h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Excellent entry, one I remember it being a pleasure helping with

Reading it again one thing struck me, though - standing at a crowded bar waving a monetary note is a rubbish way of trying to get served, more often than not it puts bar staff's backs up. There's something of the master-servant thing about it that's just bloody annoying.

The real way to do it is work out which member of staff is serving the area of bar you're stood at (usually it's split up into little territories with very little overlap) and catch their eye in a way that says "Hello, I'm here, I'd like to buy a drink when you've got time and I'm the kind of nice non-pushy person who won't be a pain in the backside". Maybe a banknote in your hand is a good visual clue - particularly if you're chatting to someone else at the bar while waiting because it shows you're not their just to stand and have a chat - but for gawd's sake don't start waving it around!

Of course, allowances have to be made for the universal law that bar staff will only ever 'see' and you acknowledge your presence at a time when it suits them.

indeedy, couldn't agree more. there's a few other bits and bobs I thought of in regards to this Entry, so I might pop it into the Update Forum one day. (there's issues like lowered bars for wheelchair users, the fact that there's regional dialects to contend with - and regional ales...ack!) Feel free to add some more ideas, then I'll jam it up the UF
HF

Just thought I`d add that pubs in Scotland can stay open until 1am