City eyes breath tests for bar employees (particularly dumb nanny state action)

Daily Iowan ^ | January 19, 2009

[gondramB]

A proposed new ordinance that would allow Iowa City police to breath-test wait staff and entertainers at bars and restaurants could put bar owners at risk for fines and lost liquor licenses....

In the proposal, an employee could be fined the $500 maximum for having a blood-alcohol concentration of .02 or higher.

"It's probably going to pass," Councilor Mike O'Donnell said. "The thought is that if you're not intoxicated, you can be more accurate when checking IDs and keeping people safe in the bar."

[gondramB]

Sometimes Nanny-Statism masquerades as reasonable concern but its not very subtle this time.

1. They are claiming that at one quarter of the BAC it takes to be impaired for driving a car that waiters will have trouble reading dates.

2. They included entertainers - is the bass player checking IDs? And I'm not even sure strippers have to read at all, much less read accurately.

[HerrBlucher]

When I was a bartender I worked better and faster after I had a few shots.

[Navy Patriot]

Revenue and control. That's all.

New powers for the local commissars.

[Le Chien Rouge]

When,oh Lord, when , will we have drug tests for the politicians who propose these stupid laws???

[KarlInOhio]

1. They are claiming that at one quarter of the BAC it takes to be impaired for driving a car that waiters will have trouble reading dates.

And the BAC for driving is set at 0.08 not because you are falling down drunk, but because that's about where your reaction time starts to slow down. It is a lot different between hitting the brakes a quarter second too slow and checking IDs.

2. They included entertainers - is the bass player checking IDs?

They would have hated one band I saw a lot in college which demanded a sufficient supply of cold beer and would stop the set and yell at the bartenders if they started getting thirsty.

[gondramB]

>>When I was a bartender I worked better and faster after I had a few shots.<<

And yet they would have us believe this made you unable to compare a date to see if the customer is of age.

[Drew68]

When I was a bartender I worked better and faster after I had a few shots.

One of the bartenders at the neighborhood bar I used to frequent was known to knock a few back with us regulars. Sometimes he'd knock more than a few back and we'd have to help him close the place down at night.

Ah... Good memories!

[gondramB]

>>Revenue and control. That’s all.

New powers for the local commissars. <<

It really. I saw that the Democratic stimulus bill defers 90% of the spending to future years - almost as if its not stimulus at all but an excuse to control more of the economy.

[gondramB]

>>It really.<<

Should have read “It really is about control.”

[JenB987]

I bartended at our local Italian club while in college and a lot of the patrons would buy me a beer. They never cared if I had a drink or two while working.

As long as I wasn’t slumping over the bar, they never cared. And I agree with the working faster part...and I made a lot more money, for some reason.

[mysterio]

Why entertainers? So now the band has to be dead sober as well? Screw that. I usually have a couple when we play to loosen up a bit.

[massgopguy]

I know guys that will El Kabong anyone who comes on the stage.
This is RACIST, as all Blues Guitar Players have Jack Daniels tuning their guitars.

[Condor51]

A proposed new ordinance that would allow Iowa City police to breath-test wait staff and entertainers at bars and restaurants...

Mike O'Donnell said. "The thought is that if you're not intoxicated, you can be more accurate when checking IDs and keeping people safe in the bar."

No Mike. The 'thought is' that you and your fellow Councilmen in Iowa City are all brain dead assclowns.

When has a Guitar Player (you know Mike, an "entertainer") in a Bar ever had to check an ID? And from my experience Drummers are not good at breaking up fights and "keeping people safe".

Plus, most Rock Guitarists can't even play a basic E major Chord without a 'snoot-full'.
JUST KIDDING (Except for Chuck Barry - he had to be completely smashed!)

[gondramB]

>>No Mike. The ‘thought is’ that you and your fellow Councilmen in Iowa City are all brain dead assclowns.<<

I couldn’t have put it better.

>>Plus, most Rock Guitarists can’t even play a basic E major Chord without a ‘snoot-full’. <<

And now they will just do something that doesn’t show up in a breath test.

[massgopguy]

I belong to an Italian American Citizens Club and if you refused a drink we probably wouldn’t trust you!

[massgopguy]

Imagine if they tired to make Dean Martin take a Breathalizer? Mr. Sinatra would have Moose and Rocco “adjust” them. So, if they refuse a Breathalizer what do they do, take your guitar? I guess they don’t have a 4th or 5th Amendment out there in Iowa City. I say boycott them. No entertainment. Not at bars, not at WEDDINGS! Not at political events.

[absolootezer0]

bar owners should be totally against this. a good portion of their profits come from staff drinking.
my boss loves it, because no one buys just me a shot, it almost always means buying a couple people shots. and alot of the ones i get are because i suggested the customers get a shot, then they insist i have one too.
first they want to ban smoking, now they want to ban drinking.. who’s gonna want to bartend after that?

[absolootezer0]

some nanny-state-ism for you.

[par4]

JUST KIDDING (Except for Chuck Barry - he had to be completely smashed!)

I assume this would have prevented Janis Joplin from performing also?

[a fool in paradise]

It’s neo-prohibition. MADD’s founder left the group in the mid-1980s when she realized that the goal was bringing in money and bringing back prohibition. She’s since gone on to lobby for bars and breweries against stricter laws.