Tomorrow’s editorial in the Lancaster Sunday News is headed “Train servers who dispense alcohol.” The editor’s mean well, they make a valid point, but otherwise they really don’t know what they are talking about.
They start off with an incredible blooper: “In Pennsylvania, most bartenders and wait staff make less than $10 an hour. The popular low-wage jobs require no advanced training and just about anyone can be a server.”
These are tipped employees. Most make more than $20 an hour with gratuities and many average in the $30s. It is not uncommon for a good bartender or server to earn $50,000 a year.
Also misleading is “no advanced training and just about anyone can be a server.” Licensed establishments are requited to have liquor liability insurance. And the insurers set high standards for training.
Moreover, unlike most forms of liability where virtually any amount can be purchased and $20 million to $50 million in coverage isn’t unusual (added coverage gets very cheap as the amount goes up), insurance companies are not inclined to offer liquor liability insurance in amounts over a million or two million dollars.
If someone is ‘over served’ and goes out and causes a serious driving accident, the jury award can be in the tens of millions. The award is sufficient to bankrupt most establishments. So not only do the insurers have a vested interest in safe serving, but so does ownership.
Another factor is the need to retain a liquor license. Violate the rules and the the license to serve alcohol can be withdrawn.
New employees handling alcohol are shown training videos. They are taught to classify patrons as either ‘green’ to be served, ‘yellow’ to be slowed down, or ‘red’ not to be served and offered free food and perhaps suggested that a cab be called.
Since people ‘bar hop’, it isn’t just a matter of restricting the number of drinks. It means classifying and re-classifying before anyone is served. They can walk into the establishment already drunk!
However, wanting to do something and actually doing it are often two different things. Compare records of pool safety or on job injuries between responsible and irresponsible management. Unless management truly puts safety first, there is laxity, and accidents will occur.
We agree with the editors that training should be required by law. Also some refresher training should take place quarterly.
But the most important thing is for ownership and management to insist on safe pouring and that bartender or server not following proper guidelines be fired on the spot.
Then we will have safer roads.
