What Planet Do These People Live On?

[New Judge]

I have long had the suspicion that many of the government's plans for dealing with Coronavirus were scribbled on the back of a fag packet. Now I'm convinced. This is from "a government advisor":

"Eyal Winter, a leading economist, told Cabinet ministers in a meeting that a solution to potential crowding could be to ask [pub] landlords to ration alcohol and to then politely ask people to go home.

It would mean landlords could allow 2 to 3 pints of beer, for example, before asking people to leave due to Covid-19."

How are they to tell how many pints each customer has had? Will they give out tokens at the door? What about people who don't drink pints? How long must the ration last and when can the customer return for more? Has Mr Winter (whoever he is) ever visited a pub and does he understand what they are for? Methinks he might do best to stick to economics.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/pubs-should-enforce-a-2-3-pint-limit-when-lockdown-lifts-economist-advises/ar-BB13mzXW?ocid=spartanntp

[ToraToraTora]

the whole thing is mental judge, probably comes from a back room dope head.

[MallyJ]

Written on the back of a fag packet after 15 pints IMO. They are not on the same planet ...sadly.

[ToraToraTora]

a plan like that could only have come from a non drinker who never goes to the pub.

[bookbinder]

We can all be reassured by Mr. Winter's pronouncement. After all, he is the author of a book that's called "Feeling Smart":
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23112741-feeling-smart

[Mamyalynne]

Perhaps he should rethink and go back to Game Theory.

https://theconversation.com/profiles/eyal-winter-687040

[Bobbisox1]

Why would they be bothered about the man in the street wanting a pint?
When they have the heavy subsidies given to the in three bars at Westminster, not for them Wetherspoons

[Bobbisox1]

Three? Dunno where that came from :0/

[naomi24]

I should have read the link first. From the OP I thought he was worried about social distancing being breached by drunks staggering into other customers.

[New Judge]

Thanks for the links. I note that Mr (or is it Professor?) Winter is "Director of the Center for the Study of Rationality". Well, physician heal thyself. There is nothing remotely rational about his advice and frankly he should have been thanked for his services, shown the door and given his bus fare home. (Actually, no. He could foot that himself). The man is obviously a charlatan.

[Buenchico]

Many publicans welcomed the introduction of strict, legally enforceable rules precisely because they'd been unable to get their customers to follow 'guidelines' up until then. So I can't see how any new set of guidelines could ever be made to work.

The MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Dan Poulter, is a Tory (so he's obviously strongly aware of the pressures on the Government to 'get the economy restarted'). However he's also a doctor (and thus hopedfully knows a thing or two about epidemiology too). He has stated that "pubs, restaurants, theatres and sports venues are unlikely to reopen to the public much before Christmas". That view seems to be broadly accepted within the local business community:
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/suffolk-pubs-closed-until-christmas-1-6615417

Much as I miss my usual Sunday evening crossword sessions, with a couple of mates, in an Ipswich pub, I find myself forced to agree with Dr Poulter.

[ToraToraTora]

chris which pub do you use in Ipswich? Been there for many a peace up in the past.

[Deskdiary]

"pubs, restaurants, theatres and sports venues are unlikely to reopen to the public much before Christmas"

He should have added, "and therefore most will unlikely ever open again, certainly in the case of pubs and restaurants, and certainly those not part of a chain."

[Buenchico]

(With apologies to NJ for chatting on his thread):

We used The Rep for quite a while, TTT.
https://whatpub.com/img/SUF/524/rep-ipswich/298/224
It's lovely old pub, which retains many of its features from its days as the old Ipswich Arts Theatre:
https://licklist.s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/original/000/000/019/641/950-auzadg4w4tzywoss.jpg

However Greene King disposed of it and we're not too keen on the way it's run these days, so we've moved to the other Greene King pub in the town centre, which is the Cock and Pye:
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/D8PW50/cock-pye-pub-ipswich-suffolk-uk-D8PW50.jpg

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/09/48/ad/1a/the-cock-pye.jpg

[Buenchico]

Deskdiary:
I think it's inevitable that at least a third of all pubs and bars will disappear for good when things 'start to get back to normal'. It simply can't be avoided.

[weecalf]

After that there are plans for Strickly no drinking on these premises signs in all bars .I’ve said it afore I’ve said it in Brighton .

[teacake44]

It could also get a bit messy in the urinals, standing two meters from the cubicles. Aim fire :0)))))))

[jourdain2]

If our village pub never re-opens, it will kill our village. The social and mental costs (isolation & depression) of not allowing them to re-open fairly soon is unthinkable.

[ToraToraTora]

I went in the Cock n Pie, the salutation, Cricketers, the Irish pub it's the Halberd now used to be something else and some others that I can't find on the map!

[ToraToraTora]

oh and I did go in that one that was a theatre.

[Togo]

//could be to ask [pub] landlords to ration alcohol and to then politely ask people to go home.//

That in itself is enough to alert anyone who has ever been to a pub that the "advisor" is in need of a bit of advice himself. 2 words would suffice. When a real landlord has shown you the door it is the customer who was "asked" to leave who resorts to politely asking.........whether he (or she) can please come in again your majesty.