Bars, nightclubs, and similar venues are places we go to mix, mingle, drink and network, but most importantly, to have fun. As patrons of these establishments we expect to be served promptly, treated well, and given value for the dollars we spend. In general, the employees in the local service industry are exceptional – they work hard, are friendly, and know how to have a good time with their customers. Certainly, there are a few bad apples in every industry, but that is not what I am going to discuss this time around. In this column, I am going to point out nasty habits of fellow bar patrons who far too frequently sour the experience for everyone. I thought it was about time to give my annual Bar Fly Good Behavior Guide, so listen up, boys – I could be talking about you!

When we are out and about, we have to remember that it is all about having a good time. Bar and club owners, along with their staffs, work incredibly hard to ensure that everyone has an incredible experience while in their establishment. For all intensive purposes, they are in the entertainment industry and just about every bar and club in town creates a star quality experience. The average patron they have to deal with is buzzed or intoxicated and some of these customers make their jobs more difficult than they should be.

The Club Montage Reunion Party was an amazing success and my friends and I had a great time. But as we witnessed the behavior of a pair of bar patrons, we actually applauded the bartender who eventually had to say “get out my face” to her two customers. She handled a difficult situation brilliantly. For those of you who were at the event, you know that is was a very busy, crowded, high energy night. The bar lines were long, but the bartenders were working at a furious pace. When she finally got over to my friend and I, we quickly gave her our order, which was a very simple one (two bottles of water).

Even though it would have literally taken her 30 seconds to pull out the two waters and take our money, Queen 1 and Queen 2 decided that it was their turn to order. Queen 1 screamed at the bartender in a very rude voice “Um, honey, it was our turn.” The bartender excused herself from us and looked at Queen 1 in the eye, waiting for him to pronounce his order. Queen 2 pipes in and says “Aren’t you going to take our order?” Bartender said, “I’m waiting.” So they ordered. She returned with the drinks and Queen 1 rudely said “Um, those were supposed to be in large cups.” The fabulous bartender literally took the drinks and right in front of their face poured the contents of the small glasses into bigger glasses and handed them back, half empty. The queens just looked at each other (huffing and puffing) not knowing what to do next, so they took a sip of their drinks.

By now the bartender had moved on, but the royalty wasn’t done yet.

This is the worst part, they snapped their fingers at her to come back and proclaimed “This isn’t what we ordered!” She calmly asked what it was they wanted and made new drinks for them. But the boys were still not done with their tirade… They actually wanted to pay (the bartender was so over them that she was going to let them get by with free drinks, that they did not deserve). “Don’t you want our money?.” She said “Not really.” They said, “well we want to pay.” She said “Ok, it will be $12.” And here they go again: “Are you serious? $6 per drink?!?.” She was over it and walked away.

The best advice I can leave from this tale is that the nicer you are, the better service you will get. None of us (not even me the Bar Fly!) get special treatment over anyone else. You are not a movie or rock star, and just because your “best friend’s boyfriend knows the owner of the club” does not make you the owner of the club. So please, stay calm, wait your turn, and tip well. It is the right thing to do!

My top pick for this weekend is the No H8 Party at Universal! Come celebrate love, marriage, equality and the one-year anniversary of Brent Everett and Steve Pena. Special guest DJ ChiChi LaRue and other surprise guests will be on hand throughout the night! A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the NO H8 Campaign for marriage equality. More information about the No H8 Campaign is available online at www.noh8campaign.com. Also, the Facebook invite for this special event is online at http://bit.ly/AmJI.

Have fun out and about!