Free drinking water - what are your rights?

[pete75]

Spider's promotes itself as cyclist friendly, so one might expect a glass of water with food. However, you make a fair point regarding fringe benefits... But, I buy coffee, beans on toast and a piece of cake. Maybe a full English. I wouldn't dream of asking for free water and just sitting there. Oh, and they charge for filling your own bottles too; though personally I take enough liquid for consumption on the bike.

And no it isn't a pub, it's a cafe (clue's in the description).
Graham

Lots of restaurants and cafes are licensed so it's wasn't unreasonable to ask if this one is. The law regarding free water applies to licensed premises of any kind not just pubs.

We often do 120 mile+days with full camping gear on the bike. If it's hot we drink a fair bit more than the water bottles on the bikes mind you
we've never had any problems getting them filled.
I'd say a place that charges for filling water bottles is cyclist unfriendly. See comments above re Selby bus station cafe for a cycle friendly place.

[tod28]

Nowt to do with "rights", more aligned to reducing the number of plastic bottles entering the waste stream (or not), this initiative is in the local council paper "Refill Devon". It appears to be a nationwide initiative branded locally in Devon.

Apparently, if you use the "app" (which shows the locations for refilling) you can collect points towards a free stainless steel refillable bottle!

[RickH]

Nowt to do with "rights", more aligned to reducing the number of plastic bottles entering the waste stream (or not), this initiative is in the local council paper "Refill Devon". It appears to be a nationwide initiative branded locally in Devon.

Apparently, if you use the "app" (which shows the locations for refilling) you can collect points towards a free stainless steel refillable bottle!

I like the fact that, if you scroll down the page, the map (for me at least) is of Bristol. Devon seems to be bigger than I remember!

[mjr]

https://refill.firebaseapp.com/ is the map but it's pretty dumb and always defaults to Bristol. http://www.refill.org.uk is the main organisation, based in Bristol.

[meic]

A quick zoom out shows why it defaults to Bristol, Bristol seems to have more locations than the rest of the UK combined.

[Bmblbzzz]

This resident of Bristol was not aware of any of them.

[Sweep]

At the last track cycling world champs in London, we were banned from taking any liquids or food in. .

Got to ask. What was the reason for that?

You tell me: http://www.trackcyclingworlds2016.londo ... pectators/

Presumably so they can stitch you up.

Still amazed that places have the cheek to pull that one. I'd secrete some food about me. Presumably they weren't frisking people. I'd also tell them that i was under doctor's orders to carry water at all times. They deserve any deception at all.

[landsurfer]

Never mind the " Rights" what about the "Responsibilities"...
In Male and Female toilets in Scotrail Depots there is a wall sticker which colour checks your urine against a table of need.
Too dark, drink ... etc
The point is only you are responsible for your hydration.
"Over the hills and far away" .. we were taught " If you don't need to express urine, you need to drink" .. sage advice ....Heavily Moderated
Every ride i go on from 20 miles to 200km i have my fluid needs sorted out .... not my rights, just my responsibilities ...
My body, my responsibility ...

PS. don't take water from a garage windscreen wash top up supply ... it flows through rubber pipes and tastes foul !!! or even Fowl ...

[ambodach]

Water is not really free if it comes from a tap. Somebody is paying for it. Part of what I pay to my local council every month is for water and sewage disposal. Businesses generally pay more than private houses. When we had a shop the council were trying to charge an extortionate rate for water and sewage. We fought them and eventually got a reduction but it was well in excess of our house charges for a lower usage? They were even trying to charge for our workshop which had no water or sewage.
.

[Mick F]

£340 a year here at our house, for all the water anyone can use.
We could leave the taps running 24hrs a day every day all year.

Fancy a drink?

[Bmblbzzz]

I think whoever supplies your water would soon tell you to stop if you did that! Probably after receiving complaints from others on the same supply about persistent low pressure.

[trilathon]

Just back from a three week tourvisiting 4 countries, and I only purchased water once (2l) at an Aldi in France.I can be riding for up to 10 or 11 hours a day so get through a lot of water in 3 weeks and usually cook all my meals so need a lot for pasta, eggs, coffee etc.

I always ask a business to fill my bottles if stopping for a coffee or food, never been charged or even received a quizical look in 20 years of touring. I've never 'cold called' inside an establishment, although I have asked to use an outside tap once in a while

Rest of the time I politely ask folk who are doing a spot of gardening, DIY outside their house etc or use church yards, cemeteries, village halls, or public fountains in lower latitudes, and fast flowing streams in upland and mountainous areas. I prefer not to bother people if possible, but am often rewarded with such kindness that it adds a flavour to the day as well as slake my thirst.

[Abu Milhem]

I know what you mean about a mean minded landlord. When I was the victim of an unprovoked attack by two vile young men outside a pub in London the landlady refused to let me come into the pub and sit down while waited for the ambulance. It was -3 outside and I was not on my bike because I thought it would be safer!

[rmurphy195]

Visited Ravenscar last week, and had a snack at the Station tea Shop. The lady there filled us a galss with tap water ach to go woth our baked potatoes, FOC. A bit like the National Trust cafes, where you just help yourself to a glass of water - in our case usually to go with a snack of some sort. Always cheaper than the coffee!

[thirdcrank]

I was reminded of this thread recently when a local hostelry was offering Clearwater as the guest beer.

http://www.clearwaterbrewery.co.uk/