In pub capital, pub safety is a question of concerns

The Church Street accident where two pub-goers fell to their death from the second floor while exiting a pub raises an important question: How safe are the watering holes we regularly visit, especially when filled to the brim with people in varying degrees of inebriation?

As the number of bars and pubs skyrocket in what is already known as the pub capital of India, precious little dialogue is happening on the safety front. Many bars are found openly flouting building regulations by having dingy and narrow entrances and staircases.

On the darker side, most of these bars happen to be the same ones often frequented by the younger crowds, who are on the lookout for a drink that would not put a dent in their budget.

Navneet Sunil, who works at a tech company in the city and frequents bars in the Koramangala and BTM areas, believes that many of them are a disaster waiting to happen. He notes: “Many pubs with multiple stories or situated on higher floors have a very small entrance. Entries are through the side of the building with staircases that are too narrow.”

These outlets, he is convinced, will not be able to handle emergencies such as a fire. “We wouldn’t be seeing any orderly proceeding of people. A bunch of drunk people would be running for their lives and a lot of people will get hurt. As much as I like to party, this is not the kind of situation I want to be in,” says Sunil.

Some venues are known to restrict entries, especially on weekends. But many others are filled to the brim with intoxicated patrons dancing and jostling around crowded tables as more and more people enter, further exacerbating the situation.

Though these problems may seem to be in the ambit of ‘budget bars,’ sometimes they extend further to higher-end locations, says Lakshmi Nambiar, who works at a fashion house.

“At some of the places I visit in Indiranagar, they have high stools set right next to a window or opening and I am always worried about sitting there. In some places, the staircases are built in a confusing manner; a clear case of putting form above function that could lead to people tripping or falling,” she elaborates.

Architectural problems aside, another issue for bars to contend with is that of women’s safety. Some of the popular ‘party streets’ in the city have gained notoriety for the incidents of crimes against women.

Meghana Das, a client service manager at a marketing agency had this to say on the issue: “Even though I have never felt unsafe in most pubs, I can’t say the same about the journey back. It’s usually dark and crowded outside popular joints, creating a generally unsafe environment. This is made worse when cab drivers cancel your rides and you are left standing outside, trying to book another ride.”
Drunk driving is another issue. Technically, bars may not be responsible for the actions of their patrons once they leave the vicinity of the bar. However, not actively discouraging something may be akin to encouraging it, as Manthan Bahal from an event management firm put it.

Bahal explains: “What worries me is the number of people who stagger out of bars and pubs to get into their private vehicle and drive away. How can you drive many kilometres in a car when you have a hard time getting into it?”

The worrying thing is that even if you choose to be responsible and take a cab, there are people like that driving on the same roads, he says. “Pubs and bars should not allow their customers to drive back and should encourage them to take public transport instead.”

However, across the city, there are also bars and pubs that put the safety of their customers first. Some go so far as providing cab pick up services for their customers to ensure that they reach home safe. But there is neither any legislation in place that emphasises the safety of pub-goers, nor is there any platform to reward such exemplary service.