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by Zircom 1549 days ago
An apology from someone who has absolutely no ability to influence those decisions or policies isn't a sincere one, and is basically coerced under threat of getting in trouble when someone complains to their boss that they weren't "understanding enough".

Are you American by chance? I find that lots of Americans seem to want and even feel they're owed that kind of false sincerity/kindness from "low skill" workers they interact with.

Also I doubt it got to the point of someone telling OP to fuck off just for asking if there's an elevator, there has to be more to that story.

Also also there's no indication that the same business that owns the bar is the same business that owns the building, maybe they just rent a space on the bottom floor. So again, not the bartenders responsibility to apologize for something they have no control over, and possibly they're not even a representative of the same business that owns the building that chose not to include the accommodations.

In regards to accessibility accommodations, the only responsibility I can see to the bartender is telling people that there's not an elevator when they ask and he seems to have fulfilled that.

3 comments

'not the bartenders responsibility to apologize for something they have no control over, and possibly they're not even a representative of the same business that owns the building that chose not to include the accommodations.'

So if you have a serious situatuon, like a disabled person stuck in the basement, and the responce is just, leave them there? Like what has to happen for the barment to get off his ass and get the manager?

- 'Mate, you have a dead body at the bar!'

- 'Sorry pal, calling the police is not part of my job description'

To the customer, you represent the business. I see no reason why an able bodied man can't help, but if so, he should get someone who can. Whatever is the highest level manager or owner present has figure out the problem

Nobody can give a disabled person a helping hand anymore because there have been too many instances of disabled people suing good samaritans into oblivion when they fall and hurt themselves. At the very least an employee could be written up by their employer for touching a patron and at the worst they could be sued civilaly and have their lives ruined.
> Americans seem to want and even feel they're owed that kind of false sincerity/kindness from "low skill" workers they interact with

This is true to a sometimes weird degree, but...

> there's no indication that the same business that owns the bar is the same business that owns the building

A business is going to get judged on its physical space regardless of ownership or fairness.

There's a bar in Amsterdam with a rather unique tap collection and a remarkably annoying location, but every time I mentioned it to one of my friends there neither of those things would come up - it was always some variation of "oh isn't that the one where you have to walk up a sketchy spiral staircase to use the toilet?"

> A business is going to get judged on its physical space regardless of ownership or fairness

The portion you quoted from my post doesn't necessarily represent my actual opinion, I was just pointing out his statement doesn't always hold true.

But I don't disagree with you, you can definitely judge a business for it's physical aspects, however I don't think your friends go up to the bartender demanding they fix the sketchy stairs, and then get upset to the point your "blood boils" when they don't personally apologize to you for them. There's a difference between judging and complaining with your friends privately, and hassling someone that happens to work there over stuff they have no control over.

If American, you're leaving out the factor that the bartender is likely paid below minimum wage by the establishment thanks to our tipped wages laws.
That doesn't opt anyone out of common decency.
Parent post that I replied to was replying to grandparent which stated: "Good manners? The business he represents is unable to accommodate a customer's needs. He should be nice about that."