Hats Off

[newtron]

Why do I get asked to take my hat off when I go to a pub?  They don't ask my wife to take her hat off.

[Quizmonster]

A hat is designed as head-protection...from sun, rain etc. Clearly, it is unnecessary indoors. Apart from that, removing your hat is simply a mark of respect. That's why men used to raise their hats to passing ladies or young men would raise their hats to older men. In the case of a uniform hat, the wearer - eg a policeman - is acknowledging by removing it that the house, office or whatever he has just entered is someone else's domain, not his.
In olden days, a knight's removal of his helmet would have been a signal that he was happy for his face to be seen and identified. It would also show that he was disarming himself by exposing his head to possible attack. Both of these were gestures of friendship.

So many young men nowadays wear permamently-affixed baseball-caps, I'm astonished to hear you were asked to remove your hat in a pub. Thank goodness some people still keep up the old standards. (Women's hats have always been treated differently...maybe because they were never knights!)

[Chillum]

I think you've touched on the reason with your baseball-cap reference, QM. I think this rule is being introduced in many pubs and clubs in an attempt to rid their premises of the "chav" element amongst their clientelle. I've even heard of Burberry clothing being banned in pubs. There was a news story in the last week or so with some old codger being banned from his life-long local because he wouldn't remove his cloth cap.

[Headtime]

According to the Metro Newspaper today, the 'old codger' that chillum refers to was barred from his local because he refused to remove his flat-cap.

Apparantly the pub-chain in question has a "no hats" rule. This is apparantly to allow the police to more easily identify trouble makers in the pub who are caught on CCTV. It is a condition of licence now that pubs and clubs must have a working CCTV system. So if you do need to get the police involved in an incident, having CCTV footage of people weraing hats is not much good in identifying people.

[Chillum]

Apologies to any Old Codgers out there.

[Quizmonster]

Ah'm a gey aul' codger masel, Chillum, bit Ah nivver weer a caip o' ony kine. (Mind you, I'm tempted, as I'll be up there in my old stomping ground over the next few days!)

[newtron]

Thanks for your answers.  Headtime's answer makes the most sense.  I figured it had something to do with safety or security.

[Chillum]

A fine wollie toorie and a pair o' hummle-doddies, should see you a'richt QM.

[Clare A]

Here, too, on the Isle of Man, we've been asked not to wear hats in some pubs for the reason that Headtime gives. It by no means applies in every pub, though. In our own local, they actually re-located the clock, because twice while 'anging me 'at on the 'ook, I knocked the clock from the wall. Now, there's service!