TVs Are Everywhere!

[ebusinesstutor]

Everywhere I go, it seems there is a TV. They are invading coffee shops, restaurants and other places.

When I go out to a coffee shop or restaurant, I want to go for the ambiance and to talk with my friends. Last year, while traveling to Gabriola Island we stopped to eat in a small restaurant. There was a TV in another area we didn't notice as the sound was turned off. People came in and asked the owners to turn it up so they could watch a game on it. The owners asked if we would mind, and we said we had come to their Island for a vacation and we would leave the restaurant if we had to be subjected to a loud sports announcer and commercials throughout our meal.

I can see sports bars having TVs as that is part of their theme, but I think it is ridiculous that TVs are in all these other places.

I have a TV at home. When I want to watch TV, I do it there. Inflicting it on me in your store, coffee shop or restaurant just guarantees I won't come back.

[amidar]

I know I feel the same way. Take a place like Simon Holt. They are trying to sell themselves as an upper class dining establishment but they have approximately 10 large screen televisions in the place. So is it a sports bar? Or is it a nice restaurant? Cause you can't have both people.

[albertabluesky]

I believe TV is responsible for a sort of 'dumbing down' of society...shame to have it in a nice dining establishment..or a nice west coast restaurant...I'm trying to watch less TV but don't ever take away my internet lol.....

[MDavis]

Hey, I was at a gym one time. And they had six TVs!!!!!!!!!!! retarded!

[Nostradama]

I know I feel the same way. Take a place like Simon Holt. They are trying to sell themselves as an upper class dining establishment but they have approximately 10 large screen televisions in the place. So is it a sports bar? Or is it a nice restaurant? Cause you can't have both people.

Yikes! I'm surprised that Simon Holt would do that. Never been there, but live nearby and in passing I've seen the number of people who arrive for dinner. Their having even one TV would take them off my list, just because my expectations were different. Can you imagine being a guy really trying to impress a lady with some pretty nice dining in a great atmosphere, and then walking in with her to find multi TVs? Embarrassing! Just 'cos I'm curious, are there restaurants in town that don't have TVs? I've got a combo dinner/meeting thing coming up at the Diners' Rendezvous, but I'm pretty sure it will be in that private dining room because there will be forty to fifty people there. Please--someone tell me there aren't TVs in that dining room! Although I'd imagine that if there are, they wouldn't be turned on, because it's a private-type thing.

[grommet]

I completely agree. We played a gig at a local pub and during our performance, several t.v.s were on. It was so distracting and frustrating. When we asked for the screens to be turned off during our second set, they refused. Collectively, we decided never to play there again.

[Nostradama]

I completely agree. We played a gig at a local pub and during our performance, several t.v.s were on. It was so distracting and frustrating. When we asked for the screens to be turned off during our second set, they refused. Collectively, we decided never to play there again.

If I'd gone to a pub trying to enjoy a group's music and discovered that there were TVs on, I'd have been complaining. When the government introduced the idea of pubs to replace the old "beer parlours", the idea was that it would socialize drinking and good times in a different way than the old beer parlours did. A few have succeeded, a lot haven't. But a few drinks with friends, maybe simple food like really good sandwiches, and live music are pub life. It's sad to hear that TVs are now just part of the whole thing. Good for you for refusing to play there again!

[grdnkat]

I HATE the tv's in the bars and restaurants in Nanaimo too! They are MOST annoying! Regarding Simon Holt, we have eaten there a couple of times and although they have several large screen tv's scattered throughout, both times we've been there the tv's have been turned to the channel that shows beautiful pics not tv programming. This was more acceptable but the evey changing pictures were somewhat distracting too.

[limbery]

I agree regarding the stupid tvs everywhere.... a few years ago, I bought a neat little gizmo that fit on a keychain (I think it was called tv be off or something similar) It would send multiple off codes for every tv manufacturer....great fun while in future shop or costco...to turn all the tvs off! I didn't have the guts to try it in a sportsbar but wouldn't that also be fun to turn off all the sets just before the goal or touchdown?????....(ok....my devious side is showing here)
I think you can still buy these on ebay etc....

[limbery]

You're ok at Diners....also the tradiitional pubs like Fox & Hounds and Crow & Gate are sans tv....