You have to know when to pick your battles in life, and if you make the wrong call, you’re often left experiencing the consequences of your actions.
This bartender learned the hard way – after losing a whole bunch of money.
OP’s dad was one of the partners in a business venture, and after work one day, everyone filed out to a pub for after-work drinks.
I don’t know if this is necessarily an MC, but it happened to my Dad. He was one of the three partners at one of his former companies (about medium sized).
One day, he and his company went to a company drinks. I don’t think it was exactly a company party, but it was more than an after-work drink at the pub.
OP’s dad asked for his without ice but was told ice was mandatory. So, when he received his drink, he took out the ice and laid it on a drain.
Anyway, the bar was serving aperitifs, and my dad asked for his without ice, as he hates ice tainting his drink.
The landlord, who was behind the bar, refused, and said the ice was mandatory. So he served my Dad’s with ice.
Dad accepted it, took the ice out, and laid it on the drain rack that goes under the beer draughts.
The bartender kicked him out.
The landlord ordered him to leave.
My Dad was half expecting it, but asked him to repeat himself. The landlord once again told him to leave.
My Dad said “Okay,” and started to leave.
When everyone else started to leave he tried backpedaling, but these people knew who signed their paycheck.
And his company all started to file out after him.
The landlord protested “No no, you don’t all have to leave. Only he has to leave.”
One of the other staffers said something along the lines of “Sorry mate. He’s the big boss. We all go where he goes.”
So they all left and went to another bar.
He lost a night’s drinking income just to bluster at a stranger. Oops.
They had made a reservation at the bar they were leaving, but they hadn’t put down any deposit for it, and hadn’t bought any drinks yet.
The aperitifs had been complimentary, so the Landlord didn’t even get paid for those.
Does Reddit approve of OP’s dad handing down this lesson?
Some people wished they could work for OP’s dad.
Others warn him that sometimes all is not as it seems.
And yeah, not everyone likes to socialize.
Hopefully the bartender learned his lesson.
I will say this is the kind of lesson that sticks.
If the person is in the mood to learn at all.