Pub, mode d'emploi

Notre ami John a bien voulu nous expliquer comment fonctionne le pub en Angleterre, ses règles et ses astuces (pour pas payer son coup). Pour les anglophones, voici le texte original. Pour les non-comprenants, je resume aprés en Français.

I'm not sure I'm most qualified to answer this question ... well, I hope not
anyway. ;)

However, I know you're aware of the "Round" system. This is where a group of people group together - without any formal agreement - and take turns to buy drinks during the evening. This usually happens by someone asking a few people if they would like a drink. Each of these people would then be obliged to buy a drink in return. However, it would be rude just to buy a drink for yourself and the other person and so you would ask the others around you if they would like a drink too. These people would then be obliged to buy you a drink (all except the person who bought you a drink originally) and so the round continues, until everyone has bought a drink
for everyone who has bought them one. :D

If there is a limited time then, of course, a round won't work. This is when tricks can be used. The first person to the bar feels under pressure to buy drinks for their friends. It would be seen as rude just to buy your own. So, you don't be the first one to the bar.

Trick #1: Upon arriving at the pub, hurry towards the door and hold it open for everyone. They will all pass you by, leaving you at the back of the queue for the bar. This is effective as you will be seen as polite, everyone will say "Thank you" as you hold the door for them, and the first
person at the bar will feel even more obliged to buy you a drink as you have just been nice to them.

Trick #2: Pause to finish a "deep" conversation just short of the bar. It doesn't matter if you're talking rubbish to your friend, just stop and look thoughtful as though the conversation about socks is the most important discussion you have had in years. No one will disturb you and will pass-by to the bar.

Trick #3: Visit the bathroom upon arrival. Useful if you find yourself first one into the pub. It doesn't matter if you actually need to go or not, just announce loudly that you're visiting the bathroom and walk away very slowly until the unlucky "first person at the bar" feels obliged to buy you a drink for when you return.

Of course, if you try these tricks too often then people won't be impressed. While everyone appears to be generous and carefree about whom they buy drinks for, everyone keeps a very careful count of who owes them drinks, and who they owe drinks to. But this system can fail as the evening goes on and people's memories become less reliable.

I hope this is a useful summary. :D


Traduction approximative :

John explique d'abord ce qu'est le "round system" (tournée), ou les gens achetent pour tous les autres des bieres à tour de role, jusqu'a ce que tout le monde ai payé un coup à tout le monde.
Ensuite, John explique les trucs pour ne pas payer :) Le principe, quand le temps est limité, c'est de ne pas être le premier à arriver au bar.

Truc 1: en arrivant au bar, vite vite se deplacer vers la porte, et la tenir pour que les autres entrent. Du coup on se retrouve dernier dans la queue pour le bar, et en plus on passe pour une personne polie. La 1ere personne arrivée au bar aura encore plus envie de vous payer à boire.

Truc 2: Juste avant d'arriver au bar, s'arreter, et faire une pause pour finir une conversation profonde. Pas grave si on est en train de parler de chaussettes, tant qu'on fait comme si c'etait la plus importante conversation qu'on a eu de toute l'année. Du coup personne ne va deranger et passer à coté jusqu'au bar pour acheter des bieres.

Truc3: Visiter les toilettes directement en arrivant. Utile si on se retrouve le 1er à arriver au bar. Pas grave si on n'a pas envie, il suffit de dire trés fort "Je vais au toilettes" puis y aller doucement pour laisser le temps aux autres de commander pour soi.

John precise que ces trucs ne marchent pas si on les fait trop souvent et que la plupart des anglais sont trés capables de noter et retenir l'ordre des tournées. Mais qu'au fur et a mesure de la soirée la mémoire devient de moins en moins fiable :)