Ohio Bartender Fired After Calling Police on Drunken Driver

[CaptainJaneway]

I am glad that this woman called the police on this asswipe. God forbid if he had killed someone.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs...opstories.html

[Greenday]

You know what's bad for business? If all your patrons kill themselves in car accidents driving drunk.

[HYHYBT]

That's... entirely too normal. Bars ought to *commend* employees who call the police on drunk drivers. But as with smokers, sure, some die, but there are always new ones to take their place.

[bara]

I almost dont care if a drunk driver kills themselves, but I have a huge problem with them taking out the family of four in the minivan or missing a turn and driving into a living room.

[crashhelmet]

Twyla DeVito had been a bartender at the American Legion Post in Shelby for almost a year when she called and reported to police that a regular bar patron and a board member of the American Legion had gotten into his car after appearing drunk and drove away.

"He called me and said that I was bad for business," she said. "[He said], 'This is nothing personal, this is all business, but I am going to have to fire you.'"

Bullshit. He's one of the big bosses. He was made to look bad. It was all personal.

The article says there's no law that says a bartender has to report a drunk driver. However, I'm sure Ohio has a law, like most other states, that if a person drives drunk and gets in an accident, the bar and the bartender can be held liable.

Here in Vegas, it's a $10,000 fine and a possible suspension and/or revocation of the house liquor license if we knowingly serve a drunk patron.

This lady just might've saved his life, or the life of someone else.

[smileyeagle1021]

You know what's bad for business? If all your patrons kill themselves in car accidents driving drunk.

Also, having it make national news that you even indirectly condone drunk driving (that's my take, he fired the bartender for reporting drunk driving, therefor he wanted it unreported, therefor he approved of the person driving drunk). I enjoy a responsible drink as much as the next guy, but life is far too precious to risk on reckless behavior like drunk driving.

[Seifer]

Bullshit. He's one of the big bosses. He was made to look bad. It was all personal.

That's exactly what I got from this story. The moment I read that the drunk driver was a big wig, I knew her firing was because of that and only that. It doesn't make sense, otherwise. "You're bad for business because you protect us from liability." What a bunch of bullshit.

I'm sure the bar is going to be shamed by this. If I drank, I'd avoid that bar and any of it's sister sites like the plague.

[Panacea]

I'm sure the bar is going to be shamed by this. If I drank, I'd avoid that bar and any of it's sister sites like the plague.

It's an American Legion post. I doubt they'll be shamed into anything. If they had, the commander of the post would be out of a job and the bartender would have her job back as soon as this hit the news.

Most of the patrons are vets. They probably view the bartender as betraying one of their own.

[smileyeagle1021]

Most of the patrons are vets. They probably view the bartender as betraying one of their own.

Something that really doesn't reflect well on vets.
My father in law, who served his country honorably for nearly 30 years, would very much like to meet in a dark alley any man who puts a man above the safety of the community simply because he wore a uniform. For him, that would be treason (you serve the people of the nation, not just your fellow soldiers).

[Panacea]

Something that really doesn't reflect well on vets.
My father in law, who served his country honorably for nearly 30 years, would very much like to meet in a dark alley any man who puts a man above the safety of the community simply because he wore a uniform. For him, that would be treason (you serve the people of the nation, not just your fellow soldiers).

Unfortunately, I have lived in communities where the vet organizations (usually the American Legion) were a community unto themselves, and acted as if they lived by their rules and their rules alone. My dad would not join the Legion or the VFW because of the lowest common denominator factor.

I realized not all vet groups are like this, and most probably aren't. But I've dealt with enough of this kind of entitled behavior that I'm feeling a bit jaded about the Legion . . . and I'm normally a big vet booster.

[wolfie]

It's an American Legion post. I doubt they'll be shamed into anything. If they had, the commander of the post would be out of a job and the bartender would have her job back as soon as this hit the news.

What I'd like to see is some authority in the government department that regulates liquor look at this situation (Caesar's wife rule - must not only be virtuous but also be seen to be virtuous) which smells of retaliation against someone who protects the community instead of the brass, and yank that post's liquor license.

[Panacea]

What I'd like to see is some authority in the government department that regulates liquor look at this situation (Caesar's wife rule - must not only be virtuous but also be seen to be virtuous) which smells of retaliation against someone who protects the community instead of the brass, and yank that post's liquor license.

I'd love to see it too, but I'm not holding my breath.