This is a horror story from a server named “Kim” in Texas. People, you can’t get mad if you get caught trying to buy a minor alcohol. You also can’t get made and try to skip out on your bill. Threats to “call corporate” don’t hold much water when you’re committing crimes.
I work at a chain restaurant in a rural Georgia college town. Needless to say, alcohol restrictions are still enforced here as strictly as they were during prohibition. (For the record, the LAW requires that servers request identification from EVERY person who orders alcohol, regardless of their age.
No ID means no alcohol, period. If a server is caught serving alcohol to someone without an ID, they could be fined up to $1000 or even face jail time, on top of losing their job). With that in mind, it is easy to imagine why I, as a poor college student who depends on this job for an income, strictly enforce the rule and refuse to make any allowances for anyone.
Right. Well, one busy Saturday evening, I was sat with a couple (they were black, but I only mention it because this factors into the story later). The girl looked very young, perhaps even still in high school, and the man looked to be in his early- to mid- 20′s. From the start the young girl never said a word, and barely even looked up from the table throughout the entire evening. The man, on the other hand, was incredibly rude. He didn’t ask for anything, but said “Get me this” or “get me that”, and was a horrible mumbler. I literally had to put my ear up to his face to make out anything he said, and what I did hear I had to translate from ebonics.
He began by ordering drinks – he wanted two of our top shelf vodka cocktails. Naturally, I asked to see his ID, and after verifying it, asked if the girl would like anything to drink. The MAN answered for her, telling me that she wasn’t thirsty. I informed the man that I could only bring one drink to the table at a time. It was obvious that he intended to split the drinks with his date, so I asked my manager and neighboring servers to monitor the two just in case.
Not surprisingly, the man pushed the drink to the young girl (who never showed me an ID), and she started sucking it down. My manager went to them immediately and let them know that they would have to leave if they continued sharing the drink. After that the man dropped what little pretense he had and was a complete asshole for the rest of the meal. Neither one of them touched the full drink on the table. Towards the end of their meal (which was apparently “horrible” despite the fact that they both finished), he ordered a Sprite for the girl. As I put the drink on the table, he asked for the check and a to-go cup. I didn’t believe that he would actually try to put his alcoholic drink in a to-go cup, but again alerted the other servers just in case.
Without even hesitating, he poured the drink into the cup and got up to leave without paying. A fellow server and good friend of mine saw the whole thing and walked up to him, took the drink out of his hand, and threatened to call the cops if he didn’t pay. He proceeded to scream at her and demand her name from our manager, so he could “remember her when she least expects it” and threatened to “call the corporate office to tell the president how much this restaurant sucks”.
At this point I calmly walked up to him and asked him if he planned on telling “the president” that he bought alcohol for a minor AND tried to steal food AND intended drive home with an open container, all while pointing at the closed circuit camera aimed almost directly at his table. The man paid and left without another word.
I didn’t get a tip, but I also didn’t get fined $1000, and I know the man won’t be coming back any time soon. I consider it a fair trade.
I had a young couple try to pull the same with me. She was obviously pregnant and underage. I offered the gentleman a sample of wine (1 oz) and usually I wait till they have a taste and ask if they’d like a glass depending on their reaction. I ended up having to help another server, in section next to me with a tray jack about to fall, along with the tray of hot food resting on top.
I turned around after all was good and no food was dropped, to see the underage pregnant female putting the wine glass up to her mouth. I was three booths away, and didn’t want to yell, “Hey! Stop!” so I charged the table like I would my child if I saw him about to drink alcohol. I got to her right as the wine was about to touch her lips and snapped my fingers in her face. She pulled the glass down just in time, and I told her NEVER to take a drink of alcohol in our establishment without showing her ID. I hate it when guests snap at me for my attention, but I didn’t want to bring attention to the fact that a pregnant minor was about to drink wine to the guests in my section or adjacent sections. We have undercover Alcohol enforcement agents come in all the time. One server was arrested and fined $5,000 for serving a kid with a fake ID. The undercover agent was dining a table over and ask the kid for his ID and discovered it was fake, (the server was new and had no idea), and he arrested them both right on the spot.
We’ve had agents just walk in, wearing street cloths, carding each and every person, young, middle-aged, and old dining in our bar. (We have a small quiet bar in the restaurant). Then they’d walk out. So, our law says card anyone that looks under 30, but I’m starting to card everyone. Those agents coming in checking ID’s look for expiration dates, too. If it’s expired, you’re screwed.
I’m a bit too busy to do the research, but I really want to know what the laws are, at least here in Louisiana, about serving someone with a fake ID. I’m not a government employee, nor did I have to take detailed training courses to get my responsible alcohol vendor permit. If someone has a really good fake ID, how the hell am I supposed to know. What responsibility does the user of the fake ID have?
The user gets arrested, too.
During the alcohol certification class we were told to accept ID’s that are peeling, cracked, etc. We were told to look for missing watermarks, or if the ID doesn’t feel smooth. I’m def not an expert on fake ID’s.
WE shouldn’t have to be held responsible for fake ID’s that show no sign of being fake, but it’s been known to happen.
Excuse me, Typo:
During the alcohol certification class we were told NOT to accept ID’s that are peeling, cracked, etc. We were told to look for missing watermarks, or if the ID doesn’t feel smooth. I’m def not an expert on fake ID’s.
My bad.
Look at it this way–the most you would’ve made off that table is five bucks, anyway.
So….
5 bucks is 5 bucks. Many shifts, for me, 5 bucks makes a large percentage of my total tips earned.
Then you need to get another job, my friend.
Back on topic–so….in your opinion, should she have let this asshole give alcohol to a minor, just so she could make five bucks?