Friendly Bob....you're an idiot!

[Jester]

Yet another in my long list of gripes, bitches, grievances, complaints, and moanings about our friend, the ID.

*sigh*

So I was waiting tables on the roof deck last night. I saw a single dude sitting at one of my tables, and being the excellent server that I am, approached him and asked if he needed a drink or a menu. No, of course not. He was just sitting there watching the band. And I couldn't really toss him out, because as he told me, his father was at the bar. Great. Paying customers taking up a table of mine...and not buying anything from me. I hate these people.

A little while later, I notice that the dude has been joined by two older folks, presumably his parents. They have drinks, but as is my nature, I approach to introduce myself and let them know if they need MORE drinks, I'm their guy. In other words, order from me if you're sitting at my table, you fuckers.

JESTER: "Hi folks! I know y'all have drinks, but if you need anything else, just let me know."
OLDER GUY: "Hi! Thanks. I'm Bob!"
JESTER: "I'm Jester, good to meet you."

Bob then proceeds to shake my hand enthusiastically and give me the fist bump. Great. Now he's not only taking up my table and not ordering jack, he's out to injure my knuckles as well.

Blah blah blah, he says some more meaningless shit, and I go back to serving people who actually need it. You know...the people at my other tables who are actually buying something from me.

A little while goes by, and I notice that the younger guy's beer is empty. He and Bob are not around, but I ask the woman if the younger guy needs another one. She says he probably will, at which point I tell her I'd be more than happy to get one, as soon as I see younger guy's ID. Obviously she can't help me with this, so I go about my business until younger guy gets back.

A little while after this, I see the younger guy coming back on to the deck. I ask him if he'd like another beer, he says yes....at which point I ask him for ID.

Anyone wanna guess what he said?

If you guessed "I don't have it with me," the answer that all underage drinkers give when carded, you are correctamundo. I politely inform younger guy that I cannot serve him any alcohol if he does not have his ID. Everything is cool. He goes off to his table, I inform the bartender of the situation, so that what happened earlier--Friendly Bob buying a round from the bar and bringing it to the table--does not happen again.

I then politely inform Friendly Bob of the situation.

JESTER: "Bob, I'm sorry, but since your son does not have his ID, we won't be able to serve him or even have him drinking up here."
FRIENDLY BOB: "Oh, I know that."

What?

Um, what?

You KNOW that. In other words, you knew the dude was underage, you knew that it was ILLEGAL for him to be drinking in our establishment, you knew that it was ILLEGAL for us to serve him without proper identification, and you felt it was all perfectly fine for you to buy him a beer, endangering the bartender's job, my job, and the establishment's liquor license? You knew that?

You fakely friendly sanctimonious little prick! Fuck you, Friendly Bob! Take your idiocy and your job-endangering attitudes and actions, and your underage son, and GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BAR!

I hate assholes like this. I hope he gets painfully inflamed genital warts. Fucker.

[PepperElf]

i take it you're allowed to boot them from the bar then for supplying a minor?

[Broomjockey]

I believe the actions allowable depend on where in the US they are, but most places it's take the booze, then make a business decision to refuse service.

[RetailWorkhorse]

*Snaps latex gloves on*

Bob! Hi, Bob! How ya doin' Bob? That's Just GREAT, BOB! Fantastic, really, can you remove your pants for me, Bob? Wonderful, Bob, I just need to conduct a cavity search, Bob. For your safety, Bob.

Because you're just such an ass, Bob.

[Jester]

Kicking them out and/or refusing service would have been a moot point.

By the time all this came to light, the young dude had finished his beer. Bob was not buying any more. They were leaving of their own accord. And they were in good moods.

Why create a scene where none needed to be created? Yeah, Bob was an asshole. But what good would have been done to make a scene and piss this asshole off, and perhaps give a PR black eye to The Bar, a place I love to work at and for?

Even if they had stayed, as long as they didn't buy the young guy any more booze, we would have been fine with it. Were we within our rights to refuse service and/or toss them? Sure! They violated the law in a way that is very detrimental to a bar. And my manager would have backed me up without a problem. But when I can resolve a situation without causing unnecessary problems, especially for the establishment, that is generally the way I do it.

Personally I would have loved to smash Bob over the head with a bar stool. But I informed him that he could not buy the younger guy any more booze, he understood and agreed to my remarks, and there it ended. As it should have.

[persephone]

I'm not saying Bob was right, in fact, I think he's an arrogant prick by your story, but is it possible that younger guy was 21 but had just forgotten his ID. you don't know for sure he was underage do you?

Not saying it excuses anything. Just wondering if I missed something. Most people think I'm under 21 even though I'm not and I have been known to forget my ID. However, I, in that case, would just not drink (not that I can right now anyway! )

[TOLady]

... but is it possible that younger guy was 21 but had just forgotten his ID. you don't know for sure he was underage do you?

I'm pretty sure that it's the same in the States as it is where I come from. When I was serving (many moons ago), if our friendly officers were to come in and check for IDs - even if someone looked like my grandfather - and ID wasn't presented, we'd get closed and could be fined/have serving licensed yanked for 2 weeks +/- (depending on previous infractions) so fast, it would make your head spin.

I have many friends still in the industry and some even own their own establishments. One, in particular, made that mistake - once - about 2 years ago. The officers came in and checked - they were checking all the establishments in our area - and since there were a few people who couldn't provide ID, the place got shut for 3 days (close to Christmas - which meant having to cancel quite a few parties that had been booked for that time). After that - no ID, no serve. I don't care how many times you've come in an have been served before with your ID. Remember to bring it with you! You don't leave home without your wallet (how else do you pay for your drinks) so why wouldn't you have your ID in there in the first place.

Just having it happen once to an establishment is enough to enforce the rules for everyone - including staff that drink there. It isn't worth it to take the chance.

I'm particularly on the side of the establishments in this (if you can't tell) since I don't want to be kept away from my favorite drinking hole because of something like that (3 days without my tequila (I don't imbibe at home) was bad enough).

____________

45 minutes away from a shot of tequila!

[persephone]

Oh, I'm not saying Jester should have served the young kid. He shouldn't. You should never serve someone without an ID. He just kept referring to the kid as underage and I was wondering if he knew for a fact that the kid was underage or if the kid just couldn't show ID.

Again, not saying the customer wasn't sucky. The customer was. Just wondering if I'd miss something and we knew for SURE the kid was underage or if he should just not be served because he didn't have ID.

Like I said, if I don't have my ID, I don't drink. If anyone I'm with doesn't have an ID, they don't drink. If I were a waiter and someone didn't have an ID, they would not drink. Was just wondering. Sorry.

[cawaker]

I never understood the whole forgot my ID mentality, my ID is always in my wallet and my wallet never leaves my shorts, its damn near impossible for me to leave the house without wallet or ID.

[PepperElf]

although... i dont know about now, but i remember it use to be that in some states (like NY) they didn't care if parents gave their minors alcohol out in a restaurant. or at least that's how it was handled

[Broomjockey]

I was wondering if he knew for a fact that the kid was underage or if the kid just couldn't show ID.

Well, the kid had no ID, and Bob never provided the kid's age, so I don't see how he could know for a fact anything about the kid.

[persephone]

Well, the kid had no ID, and Bob never provided the kid's age, so I don't see how he could know for a fact anything about the kid.

Which is why I wondered if there was something else there that told him kid was underage or if he just assumed. Sorry. It just jumped out at me. I should have ignored it.

[Broomjockey]

Sorry. It just jumped out at me. I should have ignored it.

Nah. Ignoring things never helps. You know what does help? Sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. *offers plate of assorted cookies* I've already had FIVE! *bounces off the walls*

[Mr. Rager!]

As other people have said, it's entirely possible that Bob knew that the kid forgot his I.D. and that was he was referring to. And Jester took that as Bob knew the kid was underaged. Two different things.

Anyway, I know how some people can say "how can anyone forget their ID?" I used to say it too, until I actually forgot my ID. I was the DD. But since I was driving smokers, we took a smoker's vehicle so mine wouldn't get smoked in. I left my wallet in *my* car. So when I went to get into a bar, I was carded and I didn't have my wallet with me. And I told the guy that I was the DD, I forgot my ID and I was 24. And he looked at me and said, "honestly, I just have to check everyone. But I was thinking you were almost 30." Then he put a black X on my hand which gave me free pop for the night!