February 4th, 2023
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i've been bartending for 7 years (2 in Pakistan and 5 in the U.S.) and i've honestly never seen something like this before. last month, this guy came in around 7pm on a Friday and ordered a gin and tonic. he sat at the bar but he didn't make any talk-- perfectly fine by me as an extremely introverted tender. as i was serving another customer, i saw the guy out of the corner of my eye. he had pulled down his sleeve to the palm of his hand and was clearly subtly pouring something into his own drink. it happened very quickly so i couldn't be sure of what i saw. i just kept an eye on him to make sure he wasn't giving his drink to anybody.
he didn't. he just sat there and drank. he seemed to get incredibly drunk by the time he finished just half of his drink, he was looking at the TV behind the bar, but not the one playing football; instead, the one cycling through advertisements for our bars coming events (karaoke wednesday, flashy friday, etc.). he was drooling a little bit, too. honestly, as a previous dive bartender, it wasn't behavior you haven't seen every single friday night of your goddamned career: an old loser come to the bar to sit alone and look wretchedly pitiful. but i'd never seen someone roofie themselves before, and i was pretty sure that was exactly what was happening there
i dont know what happened that night cuz i got off my shift just then. i passed along a warning to my replacement and forgot about it. but two weeks ago, i saw the same thing happen. it was a younger dude this time, and he was not alone but at a table with a couple friends. i saw him across the bar slipping in something into the drink next to him. i thought he was roofying the drink of the girl next to him, but then he took a big old swig out of the cup he had just spiked. jesus christ, i thought, another self-roofier??? And that dude ended up passing out later during a game of darts and had to be carried out by his friends.
And just now my coworker was telling me that they had seen someone do it again last night. she said she kept an eye on the guy all night to make sure he was the only one drinking it. i asked her if she thought we should stop these people from roofying themselves and she said no. she said "people take rohypnol recreationally and we let people vape and hit their dab pens in here so its no different." im not sure if i agree with that. for one, having a roofied cup in a bar is a risk even if it is a self-roofie. for example, what if the self-roofier leaves the cup on a table half-finished and some other drunk jackass drinks from it? or what if they get too "high" and start becoming a problem?
what do you guys think?
February 4th, 2023
25
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Until you have me at your bar putting an Alka seltzer into the water you just served me because the burgers give me heartburn.
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So let your bartender know that's what you're doing. They'll appreciate the transparency, and then it bypasses this "unknown substance" clause.
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Good point, but alka seltzer wouldn’t be an unknown. (Because of the bubbles.)
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Ooh, now we're just speculating.
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You could probably ask. Benefit of a doubt.
If they get defensive about it just kick them out, they knew what they were doing
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Eeek I dunno man. Just from personal experience tending bar, these younger cats...well just people in general.. don't do very well with confrontation. It could be completely innocent but their demeanor under pressure could convince you otherwise and now you've scared off a paying guest. I don't know, I guess I try to look at things from both sides too much.
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It’s drug use and it’s illegal.
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I would personally draw attention to it by asking them directly what they just did. If they lie to me or don't have a legitimate response I boot them immediately. If they tell me the truth, I'll dump it with a warning, saying that if they do it again, I'll boot them.
Idc what your personal situation is, do that shit away from me and my bar. Depending on where you are, and this is how it is in my state, you are personally responsible for your clientele. Not the bar. You. And you can get in huge trouble if something happens to them after they leave your bar.
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The fuck?
You dumb tf?
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I don't know, my dude. Do you think I am dumb?
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Well yeah kinda when you're so opposed to other people's safety lol
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Even if someone is taking rohypnol “recreationally” a bar is not the place to do it. I can think of few substances more likely to cause issues in a bar setting. Huge liability for you & a danger to the other customers
Edited to add: your coworker shouldn’t be bartending if she thinks hitting a dab pen at a bar is equivalent to bringing rohypnol into a bar, my god
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Right???? I think she has such weird takes on drugs because because she was in her 20s the 60’s and feels like she has an image of being a crazy drug-friendly hippie to uphold. But this shit is straight up dangerous
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Hold up, are you saying you work behind a bar with an 80 year old woman???
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If they are drugging themselves and can handle it whatever. As long as they are discreet. Let's be honest every bar has people doing drugs.
HOWEVER
In your case they can't. If they are getting that fucked up it's a huge problem. Also you don't know of they are drugging other people and you can't watch them 100% of the time. If I saw it I would take their drink and ask them to leave. Tell them illegal drugs aren't welcome and they have to go but in a discreet fashion. If they push back then go ahead and shame them.
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For one thing, they're still adding roofies to drinks, which is not a regular thing you want at your bar.
The second part is that you can't be doing drugs in the bar, that creates other problems.
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Isnt the cannabis tincture normally a liquid? Like a liquid dropper? I wonder if they’re putting powder in it, that’s what I pictured lol.
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Yes, tincture is a liquid. If dude had a powder that's super sus.
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Ya OP didn’t specify but I feel like a dropper isn’t that sketch looking. Also it would take soooo long for it to kick in if it was marijuana concentrate, at least like 45 min. Def something sketch. No thank you. Also what weird druggies?! Wtf does OP work?!
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45 minutes for tincture? Na that shit is faster
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Cool imaginary bar you'll have.
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You are setting yourself up for major trouble by allowing this to happen in your space.
As bartenders we are responsible for the state of all of our patrons; I don't care what people do in the comfort and safety of their own homes but bars are places to enjoy libations responsibly and safely, and it is your job to facilitate that.
These people are wrong for doing this in your place of business, but if you are watching it happen and doing nothing, you are just as wrong for allowing it to happen around your other patrons.
What happens when somebody has a negative reaction and strokes out in a booth? What if someone starts acting crazy and attacks someone? What if they drive away and kill someone?
This is really simple. "If we wanted you to drink benzos with your liquor, we'd have it on the menu." Dump the drink, set the boundary. Protect yourself, your guests and your business.
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Anyone taking unknown nonperscription substances shouldn’t be doing it in the bar, if you’re not like hiding in the bathroom to do it and you’re stupid enough to do it in plain sight — out you go. What you do elsewhere is your problem, but I’m not going to be liable for what happens while I’m working. That’s my livelihood. And for god sakes I hope your replacement cut him off and booted him out like you should have done when he started drooling midway through one drink?!
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