So tonight I was at a certain bar for the first time in awhile. So I went to the bar and I ordered and a beer and a glass of water. I have bronchitis, and really needed some water to simmer the coughing. The server proceeded to give me the beer and a BOTTLE of water, and I corrected her saying “I don’t want to pay for water, I just want tap water.” She said “We don’t give that out” and I responded, “What do you mean? It’s tap water. It’s right on your bartender nozzle and aren’t you required BY LAW to serve water?” She responded that they’re only required to OFFER water and said there is a charge, so I told her that I will buy the beer, but there is no way that I’ll tip her for her service if she doesn’t provide me water. She said “That’s fine, but you won’t get served again.”
Anyway, I went to another bar in the shitty establishment. At this bar I ask for water, and stated that I will tip for this water and again I was offered a bottle. I said forget it, I’m going home. We live in Canada, home of the best fresh water in the world. Why are establishments ALLOWED to charge for a bottle of water, when they are able to provide water at basically a free cost? This is ridiculous. —I Just Want a Fucking Glass of Water
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.
I agree, there should be access to fresh water in Public spaces. Even if its just a fountain so that people don’t have to waste money and resources on bottled water.
Fun fact: Tap water in Canada is held to a higher standard of health and safety testing that its bottled counterpart.
This is what I find funny…you ordered water from a bar, and the server brings you a bottle instead of a glass. So, you then go to a different bar, in the SAME establishment, and order the SAME thing again but you somehow expected to get something different? What?
They are out to snag every copper they can from people. Same as Tim Hortons, they charge 10cents for a glass of water, I guess to discourage people who are not going to buy stuff. As far as tipping the waitress screw that I would not be tipping anyone anything for poor service. The other day I forget which place it was but they actually added the tip on to the bill. I didn’t notice till a couple days later and noticed they had added the tip without asking to the bill. She double dipped that day since I always leave the tip on the table, if they provide decent service. That really ticked me off. And it wasn’t even a high end restaurant. I forget which one it was, either Steak and Stein or Swiss Chalet but it pissed me off. I have had the same experience you have; they want to sell the bottled water at $2 a bottle in a restaurant and it is probably the same stuff Walmart sells in the 48 pack for $3 and change. What friggen rip offs.
I recently went to a Halifax waterfront establishment, my first mistake, I know, (Rhymes with Rower Neck), and I don’t think I’ll ever be back. It wasn’t so much the service, it was ok, (not great but not awful), but rather the fact that when you go for a meal, you have to pay for your drink order separately from your meal. WHAT??!! I asked the server why this was and he gave me this assinine answer that “Well it’s because we aren’t really a restaurant. We’re a bar that serves food.” Huh? First off, what does that even matter? Just about EVERY OTHER BAR IN TOWN has a food menu of some sort and I can pay for both my food AND my drinks on one bill at these places, why are you so different?
And secondly, you have a full menu, from appies to dessert, and a fully staffed kitchen. You’re a fucking restaurant. End of.
Then the straw that broke the camel’s back is the fact that they don’t take Interac for bill payment.
Fuck off! Tim Frickin’ Hortons takes Interac for Crissakes. Get with the 21st century!
“Oh but we have a bank machine inside.” Yeah. One of those privately-owned bank machines that charge you a $1.75 per transaction, on top of whatever the hell your bank charges for using a “foreign” ATM.
Completely ridiculous set up. I’ll NEVER darken their doorway again.
You ordered DRINKS …… doesn’t matter whether it was beer, water or piss … you pay!
I’m pretty sure they had Interac the last couple of times I was there. I also seem to remember being able to pay for food and drink at the same time, but I could be wrong.
I know this place….. it’s as sad as the commentary suggests (sigh). Here’s what I’ve done. Screw the water. Get your beer with the glass. Drink the beer from the bottle and go to the restroom with the glass and filler up.
N.B. Ask for a short glass. the tall ones may not fit.
Did you pay a cover? I would expect a glass of tap water shouldn’t be a big deal if you did. Friendly maritimes …bullshit.
hrmet: hilarious!!! But it might work! lol
you should have asked for a pine float. one glass water, with a toothpick floating on it.
vastie… I have no idea what happened… but that has never been my experience.
It may be because you were ground level and not in their designated restaurant upstairs..
definitely not an excuse…. but the upstairs place is awesome and should not be discounted for the weirdos on the ground. Just consider it… all I ask.
as for OP… just another reason to not even bother.
That shit is all kinds of ridiculous. They don’t even accommodate the designated drivers anymore either… cheap ass bastards. You can bet if I drove 3 friends out to the bar to get liquored up and they refused to provide me with glasses of water, I’d be moving them to the next place that does in a fucking hurry.
I’m not sure if they get that word of mouth spreads fast in the downtown. We’re already will to give your ‘already known shitty bar’ a last chance and you’re gonna shit on us like that?
Not a recommended business model… at all.
SO many places are on my personal banned list because of that crap.
Word of mouth means nothing because there is a fresh set of meat every year filling up the ediffices of higher learning. They will all come down there and due to lack of experience will gladly bend over and take it up the hoohaa to be able to gyrate against some other drunken fool when either of them haven’t even spent a dime (other than cover) in their establishment because they inevidibly participate in the “predrinking” ritual of downing as much alcohol as humanly possible before even going inside one of these places. That is if you can get by the metal detectors and no neck putty for brain bouncers!
What bullshit being refused a glass of water, damn moneygrubbers. Whats moreso bullshit is the belief that bottled water is better for you. It’s cancer causing from being stored in hot warehouses and shipped in hot trucks, the plastic breaks down and emits toxins into the water. Notice when you leave your water bottle in the hot car and take a sip it has that funny taste. It’s POISON. Our tap water is some good shit, best in the world. I know this stupid ass girl who wears all the brand name shit even though its not even nice, she says she only drinks figi water. Duh bitch ever been to figi? You can’t even drink the water there…worse than mexico, will get your ass poisoned with some serious anal leakage. Remember folks, Evian is naive spelled backwards!
I’m with OP on this one. The idea that one cannot provide tap water without charge is ludicrous.
Bottled water has to be one of the more stupid purchases one can make. Tap water is perfectly okay. The amount of fluoride in it is so small as to pose a negligible health risk. If one is that worried about it, get a Brita.
I agree Vastie, we were also told that they don’t serve nachos on the lower restaurant, but we could go upstairs, order them, wait for them and return after we were served and paid for them upstairs. WTF? It’s the same kitchen? You are also right about no interac and paying for your drinks seperately. I’ll never go back. My visit to this embarrassment of a “bar that serves food” was only 3 weeks ago, and I doubt the policy has changed since then. No talent assclowns!!!
It’s a bar, it makes money from SELLING drinks, not giving them out for free. You wouldn’t believe the amount of freeloaders that go in and want just water (free) and get the other amenities for free. Or those who sneak their own in. If you’re going out and going to spend little or no money – stay the fuck home.
Duh, it just clicked in…of course they charge for water, it’s what people on extacy drink.
All y’all who think tap water is any better than bottled water for purity better think again.
I wondered the same thing years back and found that tap water is only slightly better…. if you know the safety policy of the bottled water, that is.
One in 30 million people will die from drinking tap water. This is an acceptable statistic from Health Canada.
When I hear people talking about safe and clean drinking water it makes me snicker :P.
something interesting about that y’all may enjoy. The ‘treatment people’ have invested a lot of time and energy to the manipulation of H2O molecule in that the chemicals they add…. to make it ‘safe’ for drinking….. all have the same boiling point so it won’t leave a residue.
After all the chemicals they add I’d hardley call it ‘water’ at all. It’s more like “Bio-Hydrant”…. at least that what I’ve coined it as. Sadly, it hasn’t caught on yet :/
You should call and complain about that cunt of a waitress…she’s not allowed to refuse to serve you if you don’t tip. Tipping is an option, Bitch!