Load of Bull & Hassle
Nov 22nd, 2009 | By HAL | Category: Out on the TownI’m hoping that you can help me out. Recently, my partner and I had one of those incidents where you think to yourself “is that because I’m gay?”. Here goes…
We arrived at the Bull & Castle, a place we go to regularly, in Dublin’s Christchurch. We had a drink upstairs while waiting for a table and for our other friends to arrive. They came, we gabbed away and the four of us went down to our table. All good in the hood.
We chatted away, ate a lovely meal and were having a nice evening when my partner went to the bar. She ordered some drinks and the barman said to her “you and your friends would want to watch the Fs and Jesus Christs”. She was so shocked that she mumbled something, came back to the table and told us. At first we thought it was hilarious, and were joking about it at which time the couple at the table beside us, got up suddenly and left.
Now, we weren’t loud, rowdy, or cursing that much, just talking as anyone does with their mates. We’ve been thinking about it since and maybe the couple who left so abruptly were offended by our conversation, which was about gay stuff. Nothing bigoted, nothing overtly sexual, just chat. Did they go to the barman and complain? I dunno.
Maybe it had nothing to do with them and it was because I kissed my partner. Once on the cheek. Did the barman take offense to this and wanted us to leave? Again, I dunno.
Maybe the barman just hates cursing. Well then, buddy, you’re in the wrong job.
I sent two emails to The Bull & Castle about this and have heard nothing since. So, am I being gay-paranoid, or was this aversion to the F word an excuse to get us to leave? What do you think?
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That’s not paranoia- it sounds decidedly odd- barman took against you, his customers, for no apparent reason- so homophobia seems the likely one. If everyone who ‘cursed’ in a bar in Dublin was treated so, the vintners association would have a crisis on their hands! On the basis that they hadn’t the courtesy to reply to you emails, I intend to boycott them. I’ve eaten there a couple of times recently, nice, handy pre-theatre/gig, but a pub/restaurant that doesn’t value its LGBT clients doesn’t get my custom!
I would contact the Vintners Association with a complaint if the other shower don’t get back to you. Maybe they should have a sign on the door saying no cursing allowed!
What on earth? That is so bizarre and out of line. I’m a waitress, and while on occasion I’ve served a few very loud and rowdy tables, I would never take it upon myself to tell them to watch their language. It’s just not my place. If there was really an issue (like, children present) I’d ask my manager to discuss it with them, but a bartender or server has no right to say things like that to a customer, and you said you weren’t even being very loud, so they shouldn’t have taken issue with it at all.
I don’t know if you’re right about it possibly being homophobic, but if you don’t get an email reply back soon I’d call them and ask the speak to the manager about it.
Thanks for backing me up guys. I’m really disappointed in them as I really enjoy The Bull & Castle and usually the barmen and staff are great – chatty and pleasant.
Won’t be back though. In this day and age, how can business people afford to be homophobic (if that’s what it was) or curse-ophobic?
Just to answer a couple of things; there were no kids around, it was actaully very quiet, just us and the couple who left.
On the night I asked one of the floorstaff who the manager was, and it was our buddy behind the bar.
A letter to the IVA is a good idea….
I think the decisive question is, “How many people do you know have been asked to stop cursing in a pub?” Gay or straight? I can’t name one.
Gaelick inadvertently posted a response from the Bull & Castle which was meant for the poster only and it has, therefore, been removed.
In fairness, I don’t think the article actually said they believed Bull & Castle to be homophobic… it asked whether readers saw the situation that way.
It is pretty rare to be asked to stop swearing in a pub. I have certainly never witnessed such an event myself, despite my long and not-so-distinguished career of drunkenly discussing rude things loudly in pubs.
I managed to read the reply from B&C before it was removed from the comments.
I don’t even know what he meant by “What does Admin think?” – this is a blog, the opinions are those of the person who post the article; the blog only needs to stand over each article in so far as each contributor allowed to write for Gaelick. There was no actionable statement contained in the blog post itself, however much dislikable it may be to B&C management.
To be honest, I don’t know why the B&C reply was removed from the comments here: Welcome to Web2.0, lads!
And I think Jacqui’s comment still stands: Who else has ever been told to stop swearing in the history of pubs anywhere?
Lame.
I read the reply too and thought it was overly defensive and a bit pushy – I think that whole situation was badly handled by the staff involved- if a customer is swearing loudly and causing others to complain, why didn’t the barman go over to said customer, and ask them to tone it down a bit?
If that had of been done, there would have no question of any homophobic undertones and this piece would never have been written.
Also, anyone who gets offended by swearing should not go to pubs, – Dublin has plenty of libraries and churches for such sensitive souls!