When you work in the food service industry, part of the job includes having to deal with overly entitled people. At times, you’ll have to settle arguments with customers who have mind-bogglingly strange requests. Like demanding that no sports be shown on TVs at a literal sports bar.
Redditor u/InsideAd5252, a patron of a local sports bar, shared a story about a family with a child who came in and did just that. The OP recounted how the manager and part owner of the place decided to teach the family a lesson in etiquette once their demands started getting out of hand. Read on for the full story.
You'd assume that everyone who goes to a sports bar understands that they'll show sports on the TVs there
Image credits: AnnaStills (not the actual photo)
One bar patron shared what happened when an entitled family began making unreasonable demands
Image credits: AnnaStills (not the actual photo)
Image credits: InsideAd5252
The sports bar manager wasn't going to stand for this type of disrespect
According to the author of the post, Reddit user u/InsideAd5252, the family was unwilling to have any of the TVs play Ultimate Fighting Championship fights. Even on the TVs that they couldn’t see. Their argument was that it would be a bad influence on their son, who was around 8 years old.
It’s understandable that parents want to protect their children from violent videos. However, it seems incredibly unfair to ask all of the other bar patrons to miss out on what they were actively watching.
“The father demanded that the fights couldn’t be on any TV as long as the family was at the sports bar. Then he accused the manager of not caring about young children for insisting that the fights remain on somewhere,” the OP explained the situation.
Up till then, the manager had been perfectly happy to look for some sort of compromise where both the family and the other customers would feel catered to. After the father’s outburst, however, the part owner of the bar decided that enough was enough.
He changed all of the TVs back to the UFC fight and turned up the sound. He also stopped the family from leaving without paying for the food they’d already ordered.
The dad seemed unwilling to compromise on anything
Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)
There were plenty of ways the father could have handled the situation better. But instead of looking for some sort of middle ground, he got too greedy with his requests and was embarrassed in front of the entire bar.
If sports and violence are an issue, it might be best to go elsewhere for a wholesome family meal. Or the family could have sat somewhere within the bar where they couldn’t see what was on the TVs. Or they could have gratefully stuck with the bar manager’s friendly suggestion to change one of the TVs so the family could watch something else.
Generally speaking, it’s fine to bring a small child to a bar in the afternoon, but not in the late evening. This also depends on the type of establishment that you’re visiting. As ‘VinePair’ points out, it’s okay to go out with your kids if the sports bar you’re heading to has a family-friendly atmosphere and is essentially just a restaurant with TVs.
“These establishments are usually noisy with a lot of activity and your kids are simply going to contribute to the clamor, not create it all themselves.” That also includes bars that focus mostly on the food, not the drinks.
Whether you should bring your child when you go out to eat will depend on the time of day and type of establishment
Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual photo)
However, if the establishment is an actual sports bar that’s loud, dirty, and full of folks who enjoy cursing every now and again, then it’s no fit place for a child. In short, rougher bars shouldn’t have parents bringing their kids there. “If you want to bond with your kid and teach him or her the ins and outs of your favorite game, please do it on your living room couch,” ‘VinePair’ suggests.
Meanwhile, ‘Houstonian Mag’ urges customers to “respect what the bar is trying to accomplish.” You really shouldn’t be bringing your kid to a place that focuses mainly on cocktails and alcoholic drinks. If you’re ever in doubt about how family-friendly a place might (not) be, try giving the establishment a call and ask.
However, dive and corner bars are a strong ‘no’ when it comes to outings with kids. Whatever you decide to do as a family, the most important thing is to respect the establishment, staff, and the other patrons. After all, if you don’t give any respect, can you really demand it in return?
Here's how some readers reacted to the story about the entitled family
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