General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: WATCH: Bystanders at Dallas Airport stop antigay attack by piling on drunk bully [View all]TorchTheWitch
(11,065 posts)It's the bartender's responsibility to recognize when someone has become too intoxicated and cut them off as well as try to convince them to stay for awhile so some of the drunk wears off, offer food since food helps to combat intoxication and try to get other patrons or the intoxicated person's friends (if they're there with friends) to help you in convincing the intoxicated person to remain for awhile not drinking alcohol to give a chance for them to sober up.
No one working in the bar nor the owner of the bar is permitted to take away their car keys or any thing else the intoxicated person owns even when they insist they're going to drive. The bartender has to know at what point in the scenario they need to involve the manager (if there is one... some of us have to work entirely alone in a bar) and when to call the police to keep them from driving.
I know of a club that years ago lost their liquor license (and still haven't gotten it back and may never) because someone (the bartender or manager or bouncer or owner) dropped the ball and allowed a customer who refused the taxi that was called for them and left driving their own car without calling the police. Low and behold, the drunk caused a car accident where he either killed someone or seriously injured someone - I can't recall which. The bar became a BYOB club for people of drinking age though they let in anyone at least 18 years old but have the responsibility to make sure the under age customers don't drink. I think they built a little stage and offer live bands or something to try to keep customers coming in. Oddly enough the bar is still responsible for the customers that bring in their own booze and still have to cut them off if they become too intoxicated. You can imagine how customers react to this. Not the sort of place I would ever want to have to work at.
The worst part is that most bars just want to keep the register ringing up sales and don't give a crap if someone leaves reeling drunk driving their car. Though it's your responsibility as a bartender to intervene most bars won't let you cut them off because of those few dollars they'd miss out on by continuing to serve the drunk, and if you put your foot down you better have another job lined up already because your butt will get sacked.
Airport bars in particular tend to not give a rat's rear how falling down drunk the customers get figuring they'll be eventually stumbling onto a plane and let the aircraft crew deal with them. The most falling down drunk people I've ever seen in my life were drinking in an airport bar. Literally falling sideways out of their bar stools. You could piss in a Collins glass, drop the oldest most wrinkled and dry bit of something that was some sort of fruit in a past life and they'd smack their slobbering lips and say...
"Thhhath thhe bethhh Marthhhini I'zzzz evvvvvrrrrrr had-duh {belch}."