And fun ends with...

...... Heather

Lets touch base on drunks. In particular cutting them off..

As I mentioned in another pos, I have been known to have this "magic" when it comes to dealing with drunk people. I dont get it, I think I am just a normal person, who is good at kindly communicating. But apparently I have been dubbed with a special skill.

For your entertainment, I will share some of my finer moments!

1. The Proposal

It was early in the day, and this one chap started to drink as soon as we opened at noon. By 4 pm, he was starting to get lit. Oregon law states we must refuse service to anyone we believe is a VIP, based off the 50 signs that someone is intoxicated. Based on my knowledge of number of drinks consumed, over the course of 4 hours, outside temp, age, height, weight.. so on... I knew this guy was reaching his limit. Try as I might, I tried to slow him down or detour him for awhile. But he wasnt having it.

By 4:45 he had returned to the bar yet again. Myself and the other staff agreed, we would no longer serve him. But, he was a rather large burley type of a guy. You knew that it was going to go really well, or really poorly when you broke the news to him.

As he stood at my bartop, I asked for his hand. I held it for a min, while I spoke with him and then told him I had a special suprirse for him. He was giddy, and I stroked his hand and said that I was going to put a black X on his hand. It took a min for it to sink in... and his smile disappeared and he jerked his hand away. I saw the look, the look that happy was going to get firery real fast. So I pacified him and told him he wont the big award. He looked at me and asked what... and I said "You have won the award for the most awesome hardcore partier for the day!" - "You managed to be the very first person to be cut off today. Which means, you have superior skills at having a good time! You should be stoked... because NO ONE else has one of these X's. Its like a damn badge of honor!!!"

He seemed to buy my bullshit. After about an hour, he returned to the bar, and much sober than he was before. Despite the fact I was no longer serving him drinks, he would come by.. just to make sure he still was my only X out there. Hours later, when he had clearly sobered up, he came by one last time.

He asked me to step out from behind the bar, and I did. He got down on one knee, and with a somewhat cheesy, yet thoughtful ring... he probably found for $20 there at this fair... he proposed to me. He said that I was able to handle him drunk, and as much as he wanted to get mad at me.. I was so nice, cool, calm, collected and reasonable... he found it impossible to be mad at me. If that was not a good reason to marry me, he didnt know. He figured... I must be the perfect women to be able to handle such things so calmly.

I gave him a hug, and geniunely appreciated the compliment. More so, due to the fact he was now sober. Because I have had drunken proposals... they dont hold any weight. But... a sober one, after I have cut a person off... now that is pure gold!

2. Combattive Cowboy

This guy was a real gem! Here we are at a country concert, and cowboys are the worse at sneaking in booze. So all night we are pulling bottles and flasks off guys. Well Combattive Cowboy had a pint of Fireball pulled off of him, so he then he started to hit the bar pretty hard. I watched him, and he would order two drinks at a time. He was on his 3rd trip in the hour, and I realized... following this service, he would be told he could not consume any more alcoholic beverages.

Suffice to say, upon notification when he came to the bar for his fourth round.. he was unhappy. I did not handle him at the bartop. He was the type of guy who I thought would fight, so I left it up to the adorable little bartender to handle. He was nice enough to her, but you could tell he was on a mission to get hammered and was well on his way.

He turned on his heels and started booking it over to our second bar. How people dont see the radios on us, is beyond me. Or perhaps he didnt realize we are all in the same shirts, therefore the same company. I send one of my security to trail him, to make sure the other bar knows not to serve him. I radio them to let them know what he looks like and that big daddy Chaddy is tailing him.. and will give them the eye.

Sure enough he walks straight up to the bar, and the two bartenders hold their ground and explain he can not be served. Chad is a good 20-30 feet away, casually looking in a different direction. I am on the other side of the stage. This guy sees Chad and starts blaming him. Next you know I have Chad on the radio stating he needs black shirts (which is the back up security, that can handle people like police officers.. they are DPSST. Chad is as well, but we didnt have a DPSST Supervisor on shift at the time. Which means hands off for him).

Chad continues to call for back up, and I assure him I have him covered. I notify the black shirts and start running. Once I have them in my view, I slow down so I can approach the situation diplomatically. I listen and when I hear him escalate, saying he plans on leaving in a cop car, and he will do whatever it takes to make that happen. I realize it is my time to try to work my feminine charm.

His hands were flying everywhere. Finally I say.. "Can I see one of your hands?" --- he looks at me suspiciously but agrees. I take is hand, into both of mine and I look him in the eyes while holding his hand and I say "Dude.... look at those black shirts. See those ugly mugs. Now look at me... I am pretty sure we can both agree I look a lot better than those guys.." (he nodds in agreement) "Now listen, you were cut off. We could have kicked you out for the Fireball, but we didnt. But now you have reached a point where you do have to leave. You have two choices. Let those ugly assholes take you to the ground.. drop some cheap shots, and then throw you in the back of police cruiser.. spenidng the night in jail. OR...... you and me can walk to the gate together, holding hands. What do you think your buddies are going to think is cooler?"

He starts to get animated again, I grab his hand again.. as he makes his plea on how unfair it is. I remind him, he is beyond the point of negotiation, he has threated my staff, and was told he was done and attempted to obtain more alcohol despite being told he was cut off. His choice is only to leave.. it is just the matter of which way he leaves. So he ponders it for a second.. looks and me, and smiles. "Ok.. you are right... I dont want to go to jail and I will look a LOT cooler walking out with you." --- Success.

We start walking towards the gate, and one of my other female bartenders joins us, at this point me and CC have our arms linked. Colleen then links on to his other side.. and next you know we are skipping down the pavement like the Wizard of Oz.

Colleen makes note that she has heard of my magic, but never witnessed it, and felt as if she truly watched something magical take place. I just laugh. We reach the gate, he has an entorage. Myself, Colleen, Big Daddy Chaddy, and Mike (another one of my security). He reaches the threshold and turns around. Gives me a big hug and says... "Ma'am, I am so sorry. I am sorry for cursing in front of you, and behaving the way I did. I am sorry for cursing at and in front of all of your staff. I am sorry that I was acting that way." He then shakes the hands of my men, and gives Colleen a hug. He looks at the gate security guy, and says he is sorry to him as well, and shakes his hand. He steps outside of the gate and looks back in. "Hey.. I a headed down the street to that country bar. I will be there all night. So when you get off work.. come by. I will buy you all a drink for being so patient and kind." -- then off he went.

I took a guy who was ready to swing on my guy, wanting to have a fight, wanting to be taken down, and wanting to leave in cuffs.. to skipping, hugging, and a very heartfelt apology.

3. Hammered Hillbilly

The event was Tractor Pulls and Monster Trucks. I think that alone gives you an idea of the greater half of the people which I was dealing with. This event does not take place in a big city. In fact it takes place on the out skirts of a smaller town. Perhaps they call themselves a city, I guess I dont know what qualifies as a city vs town. But I would say this was a town at best.

Anyway... Hammered Hillbilly was a special case. This particular beer garden is known for being crazy. We are talking about fights ALL NIGHT LONG. This is the only event where we see a consistent flow of fights. Rarely do we see fights in general, but this event is one of those weird events. You have a blend of the drivers.. guess who are hick with money.. and entitled. Then you have the towns people, and then you have the rednecks, hicks, cowboy wannabes, hillbillies... and you blend them all in with city folk that come from the surrounding metropolitan. Add in some alcohol, gee I have no idea why they fight..

That all being said, there was a young man, I would guess him to be 23 at best. He is very clearly hammered. I mean, he can hardly stand. Law is tricky with this sort of situation. In most cases we want to remove these people from these events. 1. They are a threat to themselves 2. Threat to others 3.risk of injury 4. 3rd party liability for us.. if something does happen. Furthermore, there is no way this guy was served by us, to reach this point. Again, we are used to people drinking in the parking lot, or pre-funking before they come.

We dont always know when people enter the premise, that they are drunk. This is because these people (myself back in the day) would hammer down a ton of drinks in the car, and walk in. More importantly, walk in sober.. since the alchol had not hit them yet.

They grab one drink from the bar if they feel like spending the money. Now.... despite the fact we have not overserved this person, by serving them.. they are now our liability. The moment they come into our beer garden, we are essentially assuming responsibility over them.

Basically I dont want him leaving the beer garden and drive. We are not in a place where there are taxis and he is clearly with a large group of friends. I dont see how he had any options. So... I casually approach this young man. I ask him for his beer... he was too drunk to realize I was not a girl hitting on him, but rather part of the security team. Because he had offered to buy me a drink first.

I ask him to sit down with me on a bench so we can talk, and he agrees to do so. Once sitting, I take his hand, and explain he cant drink anymore. that even if his friends buy him a drink he will be out. But more importantly, I really didnt want him getting hurt. I told him that he could be having a nice time, and behaving.. but due to being so drunk.. he could stumble into the wrong guy who decides to fight. He was in no shape to defend himself and I really felt like he was a nice guy and didnt want to see him in a fight he didnt mean to cause.

So, I told him... sit here on this bench. I DO NOT want you to move. I want you to stay right here until your driver is ready to go. I will make sure no one kicks him out, as long as he does that. Sweet boy gives me a hug and thanks me. I walk away.

After I get back to my area where I enjoy watching him from my perch. The owner walks over to me with a big grin and asks why I didnt kick him out. I tell him the story. He says... how long do you think it is before he takes a drink. I assure him, me and the boy have a good understanding and I trust he will behave. The owner with his animated smile.. says "sure sure.. lets watch" as he has a chuckle.

A good 20 min have past, and one of his buddies is standing there talking to him with a beer. The friend hands him the beer. HH is sort of slumped over the beer.. and the owner says "Watch.. its about to go down.." and he starts to make his way to him. I grab him by the shirt and say... "Wait.. just watch. His friend is tying his shoe. I truly trust that he wont drink it... wait.". Well sure enough... the friend finishes fixing his shoelace and takes his beer back. Not once did HH look like he was going to take a drink.

I feel a great deal of satisfaction that this young fella held his word, so I make my way over to him. He is not all that with it, so I easily slide up the bench next to him. It wasnt until my hip touched his, did he realize I was there. He turns to see me, and immediately says "I swear, I just held the beer.. I didnt drink it. I promise!" It was sort of sad really... but cute at the same time. I pat his leg and say.. "I know.. I saw it all happen and tho the owner was sure you would take a drink and was ready to pounce. I assured him you were good on your word. So I really just wanted to come over here and tell you I am proud of you, and thank you." He gave me a beaming smile. He was starting to sober up a bit, not enough.. but a bit. His smile was fantastic, and he was such a sweet kid.

In some sort of way, it was one of those restoration in the faith of humanity moments. My most difficult customers are the 21-23 year old demographic. They are all entitled little jerks. they all know more that everyone. They are basically drunken teenagers. They are most often impossible. But this guy... he was not. He was fantastic.

He was, kind, sweet, compliant, and understanding from the moment I spoke with him. Something that is rather rare in my business. I gave him a big hug.. I truly meant it too. I truly loved our interaction and his honesty to the situation.

Anyway... more stories to come.. but that is it for now!