Got thrown out of a pub for not drinking!

Just seeing if anyone has had any similar experiences? I've never been removed from a premises in my life before, but on Saturday night, myself, the girlfriend and a couple of friends went to see some live music in a pub in town.

I was designated driver for the night, and the lads were ripping through the pints in the place. My girlfriend doesn't drink, so that was nothing new.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes in the place a barman comes out to me and asks would I like a drink. I said I'm alright thanks, and his reply, kind of sharp was "are ya not old enough to be drinking then?". I responded that I was, and showed him my ID aswell.

Literally 5 minutes later, same guy (think he may have been the manager of the pub actually) comes over, "Do you want a drink?", again, "no I'm alright thanks, I'm driving tonight". He wasn't a happy camper and wandered off.

Another 10/15 minutes later he just storms over to us, and told myself and the girlfriend to get out. "I could fill the place with people like you's if I wanted" "Pair of yee are a waste of space" etc...

I actually found it quite funny to be honest, but in another situation I would've been incredibly pissed off.

Anyone got any similar stories? Or thoughts?

Dave!

Did you pay into the place?

If not then you gotta sympathise with the manager/owner -- you come in and watch the music for free, and don't even get a coke! They still have to pay the musicians.

dade

so ya sat there and bought nothing, not even a soft drink? no wonder he turfed ya out

think of it from this perspective first,

I was with a group of 9 people drinking, that would be two trips in the car.

By kicking me out, he cost himself €45+ as everyone there would have to have at least one drink less because they'd have to pay for a taxi..

I explained this to him, and he was having none of it...

Cathmandooo

Yeah I can understand him turfing you out if you bought nothing. He could put people in your seats who would easily put €50 into the tils - It's not a charity place

robinph

If you were not buying any form of drink from him then fair enough for them turfing you out.

Procasinator

You disgust me!

Actually this happened to me before. I was at a pub with this girl I was seeing at the time as we were going to watch my sister do a gig there. The barman comes over after a while (maybe 20 minutes, tops) and asks us if we were drinking. I told him that we weren't, that we were just waiting to watch my sister do her gig, but he said that it didn't matter, I was to either buy a drink or get out.

Completely ignorant, really.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

heh, this thread kinda backfired didn't it OP

arybvtcw0eolkf

Pity the barman wasn't Phil Mitchel (or worse still, Grant).. They'd have kicked your head in, and rightly so.

Gulliver

I don't drink alcohol and I always buy a soft drink in a pub, even to the point of feeling queasy with all the sugar water:(. It's just more... I dunno... social:D.

That said, he was a bit rude in his methods. Surely he realises that you could possibly influence your drinking friends into avoiding the place.

neil_hosey

****in germans!

johnp

I'm with the rest of these guys. If you didn't buy anything (don't think you mentioned it), why shouldn't he throw you out. You're being entertained, and he's gotta pay fot that entertainment somehow.

btw, good on ya for been the designated driver.

haha, believe me, I'm not a non-drinker. I was just designated driver that night.

Interesting to see people's opinions, I looked at it from a business point of view, he actually lost money by kicking us out to be honest.

One year ago, I would've even gotten 3 free cokes for being a designated driver, this year, not only can you not be a designated driver on the cheap, you have to actually pay to do so.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Deleted User wrote: »

haha, believe me, I'm not a non-drinker. I was just designated driver that night.

Interesting to see people's opinions, I looked at it from a business point of view, he actually lost money by kicking us out to be honest.

One year ago, I would've even gotten 3 free cokes for being a designated driver, this year, not only can you not be a designated driver on the cheap, you have to actually pay to do so.

Are you not banned yet?..

Mods, party pooper in the house!.

Cathmandooo

Gulliver wrote: »

I don't drink alcohol and I always buy a soft drink in a pub, even to the point of feeling queasy with all the sugar water:(. It's just more... I dunno... social:D.

It is social, I hate sitting in the pub with someone who is drinking nothing, you always feel like theyre waiting for you to finish up so ye can go. I'd much rather get a taxi.

Xavi6

Fair play to the barman. Ya scabby f*cker! Why not just spend the €3 on a coke or an orange and leave it sittin there? He couldn't have said sh*t then.

Cathmandooo

Deleted User wrote: »

Interesting to see people's opinions, I looked at it from a business point of view, he actually lost money by kicking us out to be honest.

He wouldnt actually lose money, I've never once thought that I cant have one more drink just cos I'm getting a taxi home!

aidan_walsh

Deleted User wrote:

he actually lost money by kicking us out to be honest.

Hardly. I have no doubt that there were 9 other people who took up the space quite willingly.

Deleted User wrote:

One year ago, I would've even gotten 3 free cokes for being a designated driver

I'm pretty sure that's a limited time promotion that Coca Cola run.

Now as was said, fair play for being the designated driver. But the man still has a business to run as well.

johnp

Deleted User wrote: »

haha, believe me, I'm not a non-drinker. I was just designated driver that night.

Interesting to see people's opinions, I looked at it from a business point of view, he actually lost money by kicking us out to be honest.

One year ago, I would've even gotten 3 free cokes for being a designated driver, this year, not only can you not be a designated driver on the cheap, you have to actually pay to do so.

Depends on if your mates budget the night out that well. I know I don't

I dunno if it's the barmans fault that it's not a cheap night out for you. There should be some incentive for designated drivers. Or is there?

Silverfish

I'm with the OP on this one.

So much for the 'designated driver' scheme. It happened me once before, years ago, I'd bought a coke and sat there most of the night with it, while my friends were all drinking, eventually the manager asked me to leave since I wasn't a 'paying customer'.

So me and my 5 friends I was driving for, and about 12 others who were with us, got up to leave. When he saw all the people who were leaving with me, he soon changed his mind, trying to claim he was 'only joking' even though he had to hand me back my coat, which he'd grabbed in the process.

He couldn't really have 'replaced you' with drinkers, anyone who wanted to be there that night probably was, so it's not like he could throw you out and then stand on the street and say 'That's two out, space for two more in here, people!'

If he wants to recoup his losses for live music etc, then charge in, - not allow entrance then throw people out.

Morlar

You know what I blame this on the breakdown of? Society.
Moe Syzlak

Seriously though I would have bought a water or something it'd be rude to go into a bar sit there and not buy a single thing, water - orange juice or coke or whatever.

Beetlebum

If you didn't buy a sinlge drink, even a soft drink for yourself or a pint for one of your friends then you really are just taking up a seat in his establishment, a seat that could be filled by a booze hound who'd fill his till with money. He had every right to ask you to leave but probably could've been a little nicer about it.

Alessandra

Could you not have bought a soft drink? I mean if the bar is providing live entertainment its not on a charitable basis. They have to make their money. Just cos your friends were spending a fortune doesn't mean you can get away without buying a thing! I havae kicked people out of bars i've worked in for not drinking before, it really annoys me.

johnp

johnp wrote: »

Depends on if your mates budget the night out that well. I know I don't

I dunno if it's the barmans fault that it's not a cheap night out for you. There should be some incentive for designated drivers. Or is there?

There's not, which is the god awful thing about this country. They keep going on and on about people being killed in drink-driving accidents and it seems they do nothing to try and prevent this, bar those horrific advertisements. There has to be some sort of lure to get people to be a designated driver. Maybe it could be cheaper for the DD to get into clubs cheaper, or an active soft-drink campaign like the one coca-cola did previously.

Gulliver

Deleted User wrote: »

One year ago, I would've even gotten 3 free cokes for being a designated driver, this year, not only can you not be a designated driver on the cheap, you have to actually pay to do so.

That designated driver idea was never popular to the North-West (well, my little area)

e.g.
"Two buds, a vodka & coke and I'm the designated driver, can I get the free coke?"

I might as well have said
"Two buds, a vodka & coke and I'm the designated driver, can I get a glass of rabbit fetuses with a dash of blackcurrant?"

Ger_Hankey

AFAIK, quite a few pubs are doing the free drinks for designated drivers thing over christmas. In fairness though, if you were in his pub not paying any money he had every right to tell you to buy a drink or leave. Its not like he lets the Taxi Drivers sit inside waiting for a fare, is it?

If you paid a cover charge, then that would be a whole different story.

leninbenjamin

what happened the designated driver policy? what the publican did was ridiculous... name and shame if it were me.

when i worked in the pub about a year ago the staff were ****ed out of it before because of not knowing some designated driver thing across the board. we were supposed to supply them with a few cokes or something similar (which publicans tend to get for half nothing anyway if they do enough trade in the alcoholic). it wasn't a promotion and we were of the understanding it wasn't voluntary either...

edit: it was a VFI thing. i'm pretty sure if the owner of the pub is a member they are obliged to adhere to it all year round.

ScumLord

I can see it from the barmans point of view but if he did that to me I'd kick up an awful stink about it, saying I'm the designated driver, I don't drink piss water it's booze or nothing, what would Joe duffy say if he heard you where forcing drink on designated drivers, are these 9 drinkers not enough for you. Then I'd throw a bar stool in over the bar and get thrown out on my face. Oh no wait I wasn't drinking was I? I'd probably just buy a water just to appease him.

Just did a little search there leninbenjamin, the pub in question is not part of the designated driver scheme.

For anyone who wants to know if a local is a particpant

http://www.ccbi.ie/des_driver/

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

since when do you have to pay for a water?