(I’m a bartender at a small bar that’s kind of a dive, but that has sixteen different beers on tap, eight of which change every month, none of which are any of the main brands people tend to know from commercials, etc. We also do not carry bottled beer. This happens at least once a day: a customer walks in, walks up to the bar, looks at all the taps and the menu above the taps which lists what they all are, then picks up a menu from the stand and looks it over for a few minutes.)

Customer: “What kind of beer do you have?” *alternatively, I get a lot of* “I’ll have a beer.”

Me: “O… kay. What kind of beer?”

Customer: “Just whatever’s on tap.”

Me: “We have sixteen kinds of beer on tap. You’ll have to be more specific? Is there any kind of beer that you like generally? Maybe I can push you into a certain direction there.”

Customer: “Actually, I’ll just have a bottle of Budweiser, thanks.”

Me: “We don’t actually have Budweiser, or any bottled beer for that matter, sorry!”

Customer: “Oh, okay, a bottle of Corona, then.”

Me: “Still don’t have bottles. No Corona, either…”

Customer: “Well, what kind of bar is this?! What do you have?”

(At this point, I usually step aside and gesticulate exaggeratedly at the row of sixteen taps behind me, wherein they either laugh or get angry and just say, “Give me a beer,” again.)

(This happens several years ago, when a now former friend who was in his late 40s and I are at a bar. At a table not too far away is a young woman about half his age with her boyfriend and another guy.)

Friend: “I’m going to ask her out.”

Me: “Dude, she’s already got a boyfriend.”

Friend: “I’m going to fight him for her, then.”

Me: “You’re what?

Friend: “I’m going to start a fight with them and win her.”

Me: “…”

Friend: “You got my back, right?”

Me: “You’re starting a fight for a stupid reason. Yeah, you’re on your own here.”

Friend: “But I want her…”

(He didn’t end up starting anything, fortunately for his sake, as these guys looked rather large. Incidents like this, turning aggressive when drinking, are part of why we aren’t friends anymore.)

(I’m at a bar and I’ve ordered a shot. The bartender sets it on the bar in front of me, but before I can drink it, a woman storms up, grabs it, and dumps it out on the floor.)

Woman: “What the h*** do you think you’re doing? You’re going to be a terrible mother.” *to the bartender* “And you should be fired! This is the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever seen!”

Me: “Um—“

Woman: “No, you listen to me. You can’t drink when you’re pregnant! I should report you to the police; you’re going to—”

Me: “Lady. I’m not pregnant; I’m just fat. Jeez.”

(She stared at me for at least a minute, then stammered out an apology and told the bartender to replace my drink on her tab.)

(I have gone out for a few drinks with some friends after work. The bar we are in is less than half-full, so we find some couches at the back. After my two lemonades, I decide it is time to head home, but realize that I have misplaced my over-ear headphones. I look all over the bar — on the floor, behind seats etc. — then go to talk to the bar staff.)

Me: “Hi. I lost some pink headphones. Can you please check whether they have been handed in?”

Bartender #1: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Nothing has been handed in? Can you please check?”

Bartender #1: “I don’t know.”

(I go to another bartender.)

Me: “Hi. have any headphones been handed into you? I think I dropped some.”

Bartender #2: “No.”

Me: “Can you please check?”

Bartender #2: “No. Nothing has been handed in.”

(The same conversation occurs with three other bartenders. None even look around in the bar area to see if there is anything there. I find a manager.)

Me: “Hi. I lost some headphones. Can I leave my number with you so you can call me if they are found?”

Manager: “People don’t hand things into staff. Look around the bar.”

Me: “I have. Can you please just call me in case something gets handed in?”

Manager: “People don’t hand things to staff.”

Me: “Here is my number. Please just call me.”

(I went home. My friends called me an hour later to let me know that they had asked the bartenders again, and miraculously, my headphones had appeared! The bartender told them they had been on the floor for two hours and had only just been found. I looked around that whole bar, so I know that isn’t true! Lucky, my friends pushed the bartenders to not steal my headphones!)

(I’m out with friends at a low-key bar. One of my friends has brought her twin sister, who is super shy to the point where she has trouble talking to people. My friend is super tall, very muscular, and tomboyish; her twin sister is much shorter, not muscular at all, and very feminine. I notice a guy my friend has previously had trouble with and go to mention it to her so we can move.)

Me: “[Friend], [Guy] showed up. Let’s move to the game room.”

Friend: *sighing* “Yeah, why not.”

Sister: *confused* “Who?”

Friend: “The guy I told you about? Who called me a lesbian and tried to start a fight with me because I wouldn’t give him my number?”

(To my surprise, [Sister] immediately shoves her can of soda into my hand, runs at the guy, and starts tearing into this man who has at least a foot on her. My friend walks over to stand behind her. She somehow deescalates the situation and we all go inside, even though [Sister] is still obviously fuming. I offer to buy her a drink to calm her down, and her sister follows me to the bar.)

Me: “What the h*** was that?!”

Friend: “She’s very protective.”

Me: “So protective she was ready to f****** DIE?!’

Friend: “I guess!”

Me: “She’s lucky you were standing behind her and looking menacing! I wouldn’t wanna fight you!”

Friend: *frowning* “I wasn’t looking menacing, [My Name]. I was getting ready to grab her in case she decided to beat the s*** out of him. The last thing she needs is to get arrested for assault.”

(That was the night I learned that my friend’s sister had gotten into at least one other fist fight with someone harassing my friend and has a temper like a volcano. With the way my friend described it, I have no doubt that this tiny lady could kick the s*** out of anyone if she was angry enough. She’s a total sweetheart once she gets over her shyness, so I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around this.)