5 ms·

I'd love to hear about some alternatives. I still default to "let's go to a bar" as the hangout thing to do, but TBH I'm getting kind of tired of alcohol. I'm j

I'd love to hear about some alternatives. I still default to "let's go to a bar" as the hangout thing to do, but TBH I'm getting kind of tired of alcohol. I'm just not really sure what other options are. Bars are great: you get a small table for your conversation; being a little loud and bawdy is fine (no kids); it's a casual drop-in-drop-out atmosphere where the bill is already split. Where do you get that kind of atmosphere other than a bar? Genuinely asking, I'd love to have another social option.

wccrawford 4y ago
I don't drink and I don't go to bars because I have a hearing problem and the background noise makes conversation basically impossible. And I still I have no idea what most people would find acceptable instead of going to a bar. All of the alternatives I can think of involve inviting people who are almost strangers into your house (or going to theirs) before you get to know them. This obviously causes some tense situations sometimes. It's hard to find a sport that everyone wants to do (or can do), but you could try minigolf or pickle ball and see who wants to do it. Online movie night has been a big hit with our friends group, and I could see it working for a group of coworkers, too. Teleparty is a pretty easy Chrome plugin, but everyone needs to have the same streaming service like Netflix or Disney+. I vaguely remember someone at work trying to stream a video to the group over Meet, but it went poorly because of lag and lost frames and generally bad audio.
- bittercynic 4y ago
  How about walking in a local park, or throwing a frisbee? Taking a group walk can be a good way to get to know new people, and it seems natural to walk and chat with someone for a little while, and then switch partners. Groups can easily change membership/size without the disruption of needing to change chairs around a table.
- em-bee 4y ago
  board-games in the office. for tech people a fun-hackathon. outdoors a picnic, bbq in the park, or even in the parking lot. one company where i worked had a nice roof terrace they would use for all sorts of activities
cratermoon 4y ago
Coffee shops. Although if you're working in Utah you might find a lot of co-workers not into that, either. Juice bars are a thing in some places.
- barroomhero 4y ago
  Isn't "I don't drink coffee/tea/caffeine." "Well they have other options." the same problem as alcohol?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - apocolyps6 4y ago
    It's different for me in a couple ways: 1) I have the same background noise issue as the sibling comment. I can't have a conversation in a bar. Coffee shops are usually much more quiet, brightly lit, designed for sitting in and working/talking quietly. 2) It sucks to be the only sober person in a group. Caffeine doesn't have the same effect. 3) Bars are pretty hit or miss on if they have any non-alcaholic options (lemon juice concentrate + water doesn't count). Most coffee shops have great non-caffeinated options (horchatas, juices, smoothies/milkshakes, ciders, tisanes)
  - justsomehnguy 4y ago
    Stakehouse: I'm vegetarian/vegan. Wafflehouse: wheat intolerant Milkshake bar: milk/lactose intolerant Plain water bar: I don't drink plain water /s
    - cratermoon 4y ago
      Stakehouse (sic): you can still have food. I'm vegetarian, and no, steakhouses usually don't have good options, but there's something, even if it's just a plate of steamed vegetables that basically amounts to hot crudités. I haven't liked the times my employers have had events at places with limited non-meat options, but I don't complain. Wafflehouse: unless you have a severe wheat allergy, in which case you also can't go to a pizza restaurant, you can still find something to eat. Milkshake bar: Non-dairy milks exist. The milkshake bars near me offer options. Finally, as someone mentioned in another comment, just eating doesn't have the same effect as drinking. Going to a bar and having a drink makes people drunk, or at least tipsy. The non-drinker is clearly the odd one out. Going out to eat, everyone gets feds.
arrakeen 4y ago
my suggestion of volunteering as a team outing instead of yet another drinking one was not well-received
personjerry 4y ago
I learned recently you can just go to a bar and order a diet coke (and just hold it), it's like magic
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 4y ago
  Yup, most bars will give you a coke with a lime for free. (I'd still tip them a couple bucks for the first one, though). If you're at a bar and you don't want to drink, the bar absolutely wants to help you accomplish your mission. No bar owner wants an alcoholic to relapse in their bar, nor do they want designated drivers getting into fender benders in their parking lot. They'll happily give you a drink that looks alcoholic to help you ward off the peer pressure.
  - personjerry 4y ago
    I've never encountered a bar giving a coke for free, where is that happening?
    - fingerlocks 4y ago
      The secret phrase is “Hey I’m the DD tonight, can I have just a coke?” You’re welcome.
- pelasaco 4y ago
  the Author would consider it "haram" anyway..

wccrawford 4y ago

I don't drink and I don't go to bars because I have a hearing problem and the background noise makes conversation basically impossible. And I still I have no idea what most people would find acceptable instead of going to a bar. All of the alternatives I can think of involve inviting people who are almost strangers into your house (or going to theirs) before you get to know them. This obviously causes some tense situations sometimes. It's hard to find a sport that everyone wants to do (or can do), but you could try minigolf or pickle ball and see who wants to do it. Online movie night has been a big hit with our friends group, and I could see it working for a group of coworkers, too. Teleparty is a pretty easy Chrome plugin, but everyone needs to have the same streaming service like Netflix or Disney+. I vaguely remember someone at work trying to stream a video to the group over Meet, but it went poorly because of lag and lost frames and generally bad audio.

bittercynic 4y ago
How about walking in a local park, or throwing a frisbee? Taking a group walk can be a good way to get to know new people, and it seems natural to walk and chat with someone for a little while, and then switch partners. Groups can easily change membership/size without the disruption of needing to change chairs around a table.
em-bee 4y ago
board-games in the office. for tech people a fun-hackathon. outdoors a picnic, bbq in the park, or even in the parking lot. one company where i worked had a nice roof terrace they would use for all sorts of activities

cratermoon 4y ago

Coffee shops. Although if you're working in Utah you might find a lot of co-workers not into that, either. Juice bars are a thing in some places.

barroomhero 4y ago
Isn't "I don't drink coffee/tea/caffeine." "Well they have other options." the same problem as alcohol?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- apocolyps6 4y ago
  It's different for me in a couple ways: 1) I have the same background noise issue as the sibling comment. I can't have a conversation in a bar. Coffee shops are usually much more quiet, brightly lit, designed for sitting in and working/talking quietly. 2) It sucks to be the only sober person in a group. Caffeine doesn't have the same effect. 3) Bars are pretty hit or miss on if they have any non-alcaholic options (lemon juice concentrate + water doesn't count). Most coffee shops have great non-caffeinated options (horchatas, juices, smoothies/milkshakes, ciders, tisanes)
- justsomehnguy 4y ago
  Stakehouse: I'm vegetarian/vegan. Wafflehouse: wheat intolerant Milkshake bar: milk/lactose intolerant Plain water bar: I don't drink plain water /s
  - cratermoon 4y ago
    Stakehouse (sic): you can still have food. I'm vegetarian, and no, steakhouses usually don't have good options, but there's something, even if it's just a plate of steamed vegetables that basically amounts to hot crudités. I haven't liked the times my employers have had events at places with limited non-meat options, but I don't complain. Wafflehouse: unless you have a severe wheat allergy, in which case you also can't go to a pizza restaurant, you can still find something to eat. Milkshake bar: Non-dairy milks exist. The milkshake bars near me offer options. Finally, as someone mentioned in another comment, just eating doesn't have the same effect as drinking. Going to a bar and having a drink makes people drunk, or at least tipsy. The non-drinker is clearly the odd one out. Going out to eat, everyone gets feds.

arrakeen 4y ago

my suggestion of volunteering as a team outing instead of yet another drinking one was not well-received

personjerry 4y ago

I learned recently you can just go to a bar and order a diet coke (and just hold it), it's like magic

rrrrrrrrrrrryan 4y ago
Yup, most bars will give you a coke with a lime for free. (I'd still tip them a couple bucks for the first one, though). If you're at a bar and you don't want to drink, the bar absolutely wants to help you accomplish your mission. No bar owner wants an alcoholic to relapse in their bar, nor do they want designated drivers getting into fender benders in their parking lot. They'll happily give you a drink that looks alcoholic to help you ward off the peer pressure.
- personjerry 4y ago
  I've never encountered a bar giving a coke for free, where is that happening?
  - fingerlocks 4y ago
    The secret phrase is “Hey I’m the DD tonight, can I have just a coke?” You’re welcome.
pelasaco 4y ago
the Author would consider it "haram" anyway..