Idiots, Morons, and Crybabies, oh my!

[Tiberious]

Pff. I pretty much have ID in hand and all but force the cashier to see it. I know the rules, and I intend to play by them. I know I'm still at a 'gotta card' age, and so I'm ready.

Then again, I suppose I look older than I am, as I remember being asked at the lottery office at the bowling alley I'd used to frequent if I was interested in buying any tickets... before I was 18.

Also, here in Ohio, the laws are the same way. Any age can drink as long as it's the parent that purchases it. The idea is it's encouraging responsibility. But what it also does is help take away the mystique of alcohol for those whose parents don't mind them having a beer every now and then.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

thats a rather odd law. There used to be one in Australia that's almost the exact opposite of that. Minors are allowed in certain areas of licenced premises if they are in the company of a responsible adult, however it doesn't apply if the minor is in a relationship with the adult. Its been a while since I did my RSA course (responsible service of alcohol) so I may have the details wrong. Any Aussie barmen/women here who can clarify?

This is Wisconsin we're talking about. Here, beer is served with grade-school cafeteria lunches.

[Jester]

And I'm guessing they had Miami-Dade or Broward plates. Just a wild guess..

I have no idea. I wouldn't be surprised if one who almost hit my truck was a tourist....but generally speaking, the morons in the grocery store parking lot are local morons. But who knows?

But then, I wouldn't be surprised if either or both of them were Miami-area Floridiots.

As for the ID idiots.. I think tourists think Key West is some sorta wild, no-rules, anything goes hedonistic Caligula-typle place 24/7 (like every day is FantasyFest).

Yes, a lot of people do think that....and sometimes (though not always) that has a lot to do with their attitude and expectations towards getting ID'd, looking for drugs, underage drinking, etc.

[blas]

I'm not surprised Jester was hit up for weed......don't give druggies very much credit here, kiddos. Do you really expect people with the mindset of Jeff Spicoli to know better than to hit up strangers (or potentially, undercover cops) for weed?

Every time I go to the bars with my girlfriends, I get asked by at least one person if I know of anyone who has "nuggets" or even sometimes they want coke or Ex. I didn't even realize people in this podunk, farming part of the state did Ex. I just get really offended that someone thinks I look like a drug user.

[Jester]

Not everyone who asks me about drugs has the Spicoli mindset. Hell, most of them don't. They aren't obvious stoners or druggies. But I can think of two reasons why they would ask me about them, and one reason they might ask you.

For me, first of all, I look stoned. All the time. It is not because I am stoned. I'm not. But if you've seen any pictures of me, you've probably noticed that my eyes usually look half-closed. That's not because I am drunk (though in some pictures I am). It's because my eyes are always half-closed. That's the way I came from the factory. So, people see me and think I am a stoner due to my eyes, and so think I will know where to get some. (Why they think I would tell them is another story, though.) The other reason they would ask me is because I'm a bartender in Key West. For some reason, people assume that those who live here and work in the bar industry party nonstop and know all the drug dealers.

One reason they may think you would know where they could get drugs is you are a hot chick.

What, you want logic? What makes you think these people use logic?

[Skeksin]

I am damaged.

We can rebuild you. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic service rep. Gravekeeper will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster. Able to dash the hopes and dreams of SC's with a withering glance. Able to crush their souls with a single word....

[blas]

You don't look stoned, Jester. You look like Morgan Spurlock. I've told you that before.

[Jester]

Who or what is Morgan Spurlock??!?!

[dalesys]

Who or what is Morgan Spurlock??!?!

A spriggan morlock, perhaps?

[Alpha Strike]

Waaaahhhh......

So last night I was on the roof deck. Thankfully! Because in the main dining room downstairs, there was an infant that was screaming and crying its fool head off. Which is annoying, no question....

...This was not some 8 year old running around causing havoc, which she would absolutely talk to the parents about, without any other customer asking her to. This was an INFANT. No matter how good or bad parents may be, infants are not always the most reasonable when it comes to listening. Because, you know, they're INFANTS. She told the guys that if THEY wanted to talk to the mother, they were perfectly free to do so. SHE, however, had experience in such attempts and knew they were futile.....or worse.

Maybe this makes me a bad guy but I can appreciate the motivation behind the request. While it sounds like these customers went about it badly, I can understand their desire for a (relatively) peaceful meal. I cringe every time I go out to eat or catch a movie and see some tiny tot in a crib, because I know - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that whatever I'm doing will inevitably be disturbed by their glass-shattering squeals at some point.

I realize that parents want and need time outside of the house, but bringing a noisy baby to public places is a choice that affects lots of people.

I hate people that say things about infants. You can't do a thing about it, god damn.

Had that happen to me on a bus. In hindsight I should've told that girl off. She was rambling about a screaming infant and how she "should stuff that babies mouth"... I want to stuff you with something at a place where it isn't fun.

You CAN do something about them - don't bring them out. Or if you must, don't take them out past their bedtime and make sure they've been fed, had a nap and are changed so their chances of acting up are reduced.

That being said, there's a difference between bringing a baby on public transit and bring one to eat a restaurant - one is typically a necessity and short in duration, and the other is neither.

[Pagan]

I rarely get carded anymore, (once in the last year I think) but whenever I buy something age restricted I always have my ID ready, for the following reasons:

Heh, I just got carded last week. And in a month I'm going to be an age that is divisible by 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 10, and another number that won't be named. Didn't expect it and so didn't have my id out already. But, I also didn't pitch a fit. The waiter wasn't sure and was just doing his job.

1. Because I have my ID WITH me. Seriously, You're already carrying cash and/or bank/credit card(s), it requires no extra carrying capacity, and it's fucking stupid not to have your ID.

Would you explain that to the hag I had last night that pitched a fit? She was dropping of a prescription for a controlled drug. We have to see an id for those when when dropped off and picked-up, which I told her. Well, she got mad because she had to go back out to her car and and get it. Comes back to pick it up and has apparently gone and put her id back in her car. She could have saved herself two trips out to her car! But I see that a lot. I just don't get why people seem to prefer to leave their id in the car.

[Alpha Strike]

I will take this as a compliment. However, I likely could not do what you do. I deal with a cavalcade of faceless voices of stupidity all night. But I am not confronted with their physical presence. I'm not sure I could stay my tongue as well if I actually had to look into the vacant depths of their eyes as well. Years of knowing callers can't see me has let to all sorts of bizarre facial expressions and physical rituals of weariness, despair and disgust when confronted with an SC of any sort.

There's something to be said for not having to deal with customers in person. I can control the conversation a bit more, if I need a break I can place them on hold, and I can more easily pass the person off to a manger or supervisor.

However, I'm firmly convinced that the phone has some secret magic power that can make otherwise normal, rational people turning into raging assholes - or at least help them quickly down the path. It's the same phenomenon that turns decent folks into flaming douchebags when behind the wheel of the car and gives pimply 13 year old kids license to talk crap while on the internet.

I'm pretty confident that many of the ugly calls I get would be different if I were dealing with the customer in person. Even SCs are a bit less over the top, a little bit less willing to go to the extremes, when they have to look someone in the eye instead of just yell at them over the phone or internet.

[CiggyStoreClerk]

I've dealt with that nonsense before, where people who are just barely of age get all pissy about being ID'd. Fucking idiots.

Hehe, I went to buy a pack of smokes a few days after I turned 18 (legal age in Quebec) and when I got carded I was excited to finally show a REAL ID. Felt like the girl from "13 Going on 30". "Wanna see my ID? Cause I totally have it!"

[Jester]

Maybe this makes me a bad guy but I can appreciate the motivation behind the request. While it sounds like these customers went about it badly, I can understand their desire for a (relatively) peaceful meal.

Oh, we (my manager and I and the rest of the crew) understood the motivation for it. We got why these guys were unhappy. But to actually expect the restaurant to toss the party with the baby out? As you said, they went about it badly. Very badly.

[SteveZim1017]

was I the only one who read the headline as "idiots, MORMONS and crybabies"?

had to do a double take on the headline.