11 May 2002 olandgren   » (Journeyer)

Rant

Sometimes societal standards really bother me. A particular incident tonight just sorta rubbed me the wrong way. There's a local bar in the area, the Groveland Tap. It's a great place to hang out, chat with friends, and just generally have a pleasant evening. They've got a couple of pool tables in the back, lots of TVs, random bar games, and the best fries known to man. Now, they run a pool league, so the area around the pool tables is nominally 21+. This is posted on a "sign" (read an 8x11 piece of paper posted 10 feet up on the wall in small font) which is over the entrance to the inside of the back room. I say nominally because there are regularly kids playing the various games, while adults use the pool table. Some friends of mine and I decided to go out for the evening. I'm the only one under 21, but we figured it wouldn't be a problem as it never had been before. I just don't drink, and all's well. This time, we go to the back, order a pitcher and some fries, and while the waitress is checking IDs I politely note that I'm not 21 and she should just bring 3 glasses. For the record, pool season isn't in session, and there were open tables when we came in. The waitress, upon having this suggested, decides to check with her boss to see whether this is OK. She returns to inform us that I am not allowed in the back area, but am more than welcome at the bar up front or any of the booths up there. She then leaves. My friends express an interest in finishing the game of pool they had started, and the waitress OKs that. 20 minutes later, my friends are just getting done(not especially good at pool), and the waitress hasn't been back or complained at all. We figure that they decided to officially chastise me but then shrug their shoulders, and so start another game.
Heh. So much for that. The bouncer(a short, muscular gentleman with a very aggressive demeanor), comes back and declares that whoever is 21 needs to leave now or be "forcibly ejected." This, of course, applies only to me and not the 13 year old kid sitting at one of the bar games on the next table over. *shrug* I guess it's just really frustrating that I wasn't breaking the law, had no desire for any alcohol that night, pool league was not in session so they didn't need the 21+ rule on the tables, and they still kicked me out of the back because I was polite and acknowledged I was not 21. That, combined with the fact that "supervised children" appears to mean that your parents are somewhere in the bar, is just a tad bit annoying. The thing that makes me annoyed about this is that treatment at the bar depends almost completely on the waiter/waitress. I have friends under 21 without fakes who are regularly served alcohol at the Tap -- they just don't get carded. Heh. I guess a pool cue is more dangerous than a pint glass.

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