From the animated sitcom The Simpsons to Stanley Kubrick's horror The Shining, the world of fiction is filled with bartenders. Some are most iconic and popular than others but they all have a thing in common, they always bring along clichés.
Having been a bartender myself for almost two months, I've noticed that not all of them are just clichés; indeed, some of those clichés are actually true and I thought it'd be "fun" to write about them.
GETTING IT ALL THE TIME
Maybe it has to do with the fact that a, I am a young woman and b, that I am quite good-looking, but men hit on me all the time. Old, young, married, engaged, single, all of them. If you are one of those men, only because I'm nice, talk to you and make eye contact it does not mean I'm flirting with you. I'm just being a well-mannered person.
WE ARE UNDERPAID PSYCHOLOGISTS
There's nothing more clichéd that someone walking into a bar, ordering a drink and then talking about their feelings. Or sharing their life's story. This is where being a good listener, as I am, comes in handy. Actually, you could just nod and say "yes" occasionally and you'd be fine.
"I'LL HAVE THE USUAL"
There's always that one guy who walks in and says that. Actually, I wish people said that as most of my customers just walk in, say nothing and pretend I make them their usual. And if I have to be completely honest, I'm the one who, just to avoid ending up with something unpaid, often asks them if they are taking the usual.
THE RAG
Whether it's a TV series or a movie, it's very likely the bartender either has a rag slung over their shoulder or is using it to clean something — the counter, glasses, you name it. While I keep mine on my side of the counter, there's always something to clean, or hands to dry — because liquors are sticky, coffee is sticky because of sugar and/or liquors, and washing the hands it's one of the things a bartender does the most.
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