Is this racist?

[Ck]

With the impending football word cup on our doorsteps, the good people of England are getting into the spirit of things by sporting England tops, flying the St Georges flag from cars and windows and displaying other such patriotic gestures all in the name of fun and often, just because we can.

Where I work, they banned football tops a few years ago after a fight broke out in some small distant office between two lower division team fans that'd been winding each other up for months. Last world cup we were warned that anyone turning up at the office wearing anything that could be construed as England paraphernalia would be immediately sent home to change. (Our particular office worked around that by conspiring to wear red and white clothes on the day of any England match).

We've been warned yet again. And then I see this >> Click

Are we, and that little boy, a victim of racism?

[SFB]

It could only be construed as racism if the staff were of another race!

"The managemant reserve the right to refuse ..."

That sign appears in every UK establishment where people gather and the management by law are not required to give a reason.

A bit like forums? :wink:

[Ck]

Authoritarian bordering on fascism then.

I can't stand being dictated to, although it does make my inner child appear which I find quite amusing. :P

[Earl]

The worst things these 'chain' pubs do is encourage children to the establishment with playgrounds and special offer childrens meals etc, then tell you they can't come near the bar! How the hell do you order food or drinks if you can't come to the bar? Leave your children unattended in a crowded pub? That sounds like a good idea. :roll:

[Ck]

How outrageous! I can understand it in a smokey drinky adult type pub to a certain extent but not in one where they actually entice people to take children, that's just backwards. Is there any common licensing law that prohibits children from standing at the bar? I'm only wondering because my local even serves kids with soft drinks and they're not especially classed as a 'family' pub.

[SFB]

You all seem to have it backwards, children were allowed in UK pubs before the licensing laws were clamped down on in 1914!!

Europe has never had that problem, but because of your inability to see further than your island fortress you will continue leading a blinkered existence without knowledge of reason.

[Ck]

Those child orientated pubs are bloody awful anyway. They provide stimuli in the way of play areas and foods ladened with additives and E numbers. They're generally inhabited by over excited rowdy kids and parents at the end of their tether from screeching at little Jonny for the umpteenth time not run around with a glass bottle in his mouth. That's just the good parents, the bad ones wouldn't even have noticed.

I think the English generally have a poor relation with regards to alcohol at the best of times. Places like that only serve to encourage it. When a kids first impression of a pub is to have free reign to run around like a lunatic it's going to be unlikely they'll go on to view them as a place to relax, chat and chill out.

[lohi1]

Child oriented pubs? WTF?! You are kidding, right? hock:

[Earl]

What's the situation with children in drinking establishments in your part of Europe Lohi?

[Ck]

Child oriented pubs? WTF?! You are kidding, right? hock:

It's all true. They sprang up a fair few years ago now. They have special children's menus, indoor play areas, outdoor play areas, they have these machines inside dotted about where you insert coins and small toys or sweets pop out. They often give the child a 'goody bag' with things like colouring books and crayons in to play with whilst they're sat at the table and are rewarded with a balloon and a lolly pop for eating all their dinner. That sort of thing. Horrible really, it's like they over stimulate the kids senses and they just go crazy and wild.

I assume the idea is that the kids enjoy themselves that much that they then nag their parents to go back again and again. After all, no-one does that sort of thing for the love of it, it's a business, it's all about revenue.