No Stupid Questions

Worked in a pub in the UK.

Yes, we had regulars. They'd be there nearly every night after work for a quick pint before heading home.

Very few of them would stay for more than one or two though

Yep.

Source: Was one of them.

Used to be? This is still common in many industries and localities.

Yes. I grew up in the Boston area.

A lot of blue collar workers went straight to the bar after work 3-4 days a week.

I did sheet metal back in the 90's for a year. Typical day... start at 6, off at 2:30, bar from 3-5. Pretty much everyday.

Like…um…what are you doing?

Remember, no internet before this millenium, 3 to 7 television channels before cable, no TV before the 50s...

Yes, even in countries like Austria. Saddest thing was that many men that were 'great pals' while drinking turned into abusers when coming home, making their families co-dependents and their lives hell.

I do. Most other people that come here are regulars also.

Not much else out there for community.

Yes. In my fathers time men would go there often for lunch and after work. I think some went home and then went over for an hour or two. Later it was still common but someone who did it all the time would be called a barfly but almost everyone did like friday night and pretty often thursday or saturday. Its diminished since and more and more bars have to sorta be restaurants or dance clubs or band venues.

If I could afford it I would. Better than going home and sitting on my ass playing video games or whatever. Bars around here are too expensive though (just like everything else). I could drink for a month at home on what I spend for 1 trip to the bar.

Yes, but bear in mind a lot of factory, construction, and industrial jobs are 7-3 or 8-4. So a working class laborer could go catch a happy hour with the coworkers or neighbors and be home by 5.

Also in the age of single income households men were often not expected to pull as much weight at home.

I don’t know about every night but I know plenty of dudes who have a watering hole they go to weekly.

My uncle was a factory worker and a daily regular at his favorite local bar for more than 30 years.

My mom wouldn't allow me to go inside the bar (because drinking alcohol is a sin, you know). But in the '80s and '90s, before cell phones, I knew exactly where to find him after school if I needed anything.

Unfortunately, 30+ years of excessive drinking caused a lot of really serious health problems that caught up to him when he was in his 50s. The owners and staff sent a huge flower arrangement and all came to his funeral.

It depends on (sub)culture, but mainly yes.

Bars were often cheap too, so going to the bar multiple times per week was not expensive. The reason these bars were cheap:

• Outside of touristic areas ground is cheap.
• If the local government allows it, the bar can on the owners property.
• The owner and customers were often friends, so friend pricing would be standard.
• Health and safety regulations used to be less strict. Allowing for lower prices.
• The bar was open whenever the owner wanted, instead of on a fixed schedule, making it more easy to combine with a second job.
• Bars rarely had a menu, they just sold whatever they had in stock. Today customers would be upset if an item on the menu was not in stock.

Also,

• Parks used to be less safe and less well maintained, so buying drinks in the supermarket and consuming them in the park wasn't really an option.
• The internet wasn't a thing, so people who wanted to spend the evening gaming had to do so in the bar.

It used to be a place for the working stiffs to gather and was priced accordingly. Nowadays capitalization has been overused to the point where a lot of businesses are pricing themselves out of customers.

A lot of bars would have tons of cash on Fridays and bartenders would cash paychecks. Customers would pay off the tab and start a new one. Idk how common it is anymore. Most jobs I’ve had for a while will give a paper check if they have to, but discourage it as much as possible.

I watched a documentary about "bar culture" in the 60es and 70es where i live. Shit was pretty wild. Dudes talked about going to the bar like people talk about video games these days. "Oh yeah, on a good week i'm here 40 to 48 hours" what doesn your wife think about it? "She's not excited, but you know..."