Some things we know only when we see them. True love, say. Or the collapse of a civilised nation — which seems to be happening a lot lately. In the US, the signs were seen in the voting booths. In the UK, it’s happening in the pubs.
It began with what might be described as an epidemic of queuing at the bar — decidedly not the done thing — and things have worsened since: the O’Neill’s on Wardour Street has opted to put in place surge pricing for its drinks. It works as so: when the clock ticks past 10pm, drinks cost £2 more than they did all day beforehand. With the Irish-themed pub open till 3am four nights-a-week and 2am on the other three, the Chinatown boozer has cannily pushed prices up for 32 hours a week, or about a third of its total opening hours. Not that the menu advertises the hike: only an A4 sign at one end of the bar lets on, reading: “We operate a variable price list in this venue.”
