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This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I have been rather busy, what with Fantasy Fest, being sick, and dealing with Parrotheads right after Fantasy Fest.
I was waiting tables on the roof deck of The Bar. I approached a table of three, who ordered drinks. One of them looked 30 or under, so per Florida state law, I requested her ID. She didn't have it. She left it at her hotel. "But she's 36!" whined the male in the party, her husband/boyfriend/pimp/sordid affair partner. As usual, I cited chapter and verse of the law; to wit, if I ask someone for ID and they do not have it, I cannot serve them alcohol. Too bad, so sad, it's the law. Man continued to argue, I continued to hold my ground, yada yada yada.
Nothing in this story is any different from any other ID bullshit story I have told before. But it was at this point, as they say, that things took a turn into Mr. Serling's neighborhood. That's right, kids.....we're heading into the ID Twilight Zone.
(Cue strange music.)
See, in addition to dealing with the party of three in question, I was also taking care of a group of about 12 that were, for the most part, somewhat inebriated, and had come in as such, but not to the point of me not being able to serve them or anything. They had all ordered drinks, and I had carded many of them, without incident. Those I carded had ID, and presented them. Those I didn't card didn't say a thing. Everyone got drinks, some people got food, everyone was happy.
Until this whole thing with the other lady, who was not with the large group.
See, after I went through the whole thing with her and her man, while he seemed less than happy, he really wasn't too much of a douche, and frankly, she was bemused by the whole thing. I tad miffed that I wouldn't get her drinks, but totally understanding about it.
However, apparently some of the larger group overheard part of this. And some of the women who had not been carded were offended. I am still not sure if they were offended because a. I would not serve the other lady, b. I had not carded them, or c. I had carded some of their party but not all.
I'm sorry, but the law is very simple. If the server believes you look 30 or under, they need to ask for your ID. Not if you think you look 30 or under. Yeah, that can be kind of sucky for you, but tough shit. It is the server's prerogative to decide who looks 30 or under to the server. Period, end of story.
Well, not to these harpies. They got their tailfeathers all ruffled up, and started to cause a stink. And the stink spread to some of the more belligerent, ill-mannered, and larger male members of the large group. Who in turn started to berate me for all of this.
In times like this, I fall back on The Law, and Doing My Job. I stay calm, polite, and soft-spoken, as I don't want to exacerbate or escalate the situation. At least one guy in the large party understood all this, and continued to try to calm his friends down, explaining that I was, in fact, only doing my job.
Finally the large group asked for their bills, paid, left crappy tips, and left. Most of them in a huff.
NOT because I had refused any of them service. I hadn't. All of them, whether I carded them or not, had gotten drinks.
NOT because I had carded some of them. All that I carded had proper ID.
No, they were upset with me because I had not served someone else who had ID, and had had the gall to card some of them but not all of them.
Make sense? No? Well, welcome to Alcoholic Logic. Also known as Irrationality. Also known as Complete and Total Bullshit.
I have had people walk out before for the whole ID thing. I have had people argue with me for the whole ID thing. But in my 22 years in the business, I have NEVER seen, as a customer or a server, someone get pissed over my IDing someone they weren't even with.
But it did end well. After all, the fuckers DID leave my bar!
I was waiting tables on the roof deck of The Bar. I approached a table of three, who ordered drinks. One of them looked 30 or under, so per Florida state law, I requested her ID. She didn't have it. She left it at her hotel. "But she's 36!" whined the male in the party, her husband/boyfriend/pimp/sordid affair partner. As usual, I cited chapter and verse of the law; to wit, if I ask someone for ID and they do not have it, I cannot serve them alcohol. Too bad, so sad, it's the law. Man continued to argue, I continued to hold my ground, yada yada yada.
Nothing in this story is any different from any other ID bullshit story I have told before. But it was at this point, as they say, that things took a turn into Mr. Serling's neighborhood. That's right, kids.....we're heading into the ID Twilight Zone.
(Cue strange music.)
See, in addition to dealing with the party of three in question, I was also taking care of a group of about 12 that were, for the most part, somewhat inebriated, and had come in as such, but not to the point of me not being able to serve them or anything. They had all ordered drinks, and I had carded many of them, without incident. Those I carded had ID, and presented them. Those I didn't card didn't say a thing. Everyone got drinks, some people got food, everyone was happy.
Until this whole thing with the other lady, who was not with the large group.
See, after I went through the whole thing with her and her man, while he seemed less than happy, he really wasn't too much of a douche, and frankly, she was bemused by the whole thing. I tad miffed that I wouldn't get her drinks, but totally understanding about it.
However, apparently some of the larger group overheard part of this. And some of the women who had not been carded were offended. I am still not sure if they were offended because a. I would not serve the other lady, b. I had not carded them, or c. I had carded some of their party but not all.
I'm sorry, but the law is very simple. If the server believes you look 30 or under, they need to ask for your ID. Not if you think you look 30 or under. Yeah, that can be kind of sucky for you, but tough shit. It is the server's prerogative to decide who looks 30 or under to the server. Period, end of story.
Well, not to these harpies. They got their tailfeathers all ruffled up, and started to cause a stink. And the stink spread to some of the more belligerent, ill-mannered, and larger male members of the large group. Who in turn started to berate me for all of this.
In times like this, I fall back on The Law, and Doing My Job. I stay calm, polite, and soft-spoken, as I don't want to exacerbate or escalate the situation. At least one guy in the large party understood all this, and continued to try to calm his friends down, explaining that I was, in fact, only doing my job.
Finally the large group asked for their bills, paid, left crappy tips, and left. Most of them in a huff.
NOT because I had refused any of them service. I hadn't. All of them, whether I carded them or not, had gotten drinks.
NOT because I had carded some of them. All that I carded had proper ID.
No, they were upset with me because I had not served someone else who had ID, and had had the gall to card some of them but not all of them.
Make sense? No? Well, welcome to Alcoholic Logic. Also known as Irrationality. Also known as Complete and Total Bullshit.
I have had people walk out before for the whole ID thing. I have had people argue with me for the whole ID thing. But in my 22 years in the business, I have NEVER seen, as a customer or a server, someone get pissed over my IDing someone they weren't even with.
But it did end well. After all, the fuckers DID leave my bar!
or what not
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