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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have phoned the police?

46 replies

MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 15:55

At work last night. I work in a bar. Bank holiday weekend plus a day of sunny weather brings out all the fuckwits.

A big group (about 30 guys) came into the pub, but in smaller groups, so it was only after they'd got served we realised they were all together. Hard to explain exactly, but really really bad vibes off the lot of them. Atmosphere in the place totally changed and you could tell they were basically looking for trouble. Going to the toilet in 3s and taking ages. Obviously doing coke

We have no security staff, and I was the person in charge of the shift. I was worried about refusing them service or asking them to leave because that would have been exactly the sort of trigger that they would need to kick off. And there were 30 of them. We have a panic button which at this point I was carrying on my person, but nothing had actually happened yet so couldn't really use it.

So I decided to phone 101. I explained exactly what was going on and said that I was nervous about refusing them but that nothing had actually happened yet. Police showed after about 10 mins, just as a few of the guys had been refused for being drunk and were starting to kick off a bit. Nothing major bout lots of 'that's fucking ridiculous!' Etc. And they were refusing to leave the premises.

When police showed the guys totally disappeared. They spoke to me, I said they had now gone, they took some details (and they actually praised me for calling them as a preventative rather than once something happened) and went on their way. Night wasn't ruined for other patrons, people barely noticed anything had happened. Which I like to think was because of the police turning up. It was about to turn really nasty IMO.

But I know that my manager is going to be a bit eye-rolling at the fact I called the police. He's going to think I over reacted because he's kinda old school that you deal with things yourself in the pub and police are a total last resort. WIBU to have phoned them? I really do think that they guys would have caused trouble if it wasn't for the police turning up, but they might have been just about to leave anyway.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 20/04/2014 15:58

I think you did the right thing tbh. I've been in the situation before where pub was taken over with unruly punters, no one owned up to the children running in and out place was trashed. Wish I'd have called the police too tbh.

You handled it perfectly

AlpacaPicnic · 20/04/2014 15:59

Well, if you hadn't called the police when you did then things may have kicked off and by the time they arrived, there may have been damage or someone may have got hurt.
Neither of those things happened and the police didn't tell you off for wasting their time.
There's your answer right there.

Nomama · 20/04/2014 15:59

You can always spin it for your boss... they were muttering... you felt threatened... they muttered more when police arrived.... other customers started to leave.... you saved him from all that damage and a bad reputation....

Just overstate some things whilst telling him the absolute truth - you recognised that they were going to be trouble and you dealt with it!

Friedbrain · 20/04/2014 16:00

Do u have to tell him

Lie, say one of them.threatened you

lollilou · 20/04/2014 16:01

You absolutely did the right thing, you trusted your instincts. 30 guys poss doing coke a very bad situation imo. Well done.

Original poster
MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 16:01

I know myself that I did the right thing, and I'm fucking proud of myself for doing it, in still just training in my job. It just annoys me that my manager will in a way taint my achievement. He won't exactly tell me off, but he will think I was being a silly little girl.

OP posts:
LangenFlugelHappleHoff · 20/04/2014 16:02

Sounds completely reasonable to me, well done for calmly sorting out a problem which could have escalated.

littledrummergirl · 20/04/2014 16:02

Ywnbu.
Your safety comes first and if your boss thinks otherwise hes a fuckwit.
Tell him you thought they were going to trash the (tv, sound system,juke box, any other piece of equipment) place and youve saved him a fortune.
You will have inproved your reputation with the police as well, knowing you call non emergency if needed means they will take it very seriously when you call 999.
Well done on a good decision.

Original poster
MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 16:03

Also meant to say the male police officer checked the toilets and they were covered in coke, so they also seemed quite impressed at me guessing correctly and acting on it.

OP posts:
salsmum · 20/04/2014 16:05

Pat on the back MsMarvel your manager will think you silly because he wasn't there. They probably ran off because either they had quite a lot of drugs on them and/or they were already wanted by the police, you put public/staffs safety over that of making a profit WELL DONE!. Thanks

Fcukfifa · 20/04/2014 16:08

I used to manage a bar and know exactly how you felt.
Well done on being proactive. Just tell your boss you could hear them talking about another customer etc etc so nipped it in the bud.
Let him think what he wants.
Oh and put baby oil on the backs of toilets, and other flat areas in there Wink

ouryve · 20/04/2014 16:11

You did the right thing. There would have been a lot more to explain if they had kicked off and I'm sure regulars wouldn't have been pleased about their presence, and they're the people who keep the pub running.

LangenFlugelHappleHoff · 20/04/2014 16:12

Second the oil - I used to use WD40.

Original poster
MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 16:16

We put pine floor cleaner on the surfaces if we think anything dodgy is going on. But unfortunately if people are gong to do it they will do it off anything. Credit cards etc are a perfect little surface for it. All we can do is make it difficult, and hopefully ruin one line if they haven't realised, but if they're going to do it, they're going to do it.

OP posts:
TravelinColour · 20/04/2014 16:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ImperialBlether · 20/04/2014 16:19

How will your boss know about it?

Original poster
MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 16:19

He's a nice guy, but just a bit ineffectual. It sometimes frustrates me that he's the one getting the salary, but that's just how it goes when I'm still training...

I do love my job, but it's difficult sometimes. But aren't all jobs I suppose.

OP posts:
Original poster
MsMarvel · 20/04/2014 16:20

Imperial I'll need to tell him. If I felt the need to call the police I really should be informing the licensee of the premises

OP posts:
neiljames77 · 20/04/2014 16:22

It's against the law to serve somebody who is quite clearly drunk.
You did the right thing. Or would your boss suggest you should break the law?

AlpacaPicnic · 20/04/2014 16:28

If he moans, tell him next time that you'll phone him and he can come sort it out. Or he can work all by himself on a busy night...

caroldecker · 20/04/2014 16:30

The police are consulted when the license is renewed and they do not look fondly on places where they are called out - hence licencees do not want them called.

OhGoveUckYourself · 20/04/2014 16:30

Well done for handling the situation in such a sensible, efficient manner. If your boss is at all critical of you then remind him that when the licence is due for renewal, the fact that you were refusing to serve drink to intoxicated customers and called the police when you suspected drugs were being used on the premises which will be a positive for him.

Floggingmolly · 20/04/2014 16:32

Your manager has his way of doing things; when you're running the show, you have yours. I doubt you're paid anywhere near enough to have to face 30+ coked up dickheads on the rampage...
The policeman's comment said it all really. Well done.

IkeaFurnitureAssemblyChampions · 20/04/2014 16:34

Who knows, you might have saved someone's life.
Intuition is a great thing to have, and it's good that you listened to yours.

zzzzz · 20/04/2014 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.