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Bar wars price right for drinking classes
Tuesday 19th August 2008, 9:29AM BST.
The ongoing “bar wars”, which have seen drinks prices slashed in West Bromwich, can only be good for the beer drinkers of the Black country.
The prices for drinks at The Explosion and The Marksman are at least at a realistic price for the West Midlands area.
The comments from former mayor Cllr Bill Archer, which he is entitled to, are a load of rubbish! How can he have the audacity to say “it’s so cheap, some people will be able to drink all day”. Would he (if he plays) say his golf membership is so cheap “I can afford to play all and every day”? I bet he wouldn’t!
He wants to bear in mind that this is a working class area, and the price is right! All the other pubs are charging far too much, that’s why they are almost empty and loads are closing down every day.
The other comments from Paul Hissey, manager at Busby’s, are absolutely ridiculous! I quote: “There is no problem with people willing to pay extra”. From this comment I take it he means that he’s over charging.
“We get the same customers all the while,” he says. “We haven’t had a drop in custom.” But he hasn’t had an increase in custom either, has he. I wonder why. And to call pubs that sell cheap beer “very irresponsible”, well that really sums his comments up.
There’s nothing wrong in free enterprise! I suggest if he can’t compete then he’d best shut up shop and find some alternative business he can compete in. If it is suggested that pub drunkenness is on the increase, then it is up to the licensee to police this situation and refuse further drinks to anyone who they consider has had enough and call in the local police if required.
I went shopping in West Bromwich recently and the two pubs selling “cheap” beer were packed. Busby’s – well I’ll leave this to your imagination.
M Cartwright, Molyneux Road, Dudley.
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The fact that you do not even acknowledge:
1) the impacts on the health of those drinkers and the fact that everyone else has to pay tax to treat their liver diseases,
2) the impacts on the number of fights, anti-social behaviour, broken glass outside, men urinating in the street, accidents, car crashes from people driving home drunk etc etc and that everyone else will have to pay more tax to clean up their mess
3) the message this sends out to the unemployed and disenfranchised that “hey it doesn’t matter if you’re a drop-out, a dead-beat or a no hoper, because you can drink all week on your benefits!” and the impact this has on society (in other words – society wants you to drink yourself to an early grave, unemployed and unskilled people of West Bromwich!)
4) The message this sends out to the rest of the country that West Bromwich is a urine-stained, vomit encrusted cesspit of abandoned hope and liver disease and
5) You do not address how these pubs can sell the beer at this price – by presumably employing very few staff at very low wages, and by cannibalising themselves (i.e. waiting for the others to go bust first so they don’t have to face the competition)
means that you are a moron just like all the other people who drink in these pubs in West Bromwich. God rest your soul.
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Rebecca, I can’t believe what utter rubbish I just read in your reply (and not for the first time). Does it not occur to you that not everyone who drinks beer drinks to the excesses that you suggest with your sweeping generalisations on health, anti-social behaviour and the habits of those without jobs. Like it or not, and you clearly don’t, drinking beer is a part of the ever-fading British culture, one which is constantly being eroded by self-righteous do-gooders like you. Stories like this should be celebrated in this rip-off world of ever increasing Corporate profits and over-taxation. Maybe you should have a few drinks yourself at these refeshingly low prices and lighten up a bit. It is about choice at the end of the day, and for the moment, people can choose when and where they drink – and they are obviously voting with their feet in the above case. I get the impression you would like to see freedom of choice abolished as well.
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Rebecca,
To finish an argument ” means that you are a moron just like all the other people who drink in these pubs in West Bromwich”, shows a lack of respect for others.
Lack of respect for other people and lack of responsibility for one’s action are the main reasons this country is going to the wall.
If the Landlord took responsibility for his actions for selling cheap alcohol to the young and vunerable and the punters took responsibility for drinking so much then there wouldn’t be a problem.
It’s about acting as Adults!!!!
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Ask the politicians in the Whitehall Bar, how much they are paying for their favourite tipple..it’s not a lot of money.
Oh, and on the continent the price of beer is generally much cheaper..any views, Mr. Archer?
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Rebecca, I have to say I really do think you should calm down a bit. Try and rationalise your thoughts.
I don’t see how you think this is sending out a message only to young, unemployed people. You try living ‘on the dole’..see how much food you can buy let alone beer. They sell at this price due to the quantity being sold.
Oh, and not everyone who drinks in pubs in West Bromwich is a moron, thank you very much.
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