I hate my job. No, this isn’t some whiny, bitchy post about how mean my co-workers are, or how awful my customers are or how hard I work for no recognition. I actually don’t have any of those problems. My problem is that, as a bartender, I find myself contributing to what many view as one of societies great evils. In class on Tuesday, someone asked the question “if you were the bartender who knowingly served an intoxicated person and then watched them walk to their car, would you stop them?” Well, yes. I cut people off. I call a taxi cab, take the drunk’s phone and call one of their friends to pick them up and, in extreme cases, call the police. I’ve watched men (sorry guys, but I’ve actually never seen this happen to a woman) get arrested in the parking lot, slurring at the officer and throwing sloppy punches.
It’s just a part of my job. If that individual leaves and causes harm to anyone I will be held responsible. I will go to jail. My place of employment may lose their liquor license. If an individual has been barhopping and my bar is the last stop, even if I refuse them service I will be the one held responsible. On a really busy Friday night, it is hard to keep an eye on everyone who walks in and out the front door. And it terrifies me. At the risk of being extreme, it shouldn’t even be legal to drive to a bar alone with intentions of drinking; how are you supposed to leave? My next post might be on the need for better public transportation in SW Florida…
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2 comments:
Public transportation is so bad on our city that it's sad. The bus stops running at 9 and taxies aren't always readily available and that makes it hard for a lot of us to practice safe, responsible social drinking. All this puts a lot of responsibility on you and other bartenders and thats not fair. I'm not a bartender, but I do work in an establishment that serves alcohol, and I am also responsible for making sure my customers aren't belligerently drunk when they leave. Who wants to lose their job over one drink? I don't
It's nice to see someone out there actually looking out for drunk people. A friend of mine served a guy four drinks, then got on a motorcycle with him after her shift and he ended up crashing. She ended up having to have her elbow reconstructed and was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days.
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