I guess it makes somebody safer...

[CoryKS]

As Gordon said the glasses used here are mostly straight pint glasses, even the girls use them (my pet hate- women who drink from pint glasses)the glass is thin and very sharp. When broken the main part of the glass is long and jagged, ideal as a weapon. If smashed into the face if caused horrendous damage.

Yay, cultural exchange. Okay, I'll bite - why do you hate women who drink from pint glasses?

 

[K831]

Interesting the correlation between this type of pervasive drinking culture, and large government entitlement programs like those found in the countries mentioned above. Greater amounts on the "dole" etc creating a culture of greater apathy and less self reliance = less self respect = this type of behavior.

Perhaps an oversimplification, but I used to discuss this very thing with my Scottish friends when I lived over there. One of them in fact, wrote a paper on it while at Paisley Uni.

 

[Sukerkin]

K, the amounts being spent by the people getting into such states are in general much larger than those available to those on the Dole.

When I was unemployed for a while, if I went out to the pub I could afford to maybe cuddle a pint all night. When you're getting about a tenner a day to live on, a blow out night is not really feasible - most certainly not on a regular basis at any rate.

 

[Allen a.k.a. Destroyer]

Yikes... don't drink in foreign countries. Gotcha.
:drinky:

Seems like everything should come in kegs only. It's something too large to be commonly available and easily carried. I maintain that anything can be a weapon in the right hands. I would hate to fight Jackie Chan when he's holding a plastic cup. :mst:

But, if they actually force everything into plastic bottles... I'm sure those could still be used as weapons one way or another depending on the thinness and durability of the plastic involved... plastic cups are relatively harmless... I can still imagine one crushed into someone's face with a punch wouldn't feel nice. Especially with the way most of them bend and break or tear.

I completely agree that the recovery phase should be much less comfortable. I never have really understood heavy drinkers. Been "human crutch" drunk once before (needing a friend to help me walk :lol, that was enough. Why do it again? Sure, felt pretty good at the time... but I remember all that happened. Drinking to forget..? No... It is much better to clear a mind in training or practice than kill yourself with alcohol.

Note to self: The "drunk walk" is a hell of a workout, however, due to the level of impairment required to reach it, the penalties of alcohol on the system, and the lengthy recovery phase the next day... it is ill advised for leg training.
Drunken master: FAIL.

 

[K831]

K, the amounts being spent by the people getting into such states are in general much larger than those available to those on the Dole.

When I was unemployed for a while, if I went out to the pub I could afford to maybe cuddle a pint all night. When you're getting about a tenner a day to live on, a blow out night is not really feasible - most certainly not on a regular basis at any rate.

That certainly follows logic. His notion however, wasn't regarding those specifically on the dole... but rather, a pervasive attitude that affected the general public, youth in particular, that were created and perpetuated in part by the effects such programs had on a population.

His research was interesting, and hard to argue with the correlation...whether or not it was causal could obviously be argued. I now wish I had his info so as to get his research and post it here. Oh well.

 

[Tez3]

To go for someone means attack them ie the dog will go for anyone that comes near it etc.

women drinking pints is so unladylike.


There has always been a drinking culture here and the current situation of binge drinking owes more to Thatcherism and greed than the dole culture here. It's not lack of self respect its the trickle down of the yuppie culture 'work hard play hard' thing. These aren't people who've been on the dole and are miserable creatures with no self esteem, these are in your face, "its my life and I'll effing well do what I want with it, eff you". It's arrogance and selfishness not lack or respect that makes them do this.

The drinking culture in Scotland is different so any study would only pertain to there. Scotland has different problems to England.

 

[FierySquidFace]

Let me see if I can paint the picture for you, Darlington, our local town about 15 miles from here, there's at least two pubs on each main street and there's three night clubs. Remember this is a small town. the local supermarkets sell cheap beer, lager and spirits so people get tanked up before they go out. They go to the pubs first as there is two drinks for the price of one 'happy hour'. Alcopops are also knocked back, as many as ten in a couple of hours. then everyone goes to the clubs, these are crowded, everyone is drunk and or stoned. The atmosphere is heated and violent, drinks spill so fights start, drunks are thrown out by the doormen, moe fights start outside.
Then it's kicking out time and hundreds pour out into the street, more fights of course, people lying all over the street in various states of dress, throwing up, pissing in the street and over each other, ambulance personnel trying to cope with the unconcious, police trying to stop fights.
Blood, vomit, piss and spilt alcohol are running down the gutters, there's people lying in them too. the doormen are trying to help the police who have got every body they have working, trying to get drunks into ambulances and police vans. Bottles are thrown, benches and rubbish bins ripped up and thrown anywhere.
A couple of drunks start fighting, their girlfriends join in then friends and it's a riot, bottles smashed over heads, high heel shoes stabbing, people being kicked in the head, stamped on. the police use batons, CS to break it up and start arresting. Cells however full up so they have to go to neighbouring towns.
And this happens two or three times every week in British towns and cities.

sounds like Houston.

 

[K831]

Let me see if I can paint the picture for you...our local town about 15 miles from here, there's at least two pubs on each main street and there's three night clubs. Remember this is a small town. the local supermarkets sell cheap beer, lager and spirits so people get tanked up before they go out. They go to the pubs first as there is two drinks for the price of one 'happy hour'. Alcopops are also knocked back, as many as ten in a couple of hours. then everyone goes to the clubs, these are crowded, everyone is drunk and or stoned. The atmosphere is heated and violent, drinks spill so fights start, drunks are thrown out by the doormen, moe fights start outside.
Then it's kicking out time and hundreds pour out into the street, more fights of course, people lying all over the street in various states of dress, throwing up, pissing in the street and over each other, ambulance personnel trying to cope with the unconcious, police trying to stop fights.
Blood, vomit, piss and spilt alcohol are running down the gutters, there's people lying in them too. the doormen are trying to help the police who have got every body they have working, trying to get drunks into ambulances and police vans. Bottles are thrown, benches and rubbish bins ripped up and thrown anywhere.
A couple of drunks start fighting, their girlfriends join in then friends and it's a riot, bottles smashed over heads, high heel shoes stabbing, people being kicked in the head, stamped on. the police use batons, CS to break it up and start arresting. Cells however full up so they have to go to neighbouring towns.
And this happens two or three times every week in British towns and cities. In the cities you can multiply the numbers, Cardiff, Newcastle etc will have a thousand out on the street

And people think scenes from a zombie movie could never happen!!

 

[Tez3]

And people think scenes from a zombie movie could never happen!!

Absolutely! dodging these people on the street is almost an art form on it's own!

 

[David43515]

So why do people put up with it? If the bars are a public nuisance, tell your council. If enough people are complaining the owners have to shape up or shut down.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Sounds like every night is Mardi Gras.

It also sounds like the infield at Churchill Downs during the running of the Kentucky Derby. My wife, an ex-pat American from KY, still visits Derby quite often to catch with old friends. Her descriptions of the debauchery are quite eye opening.

 

[Tez3]

So why do people put up with it? If the bars are a public nuisance, tell your council. If enough people are complaining the owners have to shape up or shut down.

It really isn't as simple as that. It's a nationwide problem and these clubs are paying council tax at business rates so no one is going to close them down, the police can complain as much as they want but it's not going to make any difference. Alcohol here carries a hefty tax which goes to the government so they aren't going to act anytime soon. TBH you can close down every club and there will still be a problem as the drinkers will still be out there drunk from buying alcohol elsewhere.
It's a whole new attitude to drink and the effects thats needed.

 

[David43515]

It really isn't as simple as that. It's a nationwide problem and these clubs are paying council tax at business rates so no one is going to close them down, the police can complain as much as they want but it's not going to make any difference. Alcohol here carries a hefty tax which goes to the government so they aren't going to act anytime soon. TBH you can close down every club and there will still be a problem as the drinkers will still be out there drunk from buying alcohol elsewhere.
It's a whole new attitude to drink and the effects thats needed.

It`s not just profitable for the govternment, it`s profitable for those who are on the retail end. But if they lose thier licesnes to sell there will be plaenty of people standing in line to replace them. However if they see that the golden goose can be taken from them just as easily they`re liable to clean up the act on thier own.

We had a much bigger public drinking problem when I was young than we do now. People`s attitudes changed when they began being held accountable for the results of thier actions.When bartenders and the owners have to pay large fines, and when customers have to spend time in jail, pay large fines, and carry a higher amount of coverage in auto insurance they begin acting responsibly because they can`t afford not to.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Safer beer glasses..........:jaws:

Western Civilization has definitely jumped the shark.

 

[Tez3]

Safer beer glasses..........:jaws:

Western Civilization has definitely jumped the shark.

If you knew the extent of the problem you'd understand. It needs more than just changing drinking glasses it needs an entire attitude shift towards alcohol by millions who deem it their right to get bladdered and cause the most havoc and chaos much of it violent, they possibly can. Unless you see it I doubt you'd believe it, I wouldn't tbh.

 

[Paul-M]

LOL, on the right of the first picture Tez posted, see the sign saying TigerTiger ? I was there last night small world huh ?

 

[Tez3]

LOL, on the right of the first picture Tez posted, see the sign saying TigerTiger ? I was there last night small world huh ?

LOL! did you have a good time?

 

[teekin]

Yup, happy to be Canadian. When was the last time we had a riot or even a mass misunderstanding? I think that was the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. Tez, you are a mentally tough cookie to do that job. I would loose my heart.
lori