Most bars worry about fake IDs or testosterone-fueled fights by the boxing arcade machine. Alibi, a cocktail bar and late-night spot in Altrincham, England, had a different concern. The owner, Carl Peters, decided solo drinkers were too much of a liability and banned anyone arriving alone after 9 p.m., a move that set off a full-scale online argument about safety, hospitality, and the definition of “unflattering company.”

The sign went up earlier this month. “No Single Entry. After 9 p.m., Alibi does not permit single entry,” it reads. Peters explained the reasoning in an Instagram video that’s now been shared widely. “It’s our job to maintain the license, make sure everyone is safe, mitigate risk wherever we can,” he said. He told BBC News that dealing with a lone guest in a packed night

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