Remember when bars were places of social interaction?

[bob]

I am sitting at a bar in a New Hampshire hotel, there are 7 people here. Everybody is on their ipad or phone.

(Including me). 

[esteban]

I am sitting at a bar in a New Hampshire hotel, there are 7 people here. Everybody is on their ipad or phone.

(Including me). 

hahahahahshashs. Sad.

Trüe storie.

[bob]

#8 just walked in with a laptop. LOL

[esteban]

#8 just walked in with a laptop. LOL

Damn. Of course.

[xcrement5x]

I always hated bars as a place to "hang out".  Music is too loud so I could never hear people, drinks are overpriced, and the smoke killed my breathing and made me smell like an ashtray.

[MrFulci]

I don't own a phone, outside my home or car. If someone wants me, they need to beep me, similar to Clark Griswold. (Really, even now. Fuck a leash. it's luxury, not a necessity).

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) Trailer

My TG-16 never had a car phone attachment...

[cr8zykuban0]

that's modern times for you.

[jtucci31]

Are you hitting up the local Tinder again?

[CGQuarterly]

To be fair, you're at a *hotel* bar.

[bartre]

all depends on the neighborhood.
in my area there are 4 general kinds of bars.
1 - dance clubs/bars - you can't hear shit, but you don't want to hear anything these people have to say. chances are very good you'll get laid unless you're just awful with chicks.
2 - college bars - these are the places where drinks are 3x as expensive as anywhere else, the music sucks and is too loud to speak over, but not enough to bother the more social people, and everyone is convinced that they have life all figured out.
3 - pubs - people here are generally pretty chill, the bars are dark, the music varies and is never anything you struggle to talk over, the bartender is always knowledgeable about at least one thing (beer, whiskey, cocktails, etc.), and they are almost never crowded.
4 - old man bars - they play classic rock and country music, football or baseball on TV, the drinks are cheap, but not much of a selection, and they generally open as soon as you can legally serve (6AM here)

there are prime examples of #3 and 4 within a 2 minute walk of my house, and i love them.

[NecroPhile]

To be fair, you're at a *hotel* bar. 

Exactly.  Such bars have never been a hot bed for interaction; they're for adulterers and bored traveling salesmen killing time.

[bob]

To be fair, you're at a *hotel* bar. 

Exactly.  Such bars have never been a hot bed for interaction; they're for adulterers and bored traveling salesmen killing time.

haha.  true.  but i should clarify, its more like a full irish pub.  it wasnt like a traditional hotel bar.
you can see how bored i was to even create this thread.

[synbiosfan]

Music is too loud so I could never hear people, drinks are overpriced, and the smoke killed my breathing and made me smell like an ashtray.

All the reasons you listed reminds me of the good old days

[o.pwuaioc]

To be fair, you're at a *hotel* bar.

This, but also, talk to the bartender. They're usually happy to chat about something unless they too are busy on their phones (I've seen that, unfortunately, at too many bars I've been to, mostly by younger bartenders).

[roflmao]

Interesting.  I hardly ever go to bars, but a couple of weeks ago I was in Indy on a business trip and spent my evenings watching the Royals play at the hotel bar. One night I chit-chatted all evening with one of the bartenders.  She was really cute.  We were poking fun at some guy who was at the bar trying to pick up some hot blonde.  They were both pretty wasted. The next night I sparked up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me and it turns out he lives a couple towns away from me! I later saw him at the KC Airport after flying home.  Small world! Very few, if any, people were glued to their phones. 

When I do head to bars, it's usually #s 3 & 4 from Bartre's list that I prefer.

[PunkCryborg]

When I go to bars..... it's to play games!
Either I'm playing pinball or going to a retro console gaming night with some cool people!

[SuperGrafx]

I am sitting at a bar in a New Hampshire hotel, there are 7 people here. Everybody is on their ipad or phone.

(Including me). 

Whereabouts in New Hampshire?

[bob]

was in nashua

[SuperGrafx]

was in nashua

Wow no kidding.  Small world.
I lived there for 5 years.
Moved to the south last January.