The Dibs are Higher Now for New Bartenders
Bartending is a skilled profession. Many bartending schools are popping up all over the nation. Online advertising and websites announce tuition specials and elaborate on the value of bartending education. Nowadays, it is mandatory now to have a bartending diploma and an alcohol server certification. Bartending has become such a profession now, that seasoned professionals that have college degrees are now opting to change careers, going into bartending, particularly as a traveling, self-employed or independent contractor. The money is good if not better than the professionals’ former salary: It’s common for an independent contractor bartender to earn $40.00 an hour, plus tips. It’s also a good way to meet people on cruise lines, private parties, special celebrations and business meetings.
When looking for a job as a bartender, the first thing an applicant is asked: “Do you have the servers’ certification?” This certification proves that you have passed the testing of your knowledge of the laws concerning serving alcohol to the public and the rules regarding minors and public intoxication. The bartender must be aware at all times the amount of alcohol is being consumed by the customers, particularly drawing upon bartending training and their own personality to regulate customers that intend to become very inebriated at the bar.
Although adults hold their own responsibility, if accidents occur due to the bartender allowing customers to consume far too much alcohol, the bartender and the bar can be held responsible. That draws questions as to how much is too much and at what exact point would a serving bartender and the establishment itself become responsible for some other adult’s behavior and lack of social protocol. In other words, how drunk is too drunk?
Getting it figured
Some bars and establishments have bought a gadget similar to the breath-a-lizer, so that inebriated customers can “prove” that they are un-drunk enough to have yet another drink of their favorite buzz. It’s getting so scary to leave oneself open to the possibility of lawsuits for contributing to the actions of drunk drivers, bar equipment supply companies now sell these gadgets directly to bar owners and bartenders. Bar establishments have gone so far into protecting themselves, that some request that their bartenders take a CPR course and get primed to be able to operate a defibrillator device, just in case a customer can’t be transported out of their bar and to a hospital quick enough and the customer needs a heart jump-start right on the minute. Bartenders that have passed a CPR/AED course can get authorized to carry their own personal defibrillator device.
The law mandates that a bartender must refuse to serve an inebriated customer, who is by visual observation, becoming unbalanced, falling off the stool, extraordinarily slurring speech or falling on the floor. If the drunk customer is leaving the bar with car keys, but is clearly unable to drive, then the bartender should attempt to have the customer wait for a taxi. The bar manager should be immediately notified if the inebriated customer insists on leaving the bar to get into a vehicle to drive or tries to take a swing at the bartender for attempting to intervene. The bartender should, if possible, follow the customer out the door and get the license plate number, a description of the car, and the direction the car is driving in. The bar manager should call the police to hopefully intercept the car before they possibly harm themselves or others with their reckless and unsafe driving.
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