First Bar from a pub

[Topthelot]

got barred from a pub last night - very unusual for me (been 5/6 years at least) and most amusing. little pissed off as well as this was a banker location. hadnt been in for at least 4 weeks (checking notes - 4weeks and 3 days to be precise) after dumping the PYP and forcing £50 out of their noterunner.

Walked in, ordered half and started to watch the 2nd half of the footie whilst the weekly pub quiz is finishing. then the ugly old crone behind the bar said 'the manager wants a word with you' - 'who me?' i replied innocently 'sure'

then this 50 something bloke comes bounding up the stairs, wagging his finger at me, exclaiming 'you are not to play these machines!'.
'pardon' i ask ' i'm not sure what you are talking about, are you certain you're not mistaking me for someone else?'
'no, its you and you're fiddling them'.
'excuse me, i dont know what you are going on about, but be cautious flinging wild accusations about. i put money in i get money out, its not a crime and id appreciate not being falslely labelled as a criminal'
'the way you do it, it is!'

by now the quiz has stopped and the only sound is from me and the husband and wife tag team

the old boot then hisses at me (i know this may sound comical but i swear its true - she hissed) 'you're barred. get out!'

suppressing a chuckle and thinking of how rude she's been i decided to play a little game. 'certainly, i'll just finish my drink and leave. could i have the name of the brewery by the way, i think i'd like them to be aware of the strange behaviour of the licensees'.

she stares at me for 5 seconds, grunts and says 'out now, we have the right to refuse anyone and we refuse you'

'ok, but since you chose to serve me and ive not done anything i've a right to finish my drink in peace in my own time'
'drink it outside'
'i think not, i bought it in here to drink in here. besides, theres no chairs/ benches outside & theres no garden so i doubt you've the correct license (dunno if one exists actually?!) for street drinking. and we wouldnt to be doing anything illegal now would we'

at this she actually tries to take the drink from my hand! i step back and take a swig, smiling madly. this is becoming real funny.

the man now steps forward 'get out now!'
'look, i just want to finish my drink, then i'll leave. if you wont let me finish it then give me my £1.16 back
''you're not getting anything!' (from the crone)
'then i'll leave once ive finished. otherwise you'd be technically stealing from me, wouldnt you?'
'right george - get his drink. i'll give him 60p back' (the crone)

the landlord then takes my drink (im not going to resist and start a fight over less than half a pint)

'well, there was far more than half left in the glass, but i'll let that slip. however, you should know that i'll be contacting your brewery tomorrow to inform them of this. lets see how they take it'

'im the manager and can do what i want' (the bloke - as he 'escorts' me out of the premises)

'ah, so you're a manager not the landlord. you're just paid a salary and dont actually hold the freehold tenancy. i see. that does make a difference doesnt it. wonder how the brewery will respond to one of their junior employee's needlessly accusing and insulting a customer?'

'look do you want to make something more of this?'

'excuse me! thats a physical threat now. really, thats rather silly i mean, do you really want to initiate violence? i dont think that will help matters and, without wishing to be rude whilst im not exactly huge you're 50 something and about 5ft 3. lets try to keep this in perspective shall we before you do something stupid'

he's shaking with a semi clenched fist and at this point i cant contain the laughter and cackle somewhat madly as i exit leaving him stood in the doorway arms folded chin jutted out


now - what should i do? i wasnt actually going to complain but now feel that as a point of principle i should, if only to annoy the ugly wife. bloke never told me the name of the brewery, tho that wont be hard to find out. anyone else ever complained? what was the result?

NB if anyone wants the location of a quiet pub just outside leeds city centre thats got a noterunner just ready for the £75 - just let me know. i'd just love to know that someone else was taking the profit if i cant *CACKLE*

[a1056688]

Maybe not the best way you could have handled it with a view of maybe one day being allowed back in the place although you have certainly kept your head and pride well.

The only thing you might have added is an approximate amount as to how much money you have made out of the place over the months / years you have been going in just to really piss him off. Maybe a reference to his probabale poor salary and a comparison to how long it takes you to make the equivalent. Wouldnt make the situation any better but would make you feel even better.

I have only ever been kicked out of somewhere once and just took the quiet approach and said "fair enough", they never recognised me on my return a fortnight later although it is a brewsters, little bit different to a quiet pub.

[Booked_moss]

TTL it usually says the brewery on the pub sign. I think you should go for it, dont forget hes a manager so will be gone within a year or so.

Persaonally i would not post the location but its up to you, if you do post the location it could backfire on us all. lets say you post it and 4 different readers of that location go to do it....one gets the streak the other 3 end up filling it up and therefore making the establishment money through increased turnover.

Saying that, im really tempted to go in wearing tracky bottoms, an Nike top and baseball cap smoking Lambert and Butler and ask for half a coke, better if i had a simmilarly dressed mate or 4 with me and see how long it takes me to get barred.

[Topthelot]

cheers mates

i did consider the quiet approach on the chance of being let back in a month later but its a family run place so prospect of that is remote - besides as soon as she started hissing and trying to take my drink its became a question of principle.

i must have made an easy £70 each time i visited (2 machs & virtually always got the streaks) and thats the reason it grates a little - its one of my most reliable locations. My records show i got streak off PYP 4 times since it was installed in February, first time was £100+, other 3 at the £80 mark. thats £340 for, say, £140 (working on £35 average to hit streak) = £200 profit. The note runner (& predecessor - royal roulette) has netted profit of approx £120. total £320

Good point booked. Would post the loc but its only 5 mins from my house and right at the start of one of my established runs. wouldnt want the pubs & bookies near it getting any unneccesary attention now, would i.
Still, really want to see the Noterunner get ripped. Might get a mate to do it - just force force force until 3 beans. I could pop my head round the door just afterward to say 'Hi!' *CACKLE*

[deejaybee]

Yeah go for it TTL, these pathetic little Hitlers need bringing down a peg or two. He was probably saying to his missus after you left " I showed him who's boss, love " ( but in an Emmerdale accent )

Havnt had any hassle like this for a few years now, last time was at the height of the Vivid period in a little locals only pub in Lichfield... got grief of the gaffer for taking 50 out of a PF ( had put 30 in, but in his view there was no way i could have put that much in. Couldnt be arsed to argue any more, so finished my drink & walked.

Funny enough, a couple of weeks later i was walking past again and saw that just his missus was serving ( she hadnt been around last time) i went in, did the job, then just as i sat down to read my paper and drink my half of guiness, the gaffer came in with a couple of mates ( been down the cash & carry by the look of it)
I hid behind my paper for a couple of minutes till he went round back, then walked out quite rapidly lol

[smoss]

Yes, maybe if you had just agreed not to play the machines things would have worked out better, but to be honest I think there comes a point when you have to say something, especially if you have done nothing wrong.

Surely the machine vendor would have metioned something to them if they were making no money (or the machines would have been replaced)

I walked into a pub the other night and ordered a pint, whilst it was being pulled, from the corner of my eye I noticed the landlord switching the machine off, I had only played this paticular machine once before and had put about a fiver in and won about 12 quid, on previous visits I had not won anything significant on other machines (honest)

The point is, I had done nothing wrong, strange how winning seems illegal these days.

If you have no intention of going back to the pub I would try and stir up some trouble as well, but as drinker you have no rights or very little anyway, as I am sure you know they will turn round to you and say "we do not need to give a reason to barr you" so unless you can get some witnesses that heard them say you were cheating the machine you are probably on a loser.

Shame about the obvious losses though

Go give 'em HELL!!!

[crazyjimmy]

Im pretty impressed that you kept your head like that Top, I myself would most probably have either lost my rag completely or just pissed myself laughting at the twat!

[sh4kermaker]

Get on ebay, £3 odd, buy a refill key, send a mate in nd turn the machine up on full volume just before the quiz night - then watch the manager's faces!! a refil key was the best £3 i've spent in a long while!

[a1056688]

I can assure you, he will already have one, and there is little chance the volume feature will be active anyway.

[Topthelot]

refill features disabled on both machs!

no point losing your rag really - it only justifies the managers actions - besides, the more reasonable you are the more ridiculous he looks

i am drafting a letter at the moment. will play it straight too - i play fruit machines, sometimes i win sometimes i lose. it seems the managers are happy for me to lose but not to win, which is a somewhat dubious stance but nonetheless - they have the right to refuse admission. what i will be questioning is their right to throw about wild and totally groundless accusations then effectively take my drink from me while all the time i remained polite and calm causing no distrurbance to anyone. is this really an appropriate manner for brewery's employee to act?
wont do much but it will no doubt ellicit a response (who knows a free drinks voucher or someat?) and maybe a few words of advice to him from the regional manager. i'll settle for that