non-drinker sues bar
tommyThis guy goes into Carlie’s Lounge in Pinellas Park with some friends and family. He’s the designated driver, so he’s drinking cokes and water. He says the waitress told him to “order a drink or leave the bar.” The bar owner then walks up, escorts him outside, and tells him the same thing. Upon re-entering the bar, the owner hit the patron with the door, cutting his arm. Of course, the patron is suing.
Given just that bit of information, it’s would seem the bar screwed up. However, I don’t think we have all the details. Apparently the guy has been going to Carlie’s for 15 years, but it’s not reported if something like this has happened before.
I’d be willing to bet that this guy somehow provoked the waitress, or has some sort of history of annoying behavior at the place. I have hung out at a bar or two in my lifetime. I find it difficult to believe a waitress is going to force anyone to leave just because he is not drinking. I doubt any waitress would get that demanding even for getting stiffed on tips, though after 15 years, maybe she had had enough.
Even so, once the bar owner got involved, you would think the waitress would serve another part of the bar or the patron would be asked to move to another area. Bar owners have plenty of other issues to deal with besides someone just not drinking. And he certainly isn’t going to kick someone out for not drinking after they invoke those magical words “Designated Driver.”
I suppose the story could be as simple as reported, but my money says the guy deserved it.
Tags: pinellas, service, tampa
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August 5th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
that bar has somewhat new ownership. for that reason alone, i would not be so quick to dismiss the disgruntled patron’s account of the story.
August 6th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
There IS more to this story. The guy used to work for a company where we know the owners very well.
He was let go after having problems with the the staff in addition to poor work performance. One evening, he also showed up at the home of the receptionist who worked for the company, all bloody from a fight he had been in.
I find it interesting that he re-entered the bar after being told to leave. After he was let go by this company, he repeatedly showed up asking for work. They kept telling him that they didn’t have anymore openings. He just couldnt seem to get the message in his head.
August 7th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Are the people who “designated” him going to step up? Dude sounds a little whack to me. Speaking of whack, why does this remind me of that national news story where (not making this up) a frequent spanker at a California sperm bank is suing because he says he found a spy camera in there?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:55 am
[...] when a non-drinking bar patron was acting like a jackass. Management threw him out, but he ended up suing the bar based on claims that he was a designated driver for his group. That row inspired the law that says taverns cannot toss people who are designated [...]