Bloody Enough For Mary

omen are becoming increasingly vocal on the subject of bars. “My husband isn’t the bar-going type, but I enjoy going for a girls’ night out with friends. So what?” says Rani, a fortysomething home-maker. But what do women, specifically, want from a bar? Here are 10 requests to bar owners:

1. Not all women drink hard liquor, so a sufficient choice of mocktails, cocktails and wines (by the glass).
2. A lobby area, so women never have to queue on the street to get in.
3. A place where a single woman is not the object of undue attention.
4. Attentive staff who’ll keep an eye on single women guests, to ensure they don’t get hassled.
5. Enough space, so you’re never too close to the strangers at the next table.
6. Clean tables, and waiters who clean up after every repeat order or spill.
7. Clean loos (at even fancy bars, by the evening’s end they’re often filthy).
8. Sufficient space and lighting in the ladies’ room to freshen your makeup.
9. Easy-to-distinguish women’s and men’s loos (especially important when one is a couple of drinks down).
10. High-heel friendly floors (another important factor when you’ve had a couple of drinks)!