decide not to drive to the pub, is all. And the lot space could be better used, maybe. The ones I’m thinking of are centre of town near residential neighbourhoods. They’re fairly dense areas and city planners here are trying to think of ways to encourage fewer cars on the road anyway - with bike lanes (which actually reduces or eliminates street parking in some places). Just thinking about it, is all. Here it might, unfortunately, add to the bike lanes vs driving wars already underway. (Cyclists are pro environment, limiting driving - drivers are ticked off about bike lanes. Getting rid of parking lots at pubs might cause a rift but at the same time prevent drunk driving. Thinking it through.)

Edit: I was wrong - one is open until 11 the other until 12. I just looked it up. They’ve been around a long time and I think they used to be open later when I was younger but residential density affected those bylaws. Or maybe it was always like that and downtown bars (without parking lots) were always open later. I can’t remember.

Maybe it’s not even a problem.

 

[paradox3]

Drinking and boating is a concern also.

There is a water access (only) restaurant at the cottage which serves drinks and pub style food. It worries me because drinking is a big part of cottaging/ camping/ boating culture. Not to say it's universal but it's common enough.

As one of the radio stations keeps repeating:

"Water on the water; beer on the pier."

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

There was a downtown bar years ago that no longer exists, that had a problematic parking lot. People fighting, peeling out of there. It was always kind of rough.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Drinking and boating is a concern also.

There is a water access (only) restaurant at the cottage which serves drinks and pub style food. It worries me because drinking is a big part of cottaging/ camping/ boating culture. Not to say it's universal but it's common enough.

As one of the radio stations keeps repeating:

"Water on the water; beer on the pier."

Yes, it happens on the coast here, too.

 

[Luce NDs]

Interesting tidbit, tidy logic ... neighbor was staff Sargent RCMP, who dealt with alcohol problems (staff and public). He was involved in considerable breathalyser investigations. Teased me about drinking reservations when out for an evening. The information on drinks assuming a standard alcohol volume like a beer would metabolize in about 1 1/2 hr. When moderating drinks he indicated we would never get a significant alcohol content in this way.
One must realize peculiar individual trends like a drink is not a triple, or if you are sensitive to alcohol the aforesaid has to be taken with great care. We had great discussions over the driver that declared to have consumed only a few beers and a BA of 0.10+. Then there is the individual that drinks one beer and gets rambunctious ... the concept of normal, or average tends to fail! Excepts fall from the domain of uncertainty and dicey behaviour ...

Is excess no longer an exception but a norm in human behaviour ... the devil being let out of the shell? Pan 'd aura where the thing splattered ...

 

[Pavlos Maros]

Kimmio. Does everybody who goes to a pub drink alcohol? Do some people become the designated driver, do others not drink simply to drive home safe. I myself hardly ever drink I have an occasional pear cider at xmas, or a small brandy, that's it for me don't like the taste and don't see the point. I've never needed anything to relax me always been relaxed. As the say "To take the edge off." But there is no edge to take off, for me. You not you when you are drunk, never wanted to be controlled by a substance. I'd rather be me all the time.