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I've got a few stories I've been saving up, and I generally like presenting multiple stories for your viewing pleasure. But yesterday's SC changed that, so I'm posting now and just about him.
Yesterday was, overall, a good day. The busiest and most lucrative day I've had in a few weeks, as things seem to have slowed down here in Paradise. Well, it was mostly good, anyway....I only remember one customer being a cock, so the rest must have been cool.
Prelude: an older couple and a woman about my age come into my bar. They sit down, we go through the preliminaries, they ask for food menus, and they order drinks. I card the younger woman. She's thrilled. She's also convinced I'm clearly far younger than her. Her ID tells me I'm actually two years older than her. We high five over this. She loves me. After all, who doesn't love being carded once they're over 40?
I make them drinks, and they order food. The younger woman orders a lot of food, which seems odd, but afterwards they explain to me a fourth is on his way. Cool.
And a little bit later, before the food has come out, Mr. Fourth arrives. He is significantly younger than any of us, possessing a baby face. He orders a drink. I ask for his ID. He produces one.
This might be a good time to point out that the very day before, we had one of our three-times-a-year safe alcohol vendor seminar. Not that I don't know the rules of even the complete spiel of the seminar presenter. (I've known him for nine years plus, as he's presented this seminar to places I've worked for down here for that long or longer, but we definitely remember each other from when I worked for the fine dining establishment on the beach in '05.) Part of the seminar presentation is that an expired ID is invalid for purposes of alcohol purchases.
So, back to the story! He presents his Georgia Driver's License. Which I notice is unlaminated, and I remark on it. Hey, these things happen. But then I notice something odd. His unlaminated ID is expired. And not very recently, either, but in January. Which results in this conversation....
ME: "I'm sorry, sir, but your ID is expired."
SC: "It doesn't expire."
ME: "Um, yes sir, right here, it says 'expires 1/7/2014.'"
SC: "Wow, really? Oh, it does."
ME: "Yep. Do you have any other form of ID?"
SC: "No."
ME: "I'm sorry, sir, but under Florida law, I cannot accept an expired ID for alcohol purchases."
SC: *stares at me unpleasantly*
ME: "Can I get you a soda or something?"
SC: "No." *looking very unhappy and unpleasant*
ME: "Well, if you need anything, just let me know."
And I go about taking care of other customers. And as I'm pouring a beer for someone else, I see him drinking from the younger woman's beer. And I react immediately.
ME: "Sir, I can't have you drinking at my bar if you don't have a valid ID!"
And he looks irritated. Let's just call it what it is: pissed off.
And shortly thereafter, he looks at me and says, "Ya know what? Just cancel my food."
ME: "What?"
SC: "Cancel my food. I don't want it anymore."
At this point I know three things.
1. He won't budge.
2. His food is already cooked, or just about done, based on the time since his friend ordered it.
3. There is no way in hell now I am serving this douchebag a fucking drink.
So I tell one of the servers to go tell the chef to cancel the item in question. She does, and as I expected, the head chef comes out to ask me about it. Before he can say a thing, I just tell him, "Cancel it. I know. I'll explain it all later."
So I continue to go about my business, including serving other customers and delivering the rest of the food to SC's friends, who are starting to look embarrassed.
At this point, I'm still being friendly and apologetic to SC, though he's clearly upset. At one point, when I'm expressing my apologies, he snarks off, "It's okay. I know you can't read." Meaning I can't read the birth date on his expired and therefore invalid ID.
I'm about to explain to him yet again the legalities involved, but after only getting out a "Sir, under the laws--" he cuts me off.
SC: "No. Just don't even talk to me!"
Alrighty then! If that's the way you want it, I'm totally fine not dealing with your dumb rude ass.
So I go about my business, dealing with other customers and SC's friends, completely ignoring him, as he pretends to completely ignore me. But he can't resist continuing to rant to his friends about me.
SC: "If a cop pulled me over, he'd be understanding about this, knowing these things happen." Apparently indicating he'd lost his regular ID, and this was a replacement. Ignoring the fact that his "temporary" ID had been expired for four months at this point.
But let's address the cop thing. First of all, some cops might have let him go with nothing more than a warning to get the ID updated. Many would not, and would issue him a ticket for driving without a valid license. Since, ya know, an expired license is invalid. Secondly, cops have such leeway. I do not. If I served him without him having a valid ID and got busted for it, I'd lose my job, be charged with a crime, have a court date, have to appear before a judge, likely be required to pay a hefty fine, and become virtually unemployable in my chosen industry. But of course to him, his unhappiness and inconvenience is far more important than my potential legal issues.
He ended up leaving before his friends, and for what other patrons at the bar told me later, the younger woman ended up out on the street crying over the whole thing. Guess he was her boyfriend or something, though she could clearly do better and more mature (see below). The older couple were absolute sweethearts, and tried explaining away the guy's douchebaggery, but even my other customers were incensed by his behavior.
So I'm sure you guys are wondering how old this guy was. After all, if he was 55, he might have a point.
Well, his girlfriend (if that's what she was) was 42, and was tickled pink that I carded her.
According to SC's ID, he was all of 25. And he had a baby face.
Sorry, Charlie, but if you look that young and you are that young, and the laws say I can't take your expired ID, guess what?
I'm not taking your fucking ID. And I'm not fucking serving you.
Good day, sir! You lose!
Yesterday was, overall, a good day. The busiest and most lucrative day I've had in a few weeks, as things seem to have slowed down here in Paradise. Well, it was mostly good, anyway....I only remember one customer being a cock, so the rest must have been cool.
Prelude: an older couple and a woman about my age come into my bar. They sit down, we go through the preliminaries, they ask for food menus, and they order drinks. I card the younger woman. She's thrilled. She's also convinced I'm clearly far younger than her. Her ID tells me I'm actually two years older than her. We high five over this. She loves me. After all, who doesn't love being carded once they're over 40?
I make them drinks, and they order food. The younger woman orders a lot of food, which seems odd, but afterwards they explain to me a fourth is on his way. Cool.
And a little bit later, before the food has come out, Mr. Fourth arrives. He is significantly younger than any of us, possessing a baby face. He orders a drink. I ask for his ID. He produces one.
This might be a good time to point out that the very day before, we had one of our three-times-a-year safe alcohol vendor seminar. Not that I don't know the rules of even the complete spiel of the seminar presenter. (I've known him for nine years plus, as he's presented this seminar to places I've worked for down here for that long or longer, but we definitely remember each other from when I worked for the fine dining establishment on the beach in '05.) Part of the seminar presentation is that an expired ID is invalid for purposes of alcohol purchases.
So, back to the story! He presents his Georgia Driver's License. Which I notice is unlaminated, and I remark on it. Hey, these things happen. But then I notice something odd. His unlaminated ID is expired. And not very recently, either, but in January. Which results in this conversation....
ME: "I'm sorry, sir, but your ID is expired."
SC: "It doesn't expire."
ME: "Um, yes sir, right here, it says 'expires 1/7/2014.'"
SC: "Wow, really? Oh, it does."
ME: "Yep. Do you have any other form of ID?"
SC: "No."
ME: "I'm sorry, sir, but under Florida law, I cannot accept an expired ID for alcohol purchases."
SC: *stares at me unpleasantly*
ME: "Can I get you a soda or something?"
SC: "No." *looking very unhappy and unpleasant*
ME: "Well, if you need anything, just let me know."
And I go about taking care of other customers. And as I'm pouring a beer for someone else, I see him drinking from the younger woman's beer. And I react immediately.
ME: "Sir, I can't have you drinking at my bar if you don't have a valid ID!"
And he looks irritated. Let's just call it what it is: pissed off.
And shortly thereafter, he looks at me and says, "Ya know what? Just cancel my food."
ME: "What?"
SC: "Cancel my food. I don't want it anymore."
At this point I know three things.
1. He won't budge.
2. His food is already cooked, or just about done, based on the time since his friend ordered it.
3. There is no way in hell now I am serving this douchebag a fucking drink.
So I tell one of the servers to go tell the chef to cancel the item in question. She does, and as I expected, the head chef comes out to ask me about it. Before he can say a thing, I just tell him, "Cancel it. I know. I'll explain it all later."
So I continue to go about my business, including serving other customers and delivering the rest of the food to SC's friends, who are starting to look embarrassed.
At this point, I'm still being friendly and apologetic to SC, though he's clearly upset. At one point, when I'm expressing my apologies, he snarks off, "It's okay. I know you can't read." Meaning I can't read the birth date on his expired and therefore invalid ID.
I'm about to explain to him yet again the legalities involved, but after only getting out a "Sir, under the laws--" he cuts me off.
SC: "No. Just don't even talk to me!"
Alrighty then! If that's the way you want it, I'm totally fine not dealing with your dumb rude ass.
So I go about my business, dealing with other customers and SC's friends, completely ignoring him, as he pretends to completely ignore me. But he can't resist continuing to rant to his friends about me.
SC: "If a cop pulled me over, he'd be understanding about this, knowing these things happen." Apparently indicating he'd lost his regular ID, and this was a replacement. Ignoring the fact that his "temporary" ID had been expired for four months at this point.
But let's address the cop thing. First of all, some cops might have let him go with nothing more than a warning to get the ID updated. Many would not, and would issue him a ticket for driving without a valid license. Since, ya know, an expired license is invalid. Secondly, cops have such leeway. I do not. If I served him without him having a valid ID and got busted for it, I'd lose my job, be charged with a crime, have a court date, have to appear before a judge, likely be required to pay a hefty fine, and become virtually unemployable in my chosen industry. But of course to him, his unhappiness and inconvenience is far more important than my potential legal issues.
He ended up leaving before his friends, and for what other patrons at the bar told me later, the younger woman ended up out on the street crying over the whole thing. Guess he was her boyfriend or something, though she could clearly do better and more mature (see below). The older couple were absolute sweethearts, and tried explaining away the guy's douchebaggery, but even my other customers were incensed by his behavior.
So I'm sure you guys are wondering how old this guy was. After all, if he was 55, he might have a point.
Well, his girlfriend (if that's what she was) was 42, and was tickled pink that I carded her.
According to SC's ID, he was all of 25. And he had a baby face.
Sorry, Charlie, but if you look that young and you are that young, and the laws say I can't take your expired ID, guess what?
I'm not taking your fucking ID. And I'm not fucking serving you.
Good day, sir! You lose!
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