You might underestimate how confusing pubs can be for non-British people. To give you an example, I was in London last week with my cousin and her young daughter and we went for a fish&chips in a pub near Gloucester Road.
I knew you had to order at the bar and not to wait for a waiter to take your order, so I did go to the bar and order. The barmaid then told me our meals and drinks would be brought to our table. So far so good. Sadly, only two drinks arrived, then the meals. When a few minutes later I asked for my drink, the waiter rolled eyes a bit, probably thinking 'Damn those foreigners who can't do things the usual way', then after a few minutes he brought me my glass of cider, asking me to pay for it at once. Then when I told him it was already paid for as I had ordered it at the bar 25 minutes ago, he called his boss, then more conversation followed, made difficult by the deafening noise of the crowd. Finally, I got my drink long after I had finished eating. During most of that incident, I couldn't help thinking I was probably doing things the wrong way, that some implicit pub law had somehow escaped me. So I won't blame Americans for putting booths where there shouldn't be any. :)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-04-13 02:27 pm (UTC)I knew you had to order at the bar and not to wait for a waiter to take your order, so I did go to the bar and order. The barmaid then told me our meals and drinks would be brought to our table. So far so good. Sadly, only two drinks arrived, then the meals. When a few minutes later I asked for my drink, the waiter rolled eyes a bit, probably thinking 'Damn those foreigners who can't do things the usual way', then after a few minutes he brought me my glass of cider, asking me to pay for it at once. Then when I told him it was already paid for as I had ordered it at the bar 25 minutes ago, he called his boss, then more conversation followed, made difficult by the deafening noise of the crowd. Finally, I got my drink long after I had finished eating. During most of that incident, I couldn't help thinking I was probably doing things the wrong way, that some implicit pub law had somehow escaped me. So I won't blame Americans for putting booths where there shouldn't be any. :)