If they drop something, they will always, always try and kick it to soften the landing.
Itās a fairly safe bet someoneās done bar work if they always take empties with them when they go up to get a drink (or leave).
Tried to do this once with an N64 pad, fucked the timing, kicked it into a radiator and broke the joystick. Still sad about it.
WAHEYYYYYYY
They have a āyou donāt have to be mad to have worked in a pub or barā¦but it helps!ā mug
Did some bar work for events and stuff, but I picked up this habit from chemistry labs. Same deal though, trying to cushion the fall of glassware.
Did see someone fully punt a round-bottomed (donāt) flask across the lab and into a wall when trying this, which was pretty funny.
Alternative hypothesis for kicking to soften the landing
Did this instinctively with a very heavy doorstop once in a retail job and it did not end well.
Yeah this is definitely a thing. Also how people talk/interact with checkout or bar staff gives you a big clue too. Not necessarily whether theyāre rude or not but just the manner of the interaction. Canāt really explain it properly.
Think itās people sensibly adjusting how they order to the situation.
Quiet bar - little chat
Busy - just order
Busy and loud - order with a little charades routine to help out
Obviously the biggest tell is a colossal disdain for the general public.
The real tell is if they put washed glasses at the back of the cupboard. Not everyone would do this obviously but if they do youāre damned right theyāre a bar veteran, probably who still have nightmares about it.
you can tell people havenāt been a waiter if when the waiter comes with the food they start moving stuff around on the table, like trying to help but just doing it all wrong and making it more difficult. also after the meal handing plates to the waiter when theyāre obviously trying to collect things in a certain order to be most efficient.
Iām not one for broad brushstrokes but I donāt think I trust anyone who hasnāt had at least one low level job in retail or hospitality (obvious caveats implied)
I more try to catch/cushion the falling object with my foot than kick it. Did work in a pub but had never thought of any connection.
Iāve never worked in a bar but I once responded to a drink spillage by nipping over to the bar and asking to borrow their blue roll and felt a weird kind of smugness when one of the staff asked if I worked in a pub and how I could possibly know about blue roll it I wasnāt a bar person.
A lot of this is applicable to retail/service work in general though, the assumption that the people serving you are human beings who are likely having a busy/miserable time, the instinct to solve or prevent mess from happening, not waiting for the staff to solve all your problems for you, etcā¦
Things that will make people think you know what youāre on about:
blue roll
AFD
D10
You can tell Iāve worked in posh retail because if I bump into someone Iāll automatically say āsorry sir/Madameā