True, but I never undervalue the conversations that happen in the pub after work. (NDAs after all don't apply if people hold a pint or so it seems.) There just is no need to hang around for long nor do it every night. But it is beneficial to show your face occasionally.

I got 2 small kids that I try to get home to at a decent hour most of the week, but I also try to go for a quick pint with my team once or twice a week (depends on the team..) I got it down to a fine art of fitting in just one maybe two pints then run to catch my train so that I am only home 30m-1hr later than normal. Also being in London with several pubs across the road and a train station 10 minutes walk away helps.

The other bit about unwilling to do 60 hour gauntlet now as a 40 year old compared to me at 25 is bollox though. I didn't do it then and I don't do it now.

Yeah, fuck that bullshit. Irked the heck out of me too. I hope it's not too common.

Ask women engineers if they disagree with this assessment

selfish? It's our god-given duty to procreate now?

Yeah it irks me when people with kids think they are better than people who don't too. ;)

Appropriate username? They never said they thought they were better.

They didn't, though it's certainly possible to read that into their words.

So, by saying the behavior irks me I am saying they think they're better than me? That doesn't make a lot of sense. They could be completely indifferent.

Unless you think drinking beer is selfish, then it would be assumed that not having kids is selfish.