The Coast News Group
Doorman Diaries

When the bartender cuts you off, take a hint

I saw this posting on a Web site about the bar I work at and remembered the situation immediately. So I felt compelled to respond to this particular patron, Mr. Crybaby Waa Waa.

“I was very disappointed in your bartender — I don’t want to name him. He not only disrespected and embarrassed me in front of my wife, but actually threatened me and would not give me the name of the manager or the owner. 
“I definitely felt violated tonight. I am a 37-year-old married man and could not believe what happened to me tonight. I actually tried to contact you, the owner, but (he) would not give me your name or number. He told me that he knew who I was and where I lived because I paid with my credit card. 
I am now contacting my attorney as I have filmed most of the confrontation.”

This is my response:
Dear Customer Who Will Remain Nameless So I Don’t Get Sued,
I’m the bartender that you’re speaking of in your review of 1st Street Bar. Let me take this opportunity to respond to the allegations you made against me and the establishment I work at.
The entire situation can be summed up by my choice to stop serving you because I felt it was unsafe to do so. I was neither rude nor confrontational, and as I do with any patron I stop serving, I told you quietly and to the side so as not to embarrass you in front of other customers. I even gave you the option to stay and continue playing pool, if you so chose. 
Instead, you decided to attempt to coerce another customer into unknowingly buy you another cocktail. I politely reminded you that you’d been cut off, at which point you became belligerent, so I offered to get you a taxi cab and told you calmly and quietly that it was in everyone’s best interest that you leave the establishment. 
Cut to 15 minutes later with you calling the bar no less than 14 times to file complaints against myself and the doorman working that night. With each call, you made another false claim against me and the security professional working the door. 
Hilariously, or actually sadly, you even claimed that I kicked you out of the bar because you were dating my ex-girlfriend. Which is strange because you claim to be married and my ex-girlfriend was long ago and happens to live on the East Coast. 
The Sheriff’s Department was called (by you) because you made a claim that the doorman and I were threatening you with physical violence and that we planned on “beating you the next time we see you out in the surf,” which was an odd thing to fabricate seeing as how neither of us surf.
As for embarrassing you in front of your wife, I can easily imagine that was accomplished by you at your home because you were by yourself in the bar, and also alone when you came back with a phalanx of video and digital cameras to “document the harassment” you faced at the bar. 
To the claim about not giving you the owner’s contact information, you’re right, I absolutely did not do that. It’s against protocol and isn’t something they deal with on that level. I did, however, give you the name of my immediate manager and his contact information. My doorman also documented the situation in an incident report. 
As to knowing where you live, I have no clue, care or compunction about where you live. My only inkling about your location is your claim of being a “local” and living up the street. Yes, we do know your name because you paid with your credit card and the fact that you called 14 times and your name was stored in the caller ID. 
I hope this addresses some of the concerns you have and I also hope this illuminates what actually happened that night and doesn’t sway other people from coming in and enjoying themselves at the bar. 
Unfortunately, this is just another byproduct of dealing with certain patrons who can’t control themselves nor accept responsibility for their actions.
Thank you, have a good night and be safe.

4 comments

DoormanDiaries March 15, 2010 at 10:22 am

What do you wanna bet Mystery Meat is the customer I was writing about?

Bubba's Mom March 11, 2010 at 4:50 pm

You need to borrow Sharkface for a little protection? This guy sounds a little crazy :)

John from Oceanside March 10, 2010 at 12:25 pm

I wish there were more bartenders like this one, our communities would be alot safer. He did the right thing in cutting off this drunk in his establisment. It is against California State Law to serve a intoxicated person. Many bars and resturants seem to foget that. It makes me very happy that this bartender and doorman are following the law and making our communities safer.

mystery meat March 10, 2010 at 12:10 am

1st street huh?
Never cared for the place or that stretch of highway…and the dolts working bounce, what mental hospital did you guyz find them?

Seriously, if the crybaby type of customer is what you’re attracting, the management might want to re-evaluate their business model

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