At one time in history bars were only for men but that has changed ....

Just curious .. What modern day men think when they see a woman alone in a bar

Hmmm ... it would be something quite normal for me, not negative, not positive, just neutral thoughts. Boring, innit?

Not boring lars .. but it does make me wonder why so many women feel self conscious .., perhaps not all men have neutral thoughts

I am a woman but will way in on this.

Men think a woman is seeking a man, whether a date, relationship or one night stand. Jmo

Maybe I am not normal anyway, but I treat everyone with equal respect, as long as it goes both ways

I do it often. Nobody has thought it weird.

How disappointing for them when they discover she just wants to enjoy a drink at the bar although I am sure they are right and some women do go to a bar alone with the intention of socialising with men ... or hunting them

From my experience men seem to think it's an invite for them to chat the woman up.
I don't think they feel the woman is looking for a date/man, but more that seeing a woman on her own triggers a man's instinct of wanting to conquer. Or better said: get her before another man does. They want to win at getting the 'free roaming bird'. Beat the competition. Primal instinct of the masculine. Even sperms display this by doing dare dangdest to get to the egg first. AFter all the winner gets to live, the rests dies after swimming around aimlessly for another few days, haha. Sad but true...

That's why I don't go to regular pubs, you get all these men undressing me with their eyes, whether around 25 or 50+ and everything in between, even the ones WITH a partner present
I go to a pub with live music. People come there for the music and a good time. I don't really get hassled there at all.
Must say it depends on the setting/what you do:
when in a normal pub and sat at the bar alone, you get hassled more. Clearly that conveys the message "hit on me" or something. Whereas when in the music café I'm on the dance floor in front of stage.

is it a local bar where people know you ??? Or do you venture out to different bars ??

Both

I just found myself a pub that seem nice with a band that seemed good. In another town, didn't know anyone there. I just went. Kicked myself out of my comfort-zone. I always go there when I go out cos I like it.
Then you get to know other regulars after a while so I end up talking to them sometimes. And if not I don't care, cos it's always fun to be in the crowd in front of the stage, watching the band, dancing a bit. Makes it far less awkward to be alone. And if you choose to, you can strike up a conversation with someone, if not, nobody finds it strange you're alone. Not when there's a band playing.

honestly?
is she or isn't she ?
should i or shouldn't i?

I don't know because I have never been in a bar since 1998...
Billy

I think "Hey I could get lucky!" Seriously, I don't give it a second thought. Sure she could be there to be a pick up but then again she could just want to enjoy a drink.

...and is never seen again after 2 guys load her unconscious body into a windowless van.
Lesson: don't text and walk.


I don't know if I qualify as a "modern day" man.
But when I was younger and I actually went to bars and I'd notice women there alone they usually had either a "approach me and I'll cut it off" perpetual look on their face as they avoided eye contact with everyone, or a "ewww, I hope my friend shows up soon, this is sooooo not my scene, I don't belong here, but I'll smile at the monkeys that do come here and may chatter at me or look at me," kinda look on her face.

Before I saw the look on their face, if I just happened to notice there was this general female all alone at the bar, I would think:
- "omg she's fat/nasty/a barfly."
- "she's waiting for someone"
or
- "OMG! I got here early, a show is about to start as all these guys are going to start hitting on her."

I've never seen a woman alone in a bar for very long.
They're always waiting for someone, or a group forms around them pretty quickly.

I'd go up to her and ask if she's waiting for someone ?
if she said no, I'd ask if she'd like some company...
not that big of a deal really...

that shes waiting for her girlfriends or her date

I saw a funny thing once, in town about 2.00 am with a couple of nice young mums going bar to bar 'till late.
I followed them both into a below ground long narrow bar full of young 'european' type ethnicity men, as the girls walked in and to the end of the bar and back out without stopping.
I walked about 4 feet behind the girls and watched as down the line the guys awoke from their drunken stupor leaning on the bar, and looked and nudged or spoke to their drinking buddy "look man there's a girl" or similar grunts. It was like linear choreography.
Then when we got to the end and turned around, I let the girls go first and I watched from behind again.
Again as the girls cruised past back along the corridor like bar, all the guys along the way had a double take, leaned out and desperately tried pickup lines or reached out to grab them, or tried to stand-stagger in their way, in a smooth linear synchronous fashion like seaweed being disturbed by a wave as it travels.
It was awesome to watch, and a laugh, with a whole row of drunken sleazebags making their last ditch efforts to snag a girl that night.

So in blunt answer, they think: there's a kitten, I wonder if I can pet it ?

Not really, my mother was a bar slut.
It was a same but different time back then.
Women in bars always know how to get free drinks.

making me laugh crystal .. what is the equivalent of conquering for a woman ... obviously there is an association some men make between women and alcohol .. do men still want to conquer women in cafes :