This evening I attended the watering hole with a coworker and a new friend I got to meet for the first time. I have been to the watering hole many times in the past, but have not been there in over a year. In the past I was a little different of a person but since have made a lot of positive changes.
Tonight a coworker, new friend, and myself who are all combat vets decided to meet up for wings and a drink or two at the watering whole on Coddington and have some wings since watering hole does have pretty good wings. I ordered a vodka Red Bull, my friends ordered a beer, and crown and coke. I finished my vodka red bull after roughly 30 minutes and ordered one more just as food was arriving. My drink showed up and I excused myself from the table to use the restroom. As I stood up and reached for my face covering, I accidentally bumped the table on the patio where we were sitting. The table itself rocked as the legs were uneven and spilled my second drink that had not been touched at all.
I cleaned up the ice the best I could, and the glass was fine. I walked into the bar to use the restroom and asked our waitress if she could replace my drink since it had spilled. I apologized for the accident, however the table being uneven and rocking was not my fault in the least. She said sure, however after using the restroom and sitting down the I'm assuming manager that remembered me from over a year ago when I was in a very bad place in life came to our table and in front of another 4 top behind us told me I was cut off and said "I know who you are and how you are and are cut off". I said I've had one drink and am completely sober, it was an accident.
I feel thoroughly embarrassed having that said in front of a coworker and another vet that really doesn't know me and a 4 top of strangers sitting directly behind me. Honestly, I have never felt so degraded and embarrassed in front of company in my life. I know in life we all have done things and do not always make the best decisions. That being said, I showed no signs of intoxication, walked right past her, talked to the waitress, and walked back to the table only to be greeted with ridicule in front of friends I'd gotten to hang out with for the first time.
This behavior and judgmental attitude just goes to show that even though someone was once in an extremely bad place after some life altering events that had recently occurred a year plus ago apparently means they can not change. If the watering hole chooses to have staff in charge that are obviously incapable of realizing people change, then I find it impossible to believe that I could support such an establishment ever again and will make sure to make it a point to let everyone I know the attitude and environment promoted and was witnessed by two other people that were equally dismayed and shocked by this behavior.
I will be speaking with the better business bureau come Monday and duly filing a complaint on a discriminatory basis. This behavior is intolerable, and with times as they are embarrassing someone and making them seem like the worst person in the face of the earth is unacceptable. read more