As it urned out, it was one of the regulars birthday tonight – a chap called Terry – and some of his friends were, I STRONGLY believe to have been taking cocaine, in the pub’s back garden.
While I’ve no direct evidence, I do know, from stories I’ve heard, at both AA and NA, meetings, and my own experience as a barman and Quiz master, AND from personal experience of a thankfully brief relationship with a cocaine user, that people who take part in a quiz usually keep the pen’s with their teams answer sheet, and don’t take them into a pub beer garden. At least, not without the answer sheet. Nor, as one or two members of this particular team did, do they come back sniffing heavily.
Now normally, I’m fairly liberal about people who chose either to drink, or use drugs. I’ve one or two friend who indulge in various things, and we’ve always managed to respect each others decisions in these things, even though we may, privately or publicly, disagree, or make a different choice, in these things. All I’ve ever asked is that they don’t use under my roof, or offer me abusable substances. I would rather not risk developing a substance abuse habit, and my friends and Allison, my current partner know this. I’ll admit, though, Allison’s not abig drinker, usually, so, unlike one or two other people I’ve dated, is a comfortable fit for me, in that regard.
However, I have had people use cocaine in front of me, and it’s something I’ve felt intensely uncomfortable about. The once or twice it’s happened, I’ve felt intensely curious about trying it; – that’s NOT a space I want to go to, as I feel I may not like or want what happens to me there.
So, for me, tonight was an INCREDIBLY uncomfortable night, on both a personal, and profession, level. I did what I could, and informed both the staff, and management, immediately, and made sure that both they knew who was concerned. And also made that the regulars knew what was going on, too. I think for any regular, in any pub, this is an area of grave interest.
Wish all of us who enjoy the Harold for the basically good pub it is, well, folks. And here’s hoping that the cocaine abuser’s who abuse both the rest of us, and the otherwise fine venues, are soon removed from it.
2 comments:
I think you need to be careful that you don't turn into Mary Whitehouse! Cocaine use in pubs is almost as common these days as smoking since the ban and is very much less harmful. While excessive use can make people unpleasant, this usually requires A LOT of money, and it is necessary to spend a fortune to get anywhere near addicted.
I would also advise against wandering round a pub, however discreetly, pointing out drug users as this will leak back to the drug users and have unpleasant consequences, so be careful.
I am not goping to tell you cocaine is good but I think you can afford to relax and shrug it off as part of life these days. I hope this calms your fears a little
Mary Whitehouse, moi? Never! But, yes, you have a very good point about its commonality, these days; – don’t forget, working in the industry, you practically see it being snorted off the bar, if you’ll excuse the phrase, increasingly so over the past decade.
As a thought for you, though, just because a thing is commonly done, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily something I personally find acceptable, on at least a personal level.
And don’t forget, it’s also of concern on a semi-professional front. As resident QM, I’d rather not have blatant users in the Harold – which has a fairly tough policy on that front – as that deters other non-using punter from playing the quiz.
I just feel happier taking a stance, on that front.
:o)
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