Did I break pub etiquette here?
Posted by Juicy_juce-juce@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 303 comments
So I’m at a beer garden carrying a round of pints back to my mates. I drop one of the glasses with ice, smash it all over the floor. Immediately apologised to everyone nearby, went back to the bar, told staff there was broken glass and asked for a replacement. On the way back I apologised again to people nearby. Most people just laughed and were nice about it.
Then as soon as I sat down, a guy at the table behind us asked: ‘Are you going to do anything about the glass?’
I said I’d already told the staff and they said they’d sort it. He looked annoyed and said they seemed pretty busy. I sort of shrugged because… what exactly was I supposed to do?
Then the next table started getting annoyed too saying I should clean it because they had a dog. The dog was asleep under the table and nowhere near it. I basically said just keep the dog away from it for a few minutes while staff come.
One of my mates went and told the bar staff again that there was broken glass. At that point one of the annoyed guys went inside himself, found a dustpan and brush, and cleaned it up (probably around 5 minutes after I’d dropped it). Their table then started having a go at me for not doing it myself.
Everyone else in the pub seemed completely confused about why this had turned into a thing.
So genuinely asking: in UK pub culture / beer garden etiquette, was I supposed to immediately find cleaning equipment and clean up broken glass myself? Or is telling staff and letting them deal with it the normal expectation?
For context: I’m not British but have lived in London since 2014, the annoyed table sounded mostly American, and despite my English mates saying I did nothing wrong, I thought I’d ask here.
TL;DR: Dropped a pint glass in a busy beer garden, immediately apologised and told bar staff there was broken glass. Staff said they’d sort it. About 5 minutes later some nearby tables got annoyed that I wasn’t personally cleaning it up and one guy went and found a dustpan himself while having a go at me. In UK pub etiquette, is telling staff enough or was I expected to immediately clean broken glass myself?
Professional_Deal565@reddit
You told the staff and apologised. The dog people and moany people were just moaners. Keeping their dog safe isn't your problem.
Competitive_Net1571@reddit
I don't know what most of this thread is going on about but OP should absolutely not have cleaned it up and not should any other customer have done it.
It's the responsibility of the staff. If the customer cuts themselves when picking up the glass it would be a healthy and safety concern.
The pub has to adhere to the Health and Safety Act (1974).
Feelincheekyson@reddit
In all my times visiting pubs I have never once seen a customer clean up broken glass and I’m astounded that anyone is even suggesting it
Kaioken64@reddit
I've offered many times to clean up after I smash a glass and have never once been told yes. The staff always insist on doing it themselves.
ChelseaAndrew87@reddit
Seen plenty of people start clearing it themselves but the staff will always come to ensure everything is cleared
stowgood@reddit
This is the way
I_am_zlatan1069@reddit
Why are you smashing so many glasses? They should start giving you plastic ones instead.
Kaioken64@reddit
I've been going to a pub for many years, glasses get smashed, not necessarily by me but someone I'm with.
Pedantichrist@reddit
You see, I am on my sixth decade of pub going, and have probably had less than 5 houses broken by my friends and I.
I think you might need to cut down a bit, if you cannot reliably handle a glass.
Kaioken64@reddit
In over 50 years you've only seen someone in the group you're with smash 5 glasses in a pub? Oh do fuck off.
Pedantichrist@reddit
Yes. Do you smash mugs often at home?
Lost-in-Limbo@reddit
Wow! This all sounds like my kids when they start bickering over complete nonsense!!
jtr99@reddit
Well clearly stop going to the pub with that guy! 😉
NecessaryBluebird652@reddit
That's mad, because I would have cleaned up broken glass Id' dropped immediately without a single second thought!
Competitive_Net1571@reddit
I know right. God knows what some of these people are on!
Jonoabbo@reddit
Right, but he told the staff and they did nothing about it?
Competitive_Net1571@reddit
So? It's still not his responsibility.
Jonoabbo@reddit
Sure, but I'm not gonna leave glass on the floor if the pub wont sort it lmao, I don't want somebody to get hurt.
Competitive_Net1571@reddit
Obviously nobody wants anything like that to happen and I concur Health and Safety laws are stupid sometimes.
Ultimately the pub or whichever establishment should have stricter rules for their staff regarding time frames for things to be dealt with.
Aaron123111@reddit
I work in hospitality, I would never expect a customer to clean up glass themselves, it’s not worth the risk/paperwork. I would prioritise that so no one gets hurt.
However, if you were to help I would say at least try and get the bigger bits away from the dog or any children so it’s not an immediate danger until someone got there
fergie_89@reddit
Glasses break, there's a protocol for it. Customer alerts staff, staff clean when they can usually a 15 mini window. That's it.
I worked in bars for years and it hasn't changed. A customer can ask for the dustpan and brush themselves but usually will be refused.
You did nothing wrong OP just had some bad people in the beer garden
stowgood@reddit
15mins is way too long.
g0_west@reddit
I'd usually ask for a dustpan and brush. Just shows intent that you're available to help clean up after yourself. Sometimes they give you one too and you can get to it quicker than the busy staff
neo101b@reddit
I know all the bar staff at my pub, I go drinking with them.
I dropped a pint when it was quiet and asked for a mop, they just laughed and said leave it bro, the cleaners will sort it tomorrow.
Most people just clap and cheer when it happens, no one really cares.
TheRiddlerTHFC@reddit
Problem is the bigger bits arent the danger. The problem are those small pieces
LiLaLiCorne@reddit
And if bigger bits are there then the whole pile of glass is easier to see.
Tbh if the staff were too busy to clean up immediately someone should have put one of those yellow hazard signs out.
mike9874@reddit
You could argue that a pile of broken glass in a walkway of loads of people is more important than serving someone a pint at a bar. From a health and safety point of view, it's probably more important that almost all standard activities the staff were doing.
Maybe I've just been completing too many risk assessments recently and not thinking about corporate profits
Sleepywalker69@reddit
As an ex-bar manager, smashed glass is top of the list for general priorities, poor management that.
DaveBeBad@reddit
When I worked in a pub, I made the mistake of standing on a broken glass. It went straight through my shoe and impaled my foot.
Bloody painful. Still finished the shift though…
herefromthere@reddit
why?
DaveBeBad@reddit
It was 1989, I was 18 and not given a choice. Plaster on the foot, laughed at by the boss, back to work.
herefromthere@reddit
What an arsehole of a boss.
Quirky_London@reddit
That pub is now a Bank!
DaveBeBad@reddit
Last time I looked, it’s still a pub - although I’ve not been that way in a few years.
Was never a good pub though. The highlight of my time there was walking out the back to empty a bin to find 3 women squatting down doing their business…
Quirky_London@reddit
We decades ago it was : My bank is a pub adverts.. so I was hoping for a revival. But it would probably be a Food bank.
Professional_Snow576@reddit
Also ex-bar manager, 100% agree. Like any business, safety is priority number 1. It's literally the law.
geeered@reddit
Stepping on a big bit, especially with lighter shoes, sandals etc could end up really nasty - not just going through the bottom, but potentially the sides too.
Inoffensive_Comments@reddit
Yup, getting broken glass in your bottom is awful.
vinyljunkie1245@reddit
Thank you for reviving terrible memories. A while back I was in a bar and saw a friend at the bar who looked off. He was just saying "that's fucked up". I turned around and saw the biggest lake of blood I've ever seen.
Turns out someone had somehow (don't ask me how) sat on the stem of a broken wine glass. Luckily the person was fine and out of A&E within two hours but the venue had to close for the night to properly clean up. The cut was tiny but the bum cheeks bleed like hell.
lithaborn@reddit
Yeah I worked in pubs 25 years ago and it would be a huge issue if a customer had to clean up a smashed glass. Elf n safety innit. Even when it was rammed, breakages would be dealt with immediately. I think the staff dropped the ball, here.
Usual_Cryptographer3@reddit
Yeah absolutely the pub staff want to clean up blood even less! If someone spilt a drink on the table and asked for some blue roll as they were telling me I'd think they were an angel or helping clean up spills on people, but I wouldn't want them spreading liquid or glass on the floor
fgp120@reddit
Absolutely, the biggest problem is when they think they're being helpful and the broken glass ends up somewhere it shouldn't.. like a bin bag or a plant pot which is way more dangerous than on the floor
stowgood@reddit
It's quite dickish to not event attempt to try and deal with the glass. Normally the correct thing to do would be to have a go until one of the staff say it's OK and take over. It's rude to leave the glass there when it's clearly not being dealt with imo.
You dropped it.
stowgood@reddit
The staff should also have been better.
Deep_Banana_6521@reddit
The annoyed guy is in the wrong. Staff clean up spills and dropped glasses. You didn't do it on purpose and they're provided with PPE and equipment to clean it up.
Ideally, the bar staff should have prevented the annoyed guy from getting involved with the glass. If a customer cut themselves because they're intoxicated and trying to clean up shards of broken glass, they'll be held responsible.
mighty3mperor@reddit
My rule-of-thumb is that I clean up my mess, from spillages to tidying the pub if we're allowed a late drink. If I broke a glass, I'd offer to clean it up but I can't recall ever doing it as most bar staff jump to sort it out as a priority. If they hadn't in this case, I'd ask for a dustpan and brush.
I can't imagine why anyone would be narked by this - suggests Stella and/or charlie may have been involved.
incrediblepepsi@reddit
I used to work in a bar.
Whenever I heard a smash, I'd rush over to clean the broken glass- mostly because the patron who dropped it is usually attempting to pick up shards of broken glass with their hands, despite seeing you rush over with a dustpan.
When you plead with them to stop picking it up (to rest the broken glass in their other hand, of course, because they have nowhere to put it) they say "I'm just getting the big bits!"
As though waiting four seconds is far too dangerous to leave shattered glass on the floor, they pop their hands into the hazard faster than a toddler can. Nightmare for bar staff because now you have broken glass shards on the floor, a (usually, but not always) intoxicated person waving broken glass around and having to get the glass from their hands to a safe spot without injuring them (& being liable) or yourself.
If they cut themselves that's first aid or an ambulance, then cleaning blood from the public area (glass shards are so sharp, even small cuts can bleed heavily). Oh, and trying not to get a stranger's blood on yourself- blood is a massive hazard, far more than glass on a pub floor.
In short, you are in the right, please leave broken glass to the staff. Perhaps if it were a high footfall area, or any obvious dangers (children running very close nearby, barefoot people) warn them, but if nobody is about to cause themselves an injury, it's no big deal. Staff should have turned up sooner to clean it up.
museofmercury@reddit
Did you or anyone else forget to cheer when the glass broke?
Muirgasm@reddit
Asking for the replacement beer is more of an issue than sorting the glass. Unless you paid for the replacement. TBH you shoulda taken responsibility for both
TangerineFew6830@reddit
Where are you from?
Jestar342@reddit
I stand near the broken glass until staff arrove to clean it up. I don't walk away from it just because I've reported it. Sure, if hands are full I'll take whatever I have left back to table then ckme right back to the broken glass to keep watch.
mad-un@reddit
I'm more concerned about there not being a cheer mentioned when you dropped the glass.
British etiquette is clear, when a glass or any other breakable object of dropped making that makes a noise, a loud cheer of "whaaaeeyyy" should be made by anyone that hears it!
They are the problem, not you!
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
gree, it should be mandatory, and anyone with a high brow attitude on the matter should be put to shame.
jtr99@reddit
"Can I get a waahheeey!?"
mad-un@reddit
No, not unless you drop and break something
ChelseaAndrew87@reddit
You hear that less and less these days I find. It's a dying artform
freudvsneo@reddit
Totally correct. It’s a legal duty.
Bucky_O_Rabbit@reddit
I’d pick it up. Why are you scared of a bit of glass you smashed!?
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
Why wouldn’t you ? It’s sharp!
Active-Strawberry-37@reddit
Wait, did nobody shout “Yeeeeeooooo” because that’s a greater breach of pub etiquette
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
I know, should be illegal really !
Raunien@reddit
Lol, absolutely not. You informed the staff, that's the limit of your responsibility here. I work in hospitality and as much as I might grumble about it, it's part of my job to clean up spills and breakages. Especially because there's no guarantee a customer will clean it up properly. Where's the accountability if some random customer cleans up broken glass and leaves tiny shards everywhere? The staff are trained, the staff can be held accountable if it's not done properly. I'm absolutely baffled by the response from the other patrons.
Crayon_Casserole@reddit
Don't you know? Dogs are the most important things in the universe.
How dare you slightly inconvenience a dog owner.
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
I mean I have a dog myself, just wasn’t with me there. No way I would’ve act that way
Crayon_Casserole@reddit
You didn't have the get out of jail card of having your dog with you.
This is honestly how most non-dog owners are treated by dog owners these days.
The entitlement is unbelievable.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
I guess the issue was that the pub was too busy / didn’t have enough staff to clear it straight away - so instead other customers were becoming more and more aware of the broken glass still being there. I suppose given the delay I would have gone back to the bar and asked for a dust pan and brush (or even something like a box to cover it with) - or even tried to pick up a few bits with tissue paper
Random_Nobody1991@reddit
Doesn’t matter if they’re too busy, this is a safety issue and that’s the priority in any setting.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
I agree but I was more commenting on why other customers reacted the way they did and what I would have done in the same situation
prof_hobart@reddit
If it's really 5 minutes or more, then there's not really much of an excuse. If you're literally in the middle of pouring a pint, sure maybe finish that.
But if there's glass outside where people could injure themselves, the people waiting at the bar shouldn't be your highest priority.
SnooMacarons9618@reddit
If I smash something I'd tell the staff and ask for a dustpan and brush. Pretty much every time I've done this a member of staff has pretty immediately come and cleaned up. I suspect in a pub where they know me, if they were busy, they'd just give me the dustpan and brush.
Whatever happens, I'd be picking up the bigger pieces of glass and moving the mess as much as possible in to one pile with my foot.
And if there isn't a big cheer when I drop it, I'd be really quite wary 😄
Zealousideal-Sail893@reddit
Most sensible answer...
gherkymalerky@reddit
I would always ask for a dustpan and brush and have already picked up the big bits myself
Crafty-Strength1626@reddit
Entitled dog owners , fuck em
youvandal82@reddit
Poor dog in the noisy hot pub as well , loath these fuckers .
QueenFreek@reddit
Was gonna say, they're so concerned for the dog's safety but they took it to the pub in hot weather (probably walked it, getting it even more warm) and sat out in the beer garden in said hot weather.
Also if your dog isn't well trained enough that you can't keep it away from a potential danger, it's probably not well trained enough to take to the pub. My dog is a nosy little fuck that loves to sniff around at everything but she sure as hell is able to be kept under control if there danger.
iBlockMods-bot@reddit
it's the "my little cherub can do no wrong" types that really get on my tits
Gent415@reddit
This. If they can't control their dog around a bit of broken glass it probably shouldn't be out in public.
QueenFreek@reddit
Hospitality worker here. (Not pubs, but cafes)
I'd never ever want a customer to clean up glass themselves. It stresses me the fuck out when customer try and help. I can't understand why customers can't identify the danger and keep away from it for a few minutes while I get the stuff together to clean up. It is more practical if I/another staff member clean it up for one, because we're able to get the equipment required and go into staff only areas. Secondly, it's just better from a Health and Safety stand point. I can assess if we've cleaned all the glass up, staff are more likely to be dressed to deal with a glass breakage (close toe shoes, long trousers etc), more likely to actually know what they're doing. If my team member cuts themselves on the glass it's easier to fill out an accident report ... Just better all around.
papayametallica@reddit
The key is that the complaints came not from British people but Americans. There you have the problem in a nutshell. Just be grateful you didn’t mention that you had any oil
boudicas_shield@reddit
Honestly though the rules are the same in America, where I’m from, if not even stricter. So I don’t think this is due to nationality; they just sound like stupid people in general, and stupidity knows no nationality bounds.
HesitantBrobecks@reddit
No idea wtf these comments are going on about. Only times I've seen glasses broken in pubs, the staff have come to clean it up almost immediately, and the person who dropped it isn't even really given time to consider dealing with it by themself.
And as someone else said, if the person got injured while dealing with the glass themself, the pub would be liable!
boudicas_shield@reddit
I’ve never worked in a pub, but I have worked in a shop, and it was the same thing. We really didn’t want customers trying to clean up broken glass or even spills on their own; people would offer thinking they were helping, but it just created liability risk and we the staff would have got told off if we let someone start cleaning up on their own.
LizardInFirst@reddit
Agreed. This happened to me once in a bar and the staff made me and everyone else leave the area so it could be properly cleaned.
DennisDunkdalk@reddit
This is clearly AI.
Tequilasquirrel@reddit
Not every post that is not a wall of text and knows how to use punctuation correctly, is AI dude. A lot are admittedly, but usually the accounts are new and they don’t have several years of comment/post histories.
Feelincheekyson@reddit
What did you do online before you could claim that everything was AI?
glasgowgeg@reddit
GPTZero is flagging it as 100% AI generated, so what's the issue with DennisDunkdalk pointing this out?
Realistic-River-1941@reddit
Say it was Photoshop.
jtr99@reddit
I'm guessing it was the pixels, giving the game away as usual?
Feelincheekyson@reddit
This was clearly made on Microsoft paint
Nemesis-2011@reddit
He knows it was Al because Al always drops glasses. Good old Albert. His grip isn’t as good as it used to be but he does like to down those pints.
SelfSufficientHub@reddit
glasgowgeg@reddit
GPTZero flags it as 100% AI generated, not even a mix used to reformat some text.
Why are they a clown for recognising this?
OkSun8521@reddit
No they wouldn't.
AdventurousTeach994@reddit
You did nothing wrong. The guy who asked you about the broken glass it a total spanner.
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
You answered your own question when you stated this happened in London.
I’m not anti-London, just for context, and have had some great nights out there… but London is the cultural oddball of the UK and is misinterpreted as the standard because it’s the capital…
To a lesser degree, this can also apply to a couple of the second cities, but the overall sentiment remains…
You behaved perfectly politely and handled the accident well… Ultimately, I’m presuming you don’t go to the pub with a shovel and spade?
It was your duty to inform the staff but it’s their duty to make their beer garden safe and remove the glass…
I would have genuinely taken one or two shitty comments before telling the bloke to either put up or shut up, personally…
The fact that you experienced a number of other visitors speaking up and asking what his problem was should tell you that his behaviour, not yours, was actually the oddity…
KaleidoscopeEven5227@reddit
I personally would have cleaned it up. Especially if the bar staff/employees were really busy
AndrewHinds67@reddit
It's not a customer's job to clean up broken glass or other spills. You did nothing wrong.
Pedantichrist@reddit
Aside from smashing a glass.
AndrewHinds67@reddit
I'm referring to not picking the glass up, though I would ask for a dustpan and brush.
oscarx-ray@reddit
Staff clean the mess, but I always take it upon myself to at least offer to help if I made the mess. Just manners as far as I'm concerned, but I don't think it's common etiquette.
BigBananaBerries@reddit
I've done the same & never once have I been allowed to clean it.
oscarx-ray@reddit
I've been allowed very few times, but the offer is consistent and genuine.
oscarx-ray@reddit
And then I always make sure to tip the staff that have cleaned up after me or my friends.
GeneralSEOD@reddit
Does everyone clap when you do so?
oscarx-ray@reddit
Don't listen to him, he's a drunk.
ChallengingKumquat@reddit
This is the answer. The customer should offer, but the staff should probably refuse, as it's never an expectation that the customer should clean it up.
AndWhatBeard@reddit
I always ask for a dust pan and brush or some paper towels if i spill something. I'm clumsy as fuck (never drunk though) and 90% of the time they say will do it anyway. But fuck it, at least I'm offering to clean my messes even if they won't let me/not allowed health and safety blah blah
ElectricalBottle1457@reddit
should of at least used your feet to move the glass and stuff to one side (together if you get what i mean)
alex_asdfg@reddit
You are supposed to do a token gesture of picking up the large bits or just attempt to move some off it out the way.
dippedinmercury@reddit
No, you're not supposed to. Maybe at a friend's house, but at a pub, if you injure yourself, they'll have to deal with both the glass and injury, which is significantly more annoying. Workplaces handling glass will have risk assessments for broken glass removal and staff trained to handle it, so they are always best places to resolve these issues themselves.
LethargicCaffeine@reddit
Id say no and have worked in a few pubs/bars as well.
We get notified of the glass breaking and would immediately follow them back to deal with it. However if a customer themselves break the glass, they'd not get a replacement without paying for the pint as it was their fault they dropped it- and so not on us- but besides that Id say the whole situation OP handled fine, the staff needs to clean it themselves because of liability to customers etc...
CautiousJump3942@reddit
As someone who works in hospitality, no customers should not do that, in case of injury. Also it’s their job. You did everything right and nothing wrong.
As someone who works in hospitality, and is sometimes a customer of places, yes I do clean it up and insist they let me, stating many reasons why (they’re busy/overstretched, its an immediate risk, I caused it, I work in hospitality so I don’t really give a shit that I’m doing it the staff are already working hard enough). I’d never clean glass though! And no customer or hospitality worker would even suggest it’s a customers job.
If my kids are out making messes in public I insist to staff to let my kids (and myself) clean the mess. I thought it might encourage my children to be tidier- found out they really like dustpans and wiping tables 😅.
nscar@reddit
If it was in a beer garden I would have attempted to pick up the bigger parts. Flip flops etc
MopoFett@reddit
Important question:
When you dropped the glass did the pub go "WHEEEEEY!" afterwards?
Dinomumma420101113@reddit
My daughter was sick in a pub once, I asked for things to clean it up as I didn’t expect a staff member to clean her vomit up. The staff there said they had to clean it in a specific way and to not worry about it. The people next to our table were passive aggressive making comments about how I should clean it. People are annoying. Anyway, I always offer to clean up spills etc but I’m always told no… you didn’t do anything wrong
RiotSloth@reddit
I would always pick it up myself as far as possible after telling staff. Could be kids running around. Im not saying that’s what you should have done though, it’s just what I would do
DogueMan@reddit
Nah mate you're fine, you informed the staff who will clean it.
Also please don't think we (we being British) actually use those brush and shovels to clean glass in pubs. It's hilarious.
Grimdotdotdot@reddit
I do wonder if OP looks like he's not British.
I could imagine that being part of the cause, sadly.
Oopsadiddlydaisy@reddit
No issues on your part, other people sticking their nose in should have acknowledged that you had reported it. The “hero” who cleaned it up… well🥴
willseagull@reddit
The staff should clean it up. Im surprised they didnt do it immediately. If a patron was to cut themselves trying to clean it up it would be a nightmare in paperwork etc
General-Cow9036@reddit
They are being an asshole for no reason. Also the person with the dog knew they were taking their dog to a pub. It's their responsibility to watch their dog
GeneralSEOD@reddit
If you drop a glass, and your pissed and try to clean it up, resulting in cuts and blood.
Nobody wins. Let the staff deal with it. Seen a lad smash a glass go "sorry everyone" and proceed to eat one of the shards before one of his pals managed to get a hold of him.
Keep drunk people away from glass!
St711@reddit
It's not normal to expect customers to clean up glass. You probably came across a bunch of regulars who felt the need to defend the pub from "non locals".
nfk99@reddit
you should of tried to clean it up at least...
mulletcircus@reddit
Yes you should have made an attempt to clean it up yourself
Fjordi_Cruyff@reddit
Was alcohol involved? Sounds like it.
tomatobasilgarlic@reddit
The clean up is all part and parcel of the price of paying £8 for a pint. Not every glass is going to come home unscathed if you’re selling alcohol
Upstairs-Quail5709@reddit
You could have swept it into a safe, tidy pile? But collecting it up is a no-no. Most places do have some sort of "warning sign" (usually yellow) that could be placed over the pile.
It can't be a real British pub, because when the glass smashed there wasn't a chorus of people shouting "Yay!"......
EsseBear@reddit
Sounds like the whole pub failed protocol here.
No cheering or clapping. No calls of sack the juggler.
Disgraceful
MidsummerMidnight@reddit
You did nothing wrong. Bar staff should have been quicker.
polychromiyeux@reddit
As the three main character options in this scenario (person who dropped a glass, another customer, member of staff) my actions would probably be as follows:
Person who dropped a glass: I would be mortified and clean it up myself, despite knowing I shouldn’t. I’d literally be on the floor looking for tiny shards and apologising to anyone within earshot. I’m aware this is not necessarily healthy behaviour, but I cannot stand the idea of someone else cleaning up after me.
Another customer: I also would clean up the glass, probably dashing off to the bar and asking for a dustpan and brush, maybe some blue-roll to get the last bits, and not have any expectations of the person who dropped it. It’s an accident and you’re not meant to do it anyway. I’d probably be a lot more jovial about it, talking too much to make it clear that I didn’t think it was a big deal and we all have accidents etc but still would be scrabbling around like a weirdo looking to collect every tiny shard.
Member of staff: I’d explicitly tell the customer not to clean it up and be at the drop-site as soon as I could. I’d be constantly reassuring the customer and anyone else nearby that it’s not a big deal and thanking them for letting us know. If I was in the middle of taking a big order, I’d probably pass the customer a wet floor sign and ask them to put it near wherever most of the glass was until I could finish what I was doing.
Conclusion: I understand why people would be concerned about children and animals with broken glass on the floor. Some people are like me in the sense that they’d want to deal with it immediately, but don’t realise it’s not a safe thing to do or that an institution would not want you to do that, and assume your brain works the same way as theirs. But you didn’t do anything wrong at all.
Jonoabbo@reddit
The staff of the pub should do it, but if they aren't doing it, then yeah do it yourself. You can't just leave a load of broken glass around.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
I feel like I would have at least ineptly tried to clean up the largest bits and put into what was remaining of the bottom of the glass until staff came over with some proper stuff and a brush. They probably reacted more to what they felt was lack of care and a shrug than anything else but that is on them, not you.
phil24_7@reddit
You were unfortunate to interact with a group of knobs!
As a former pub manager, I'd have never let a member of the public clear up broken glass as it's a liability. I'd also have not allowed glass to stay on the floor for any length if time, somebody would have been sent there to clean it up immediately...as that too is a liability!
One step you can take as a customer, is to ask for a wet floor sign to put over the top of the worst of it, or maybe kick the glass into more of a pile.
RavenSaysHi@reddit
You did the right thing.
d3gu@reddit
Part of working in a pub is cleaning up broken glass.
loveshot123@reddit
Any time ive been to a pub where one of our family members have spilled a drink or broken a glass we have told bar staff and asked for paper towels and a dustpan and brush. They've rarely let us clean the glass up but have always been grateful of us cleaning spilled drinks. Someone has always come over within a couple minutes to assist us whilst weve dealt with these situations. A spilled drink is fine, but broken glass poses risks to other patrons. Some places will be open to you cleaning it, others wont let you, its always best to ask for a dustpan or if its ok if you clean it up, they'll have their policies and inform you of what to do.
Kapika96@reddit
Nah, they're just a bunch of pricks.
There are legal reasons customers shouldn't be picking up broken glass.
yam0msah0e@reddit
I went into a pub in the lakes once and loads of dried mud kept falling out of the tread of my shoes as I was walking around, I asked the bar staff for a dustpan and brush so I could sweep it up before I left and she was super grateful. Obviously there’s no H&S implications there though.
If I smashed a glass I would absolutely offer to help clean it up as I’d be mortified, but if I worked behind a bar I absolutely wouldn’t let the customer near it and would get it sorted immediately.
ThinkBiscuit@reddit
It’s interesting to read the comments, so many of which are not my experience at all. I wonder if it’s an age thing?
When I was a regular pub go-er (fuck me, must be 25yrs ago now), there general etiquette was that if you dropped a glass, you went straight to the bar to ask for dustpan and brush.
APiousCultist@reddit
Health and safety stuff. Aside from a customer potentially injuring themselves, they could also balls up the job and leave shards of glass or dump shards of glass in just a regular bin where they can then cut anyone changing the bags. Just easier and a more pleasant experience for staff to do it. That's ignoring the fact that it's a pub so the person who broke it is also probably drunk and now being entrusted with broken glass.
RaspberryJammm@reddit
I got a cut up my entire shin once from a coworker putting a broken wine glass in with the normal waste.
Prologic87@reddit
Having worked in bars, we would refuse to give you the dustpan and brush and we would send staff to clean it up.
Can't have you cutting yourself whilst doing it. Plus you might do a shit job and then someone gets cut anyway.
We absolutely do not want patrons cleaning up glass so just tell a staff member and then leave it.
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Just curious, when you dropped it and it smashed everywhere, did you not feel any sort of inclination to clean it yourself?
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
Not particularly, it didn’t really went under the tables and it wasn’t a busy pathway either, i guess i couldve kick some bits more towards the middle, but that wouldve been purely a performative action in my opinion
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Yeah for me personally I would’ve cleaned it myself, that’s kind of the normal thing to do in pubs at least where I live
TheGnomeSecretary@reddit
There’s nothing normal about the pubs where you live if they’re cleaning up with gardening equipment lol
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Try reading all of the comments first before coming in with an absolutely irrelevant comment, have a good night. Work on your reading comprehension
Gent415@reddit
You're not British are you? A shovel here is like a big spade.
disasterly213@reddit
I’m not British because I use different terminology than you? Where I’m from we use a brush and dustpan to sweep up broken glass not a brush and shovel
Gent415@reddit
Yes me too. It's always been a dustpan and brush. A shovel is something you might use to clear up snow 😁 So yeah I was talking to the other guy
disasterly213@reddit
Sorry my bad ignore me, lack of sleep. I think they use the word shovel up north in certain places. I’ve learnt that today, news to me.
disasterly213@reddit
Do you live near loads of stables? Maybe they use brush and shovels there for the horse shite?
Anyway your shovel pictures gave me a good laugh thank you 🙏
DogueMan@reddit
Your username makes your comment even better.
Brush and shovel... absolute gold.
Infinite_Spring_3564@reddit
With what, their bare hands??
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
No, go and get a brush and shovel. If it were me I’d feel responsible to clean up after my mistake, especially given the fact there is a dog right next to the glass and they mentioned the staff were busy.
Infinite_Spring_3564@reddit
I mean sure but how likely are you to find one just lying around, where customers can even access it? At MOST I’d ask the bar staff directly if i can have a broom to go and clean it, but they’d incredibly likely just say ‘it’s fine, we’ll get it’, at which point I’d sit back down, having done all I feasibly could.
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
You don’t just find them ‘lying around’. Like you said you go and ask for it, and if the staff are busy and they think you’re a capable enough adult of sweeping up some glass they will give it to you. Asking for one should be the least you do, not the most
Infinite_Spring_3564@reddit
Obviously if they said ‘Yes sure, here you go’ then I would give it a go sweeping it up. What I’m saying is, if they for whatever reason didn’t want to let me sweep it up myself, I wouldn’t lose any sleep that night.
Sreezy3@reddit
A shovel..? I've never seen a shovel in a pub.
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
What do you think happens to everything you sweep with the brush? You brush it into a shovel and then tip it into the bin
floppymitralvalve@reddit
You mean a dustpan?
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
No I mean a shovel. Google a brush and shovel.
floppymitralvalve@reddit
Okay, good luck asking for a set of those in a shop!
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Typically shops work by displaying the items they sell to the consumers, nice work though that was a great comment!
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Master-Trick2850@reddit
thats...not a shovel
a shovel is large tool you use to scoop up things with
a dustpan is what you use to collect what youve swept with a broom or brush
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
Google a brush and shovel mate, you will see the exact type of shovel I’ve used in every pub I’ve ever worked in.
It is in fact a shovel I’m referring to, I’m aware of what a dustpan is.
DoItForTHRILLHO@reddit
I suspect you're being downvoted because it is a 'reddit crowd'. If I was out with a group of mates and this happened, one person would go and tell the staff and the other would hunt down a dustpan and brush - it's just general courtesy and decency, especially if the bar staff are busy!
GiveMeCheesecake@reddit
That’s literally the point of their question here.
Interesting-Rub8278@reddit
No it’s not, the question was did them not cleaning up after themselves break ‘etiquette’.
I asked if they felt like they should’ve cleaned it up at the time or if they just thought it wasn’t their problem to deal with
conrat4567@reddit
There is an etiquette in a sense. No member of bar staff will make you clean it up but if it happens again, offer to clean it up. If the bar staff say yes, fill your boots. If the bar staff say no need, which is the most common answer, then you have an excuse when someone starts pestering you about it
Ballbag94@reddit
It depends on the pub and your relationship with it
Some places, especially chains, don't like people doing that because of liability issues. For regulars they might overlook such things
Some places are neutral and will welcome you doing it, for regulars they might even be fine with them going into a staff area to fetch the equipment
A busy place in a city, or a place that serves food, is more likely to be the former while a quiet country pub or a drinking pub is more likely to be the latter
I don't think you were in the wrong, it's not what I would have done but it's not some massive faux pas. Personally the way I like to handle it is tell the staff what I've done and ask for something to clean it with, then they either have the option of saying "no, we'll do it" or "thank you for helping, here's a dustpan" then you know exactly what kind of place you're in
hoochiscrazy_@reddit
Nah you did nothing wrong, those guys were up tight weirdos who need to drink a couple of pints and chill TF out. At most I might've stood by it to make people aware there was glass whilst we waited for staff.
Dreadheaddanski@reddit
No, you did nothing wrong.
clrthrn@reddit
Officially no but I would have asked for a brush to at least clear the path for others until staff could come and pick up the glass. You do what you can to minimise inconvenience from the problem you created.
xela540@reddit
Ex pub assistant manager here.
You did absolutely nothing wrong. Even if it is busy a staff member should have been out within a minute or two to deal with it with appropriate signage and equipment.
It's very much a legal liability and insurance thing. A customer will not be covered under the insurance for any injury that occurs whilst cleaning broken glass.
AirlineSevere7456@reddit
You didn't break any etiquette at all, the dog owner was a prick.
tobydouglascooper@reddit
I've ran pubs for over 20 years, and in my opinion you did the right thing, staff should prioritise the cleanup, shit happens all the time, spills and breakages should be prioritised. I had a guy on Wednesday carried in a broken glass in his hands, small cuts all over them, I know he meant well and was being helpful but how is that better than getting me to come and sweep.
glasgowgeg@reddit
Posting AI generated questions/answers without the clarification is against Rule 10 of this subreddit.
Your post is flagging as 100% AI generated.
Foxalito@reddit
No. Poor pub health and safety culture. Slips trips and falls are the biggest risk in hospitality. Then introduce broken glass and we are just looking at something going horribly wrong. They should have sent someone to clear it as soon as they were informed.
BarryMichaelmore@reddit
Etiquette for you is to ask for a dustpan and brush, etiquette for them is to say, “don’t worry, we’ll do it.”
DenormalHuman@reddit
not really, but. I can be a bit of a british thing, I would have gone to attempt to find tools to clean it myself, let the staff know, and be expecting them to take over. but if they didnt, I would be prepared to do it myself.
Thestickleman@reddit
Just sounds like him and some others were just the usual twats.
Alot of people in the UK get so far up their own ass over stuff that dosnt really matter then think they're a hero for taking it upon themselves.
Just leave them to it and ignore them
TheDawiWhisperer@reddit
yep, then when said hero gets himself a deep cut from a piece of glass he didn't see whilst trying to clean up half-pissed then it creates a bigger problem.
yes it's a pain in the arse for the staff but it's their responsibility to sort this
Thestickleman@reddit
100%
FornyHucker22@reddit
if a broom was available I’d probably have swept it up to a neat pile to minimise the danger zone and make the job easier for staff.
no broom what can you do, not picking up every tiny fragment 🤷♂️
Impressive_Pen_1269@reddit
the answer is already in your post:
"For context: I’m not British but have lived in London since 2014, the annoyed table sounded mostly American, and despite my English mates saying I did nothing wrong, "
Andyman286@reddit
WTF no.
Dee_DoubleYou@reddit
I've worked bars a lot and have always been told to drop what youre doing or at least make glass cleanup a priority when it happens so it's weird that it was taking ages to sort.
carlovski99@reddit
Standard British etiquette is to OFFER to clear it up yourself, in the knowledge they will almost definitely say no (Exceptions being if you currently or have ever worked there, or are basically part of the pub furniture - in which case you probably just went and got the dustpan yourself anyway)
BevvyTime@reddit
If you break it, at least offer to grab the dustpan and brush to sweep it up.
They’ll either give it to you or just say it’s fine, but it’s common courtesy to offer.
These people acting like broken glass will jump up and bite you are mental, like if you can’t use one to sweep up some glass you probably shouldn’t be allowed in the pub unsupervised.
WelshBluebird1@reddit
It's almost like being a pub means you have probably had a drink (or a few) and are likely to have impaired co-ordination skills and are more likely to hurt yourself whilst trying to be helpful.
YragNitram1956@reddit
Welcome to the UK.
lasdun@reddit
The serious breach of etiquette here is that the people in the garden did not give you a 'WAAAYHEEEY" when it smashed.
onionsofwar@reddit
Dog owners being dog owners.
sjw_7@reddit
The fact the staff are busy is irrelevant. Broken glass is a health and safety issue so takes priority over everything else. One of them should have come and sorted it straight away instead of carrying on serving.
Guests should not be picking it up because if they cut themselves then the pub could potentially be liable.
However when a glass gets broken in my local everybody just pitches in to get it sorted regardless of if they broke the glass or not.
aes0pica@reddit
Seconding this. I manage a pub and if a customer says there's broken glass, you stop serving and clean it up immediately - regardless of how busy it is. My pub's in a city, though, so I imagine small, local pubs are different.
-Precious_Gem@reddit
Worked in bars for years. I don't want customers (who've likely had a drink) anywhere near broken glass. The staff should've prioritised cleaning that up. The table next to you were weird.
CaptainHindsight92@reddit
I mean I have worked in hospitality and we would usually clean it up straight away because if you don’t respond promptly and someone else cuts themselves you are legally liable. BUT if a customer immediately and voluntarily handles the hazard themselves then it is unlikely you would be liable. For myself, if I spill a drink or break something I just tidy it up, whether it is in someone’s home or in a bar as a matter of principle. I’m a big boy and I like to think I can pick up some glass for the hundredth time without cutting myself. If I did cut myself on the glass that I broke and tried to pick up I wouldn’t sue or hold the pub liable in any way. It is ridiculous to me that someone would try to hold the pub liable if they broke something, it is scumbag behaviour. Essentially I would just do what in my mind is the right thing to do.
GreenLion777@reddit
Overly concerned about the dog there that person. It would have been a commendable thing of you to do, but spillages and breakages are part of the staffs jobs to do
You did right by telling the staff. It then should have been priority for one of them to clean it up
Pedantichrist@reddit
There are two camps in this thread, but the ones who do not clear up seem a LOT more defensive than those who do.
For the record, it is the staff’s job, but come on, can you not see why someone might be miffed if you say a glass in the floor near their dog and then won’t go and get the dustpan and brush, after someone tells you about it?
TheDawiWhisperer@reddit
i mean, isn't that because a lot of the "clean it up yourself" comments are like this...
Justan0therthrow4way@reddit
You’ve lived in the UK long enough to be pretty much British.
In no pub I’ve ever been in ever… UK or anywhere else where a glass gets smashed have I found the customer expected to clean up. Don’t stress.
TheDawiWhisperer@reddit
expecting half pissed people to clear up tiny shards of glass, what could possibly go wrong.
anyone that things OP should've sorted this is not right in the head.
moreboredthanyouare@reddit
Pure fannies on this thread. Clean it up yerself if its busy ffs.
freudvsneo@reddit
The only etiquette I’m aware of when someone drops and smashes a glass is the unilateral response of ‘whaaaaheyyy!!!’ from all who are present.
moreboredthanyouare@reddit
Should have cleared it up man. Its ghe polite thing to do
sugar_kane1984@reddit
The correct thing to do in this situation is just after the glass shatters start singing Stone Cold Steve Austin’s entrance music and swagger round the pub delivering the stunner to everyone in sight (including the sleeping dog)
Make sure you neck everyone’s pints between stunners otherwise people will deffo look at you funny.
ChallengingKumquat@reddit
With kids and dogs around, i would make an effoet to get rid of the broken glass asap. I would have said "I've smashed a glass; do you have a brush and dustpan I could use?" And then if they'd given me one, I'd have cleaned it up myself. I also feel that by asking for the brush and dustpan, it might hurry them to clear it up themselves more quickly, if they're worried about me cutting myself.
TheRealVinosity@reddit
On the times I've dropped a glass, I have always cleaned it up; at least the glass, to the best of my ability.
You make a mess; you make it good.
Thandoscovia@reddit
Am I right in thinking; you’ve only dropped glasses; at home?
TheRealVinosity@reddit
What a very odd comment to make.
Thandoscovia@reddit
Why; what’s odd about it; what’s the problem?
TheRealVinosity@reddit
Well, I used to be a manager for Scottish and Newcastle.
Once in hospitality; always in hospitality.
And, as I said, I never expect anyone else to clean up a mess I have made.
teeseoncoast@reddit
When you worked there and a customer dropped a glass, cleaned it up and then cut themselves who do you think is liable?
TheRealVinosity@reddit
What the fuck even is this.
All I was saying is what I do.
And I justified it as it is pretty much instinct, through years of working in hospitality.
I do not know so many people are having a problem with this.
b135702@reddit
After all my years working in hospitality I'd never expect a customer to clean a broken glass themselves.
Saying that they should have taken a minute to prioritise cleaning it.
Interior_crocodile94@reddit
You did the right thing by alerting staff. Sounds like the annoyed group were enabling bad practices. I work in food retail and any spillage or accident that creates a hazard for customers is priority regardless of how busy you are.
neotekka@reddit
No I think you did what was correct.
I mean look at it the other way round - how would anyone even know where the dustpan and brush was?
If a punter can go and search for the dustpan and brush from behind the bar then can they just start pouring pints for themselves too when it gets busy?
BillyBeansprout@reddit
Cocaine and booze causes this type of escalation.
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
Vibe was rather snooty than snorty if that makes sense
lost_send_berries@reddit
Maybe the snooty blinded you to their snorty
BillyBeansprout@reddit
In Hackney. By crikey, the snooty have have fallen. Good. Break more.
Kind_Shift_8121@reddit
Yeah, I am wondering whether there was someone in the mix who was looking to get a rise out of OP to justify having a proper go at him.
signalstonoise88@reddit
When my kids were little and we ate in restaurants or pubs, there’d usually be some food dropped from the high chair. I’d pick up the larger bits at the end of the meal and then ask the staff for a dustpan and brush. Nine times out of ten, the staff would be insistent that they’d clear it up. Very rarely was I as a customer given the dustpan and brush to clear it up myself even when I insisted I was happy to, and that was for crumbs. So I’m struggling to imagine a scenario where staff would expect a customer to clean up glass. Also, how can you effectively clean it all up if they haven’t given you a dustpan and brush? Sounds like the other table were being judgemental pricks.
South_Leek_5730@reddit
Two schools of thought.
No it's not your responsibility. Staff should and are usually out straight away to do it. No one should give you grief about it.
However the only time this may not apply is if it's your local that you go in all the time and know the staff and everyone (and you're not hammered). It's kind of yeah I'll sort it situation. I said "may not apply" not "does not apply". It's all about nuance.
Desiinlondon_1@reddit
Americans, that explains the situation
SpudFire@reddit
I'd probably have asked for a dustpan and brush myself at the bar but in those sort of situations they usually refuse tell you they'll come and do it themselves. Probably to do with some sort of insurance/liability thing.
If anything, the problem lies with the staff for leaving broken glass on the floor for so long after being made aware of it.
leclercwitch@reddit
I worked in a bar. A customer shouldn’t clean up glass because if they hurt themselves we are at fault. Staff also have sweeping brushes and you don’t. You did nothing wrong here!
onlysmaller@reddit
If you’d cleaned it up and hurt yourself the pub would’ve been liable and the staff would’ve gotten in trouble for letting you. Businesses have insurance for this stuff and customers shouldn’t go anywhere or touch anything not specifically there for them.
solar1ze@reddit
Personally, I would have attempted to at least brush it to one side or clean it up fully if dustpan was available. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving it for over 5 mins where people are walking, and dogs, even maybe children around. You did nothing wrong though. You are not obliged to clean it up. That’s the staff’s job.
PM-ME-UR-BMW@reddit
Busy day time beer garden in a local pub? I'd of absolutely gone to find a brush and pan. Pretty normal behavior round my way ( up north )
VarangianWRLD@reddit
Not in my experience, you're fine
rehabawaits2033@reddit
Don’t worry about the opinions of Americans in a British beer garden.
SnooSquirrels6910@reddit
You need to find a different pub mate they sound like arseholes in there!
joebmc@reddit
When you dropped and smashed the glass, did everyone "Wheyyyy!" This is a very important detail that's missing!
dinkidoo7693@reddit
Staff shouldve at least put a wet floor/cleaning sign up
Dry_Pick_304@reddit
Been in a similar position before. You did the right thing.
No matter what you do or where you go, there is always gonna be some busy body do gooder who cant just mind their own business.
Proof-Order2666@reddit
The sort of moaners that complain of manure smells in the countryside or church bells
thewindow6@reddit
Worked in a pub as a student, absolutely can’t let customers near broken glass due to liability etc. always best handled by staff from a paperwork perspective. There are sometimes exceptions for small family owned or community owned pubs but these are rare anyway, it’s definitely not considered etiquette to have to clean it yourself
astrogarry@reddit
If I spill something I usually ask for something to help clean up. But that's just me
ConsciousNectarine9@reddit
I don't frequent pubs/beer gardens very often but regardless of where I am, if myself or one of my kids break anything that's glass I immediately clean it up whilst getting a child to let a member of staff know about it.
But then again I am also one of those who will take plates away if I can see/access where they go and if not it all gets stacked neatly on the table (byproduct of me working in a hotel when I was younger lol)
Element77@reddit
I worked in a pub for 6 years, if there's broken glass it's cleaned up IMMEDIATELY because it's a health and safety issue. One of staff members should have followed you back to the location to clean it or at the least given you a dustpan and brush.
GingerrJinx@reddit
It's actually a health and safety concern if a customer picks up broken glass from the workplace. I used to work in hospitality and I never allowed a customer to pick up glass, I'm protected if an injury happens, the customer isn't.
Now, the staff either has enough experience to know this, or they're kids hired for their work experience thingy and don't even know it. If it was me, I would have left everything and followed you with a broom and pan to pick everything up as it's a health risk... So other customers wouldn't have had time to complain to you about it.
In my opinion and the health and safety act, you were right to alert staff and not touch the glass.
sicksquid75@reddit
You completely done the right thing. Nothing else should be expected of you. Id say it was just a case of xenophobia
Neddykins82@reddit
If me or any of my mates dropped a glass I'd make sure one of our group asked for a brush and scoop to clear it up. As a member of barstaff I appreciate when people do this especially when busy. If you're group are all drunk though I'd just do it myself to ensure it's done properly.
Neddykins82@reddit
I'll point out though my pub is 99% regulars so it is different
situationvacant@reddit
If I dropped a glass in a pub and the staff were busy, I'd have gone to ask for a dustpan and brush and just sorted it.
Spikeymikey5050@reddit
Of course the dog owners were making it about them
Puzzleheaded-Ask-583@reddit
I am American that just moved to London 3 months ago:
In the United States many of us are raised to either immediately clean up after ourselves so the staff do not, or to make sure we make an effort to pick up after kids or such as we leave. Here in London I’ve seen it to be just the opposite culture so if the table was American that may have played into it.
zecrichardson@reddit
I personally would have picked up as much as I can, but that is me and what I would do.
Bells9831@reddit
Just curious, when you dropped the glass did everyone yell WAAAYYYY?
stepage@reddit
If there wasn't a big WAAAAAAAY, then that's the real case of pub etiquette being broken
MeanWafer904@reddit
It's actually a big YOOOOOOOOOOOOO here
A tradition learned in school dining halls.
mpsamuels@reddit
That's the only etiquette that feels like it's been broken here and that's not on OP!
If there wasn't a decent cheer as the glass hit the floor the staff probably assumed there wasn't really too much to worry about, hence not rushing to clean it up immediately.
Juicy_juce-juce@reddit (OP)
A very suppressed one, hackney crowed is too ‘cool’ for that I guess
37728291827227616148@reddit
Common hackney L
Annabelle_Sugarsweet@reddit
Ew they did not do the correct etiquette.
Ok_Net4562@reddit
London sux so much
Hypnagogic_Image@reddit
Not as much as your English teacher though
Narrow_Maximum7@reddit
Ew for Hackney
SneakerTreater@reddit
Sack the juggler
PooCube@reddit
If there wasn’t a resounding chorus of ‘wheyyy!’, they weren’t in Britain haha
TheRealJustSean@reddit
Hi there. British. Been drinking in pubs since before I was legally able 25 years ago.
Anyone saying you should have sorted it yourself is talking out of their arse. You informed staff, you did your part. It's 100% on staff to clean it up. Health and safety trumps overcharging punters for crap lager.
ilikecocktails@reddit
No, the staff clean it.
NaturalSuccessful521@reddit
I'm a hospitality guy. You'd probably do a rubbish job, so I'd rather do it myself, but showing a bit of willing goes a long way when we're busy. It's kind of nice when customers insist on cleaning, but I'm still going to take accountability in the end to make sure that it's properly cleaned up.
Not_A_Clue92@reddit
Mate, you’re asking Redditors. Most of the people responding have probably never been in a pub. Correct etiquette would have been to pick up any larger pieces, especially if it is next to someone else’s table or near kids, and then allow the staff to clear up the rest.
ZookeepergameOk2759@reddit
You came across people who love to jump on anyones mistakes to make themselves appear better,fuck em you alerted the staff that’s all you needed to do.
EUskeptik@reddit
I think the pub staff broke etiquette by prioritising serving drinks over the safety of their customers hplus a dog). Someone from the pub should immediately have come to your aid and cleared up the mess.
Having said that, your fellow drinkers might reasonably have expected you to make sure the pub staff did exactly that. Their ire should have been directed at the pub staff whose conduct fell well short, however they were nowhere to be seen so you became an easy target.
Your defence is of course that the pub staff reassured you they would sort it, but they didn’t. It cannot have been pleasant for your fellow drinkers to sit close to broken glass and it’s not unreasonable to be concerned about the welfare of one’s pet.
If that was my local it would no longer be my local.
-##-
FartWar2950@reddit
I've dropped a glass and tidied it myself and I've dropped a glass and just told staff and left it to them, I don't think there's a right or wrong but the other table have no right to expect you to clean it up. It's a pub, glasses get dropped, not a big deal, they should mind their business.
Gullflyinghigh@reddit
Nope, should be the staff and definitely not you.
iamabigtree@reddit
Whenever I've seen a glass broken in a pub the staff are on it almost before the noise stops echoing.
I'm quite amazed they ignored it. Normally it's one of those primary duty things keeping the pub safe comes above everything else.
Starlinkukbeta@reddit
If the staff are too lardy arse to get the job done (usual default) then, yes, you should clear it up. Your accident becomes someone’s problem later. It’s the decent thing to do.
kiradax@reddit
I've worked in pubs for a long time now. Absolutely not the customer's job - if you or the guy with the dustpan had gotten cut then the pub would be liable. We always tell customers not to touch any broken glass or spillages as it's safer to do it ourselves.
Unfortunately in this case it looks like it might have been busy and the staff hadn't gotten round to it yet
shnu62@reddit
It’s bonkers that most responses are saying ‘not your problem, it’s the staff’s responsibility, health and safety bla bla’ which is a load of old bollocks.
You should have attempted to clear up your broken glass.
You made the mess, then you just sat down and expected others to just sort your mess out for you.
I have been in hundreds of pubs over many decades, and every single time this has happened the person who breaks the glass gas requested a dustpan or similar to clear it up.
At this point 1 of 2 things happen- the staff give out the necessary tools to clear it up, Or the staff say they will sort it and promptly do so.
I can’t believe you didn’t even attempt to collect the larger shards to assist the beleaguered staff member who would have to come and clear up your mess.
You didn’t just break pub etiquette, you broke the social contract.
Don’t fuck shit up by causing a hazard then sit back and leave it to someone else to resolve
grapo2001@reddit
I would make an attempt to clean the glass, at which I would expect the bar staff to come over to do it. I wouldn't want to leave broken glass everywhere where there could be kids and dogs about.
Opening-Bad7583@reddit
[ Removed by Reddit ]
thefreeDaves@reddit
Would you pick it up if there wasn’t any one to do it for you? Yeah I think certainly removing the larger bits would have been better or at least stand by the glass to keep people away. Sounds like the staff were a bit slow to remove a hazard so I wouldn’t want someone to hurt themselves because of something I’d done, accident or not. It’s not pub etiquette, it’s general good sense.
Kind_Shift_8121@reddit
No, you did nothing wrong.
The rest of the pub failed etiquette rule 1 by not shouting “Wweeeeehhheeeeyyyyy!”.
It sounds like 80-90% of the crowd went back to minding their own business- this is normal. The ones who got short with you are from the “recreationally offended” subset of our nation - who should be barred from pub gardens, which are sacred ground intended for mild misbehaviour.
The staff should have been straight out.
It sounds like a bit of a shit pub. I wouldn’t bother going back there.
Feema13@reddit
Friad so mate, you dropped a glass. You should clean up the glass. Especially if the staff are busy and not immediately doing it. You can’t just leave glass all over the place.
Impossible_Delay1023@reddit
50/50 on this, Local village pub where I live if we see the staff are really busy we clean it ourselves but everyone knows everybody, for example if there’s a trade job on the pub that can be sorted in half hour or so a lot of us lads will pop in and do it for free kinda thing. In a pub in a city where I know none of the staff I would just let them know like you did especially if I’m paying £7 odd a pint
oMrMeeseeksLookAtMeo@reddit
It’s probably a locals vs non locals thing.
SpectreSingh89@reddit
No u did nothing wrong, some people are just rude (annoyed guy). U reported it n thas important. The annoyed guy might have been a bit tipsy. Or a backlash at u (as u not British)? However, customers cleaning up is unheard of. Only time one is expected to clean up is after finishing food and take the tray back to the tray stack. If no tray stack is present means the staff will take it.
Beneficial_Lie_3378@reddit
Yes you should have picked up the majority of it and waited by it until staff came.
Marion_Ravenwood@reddit
No.
RealLongwayround@reddit
Expecting potentially drunk people to deal with broken glass by picking it up is clearly unwise. Have you any experience of conducting risk assessments?
Any-Seaworthiness531@reddit
Used to run a hotel - no, we did not want customers picking up broken glass.
Busy or not
senorjigglez@reddit
Not really related but this whole scenario reminds me of the time I was at a Christmas works do. The boys succeeded in getting me blind drunk and the last thing I remember is dropping a pint of cider in the pub doorway and very sincerely (or so I thought) asking for a dustpan and brush to clean up the mess. Needless to say the barman did not give me the necessary tools but dealt with it himself.
the_Athereon@reddit
Nah. That guy was just a jerk
alexjaymathers@reddit
Given that the bar was clearly very busy and the staff were obviously overwhelmed with customers the decent thing to have done was to have asked for a dust pan and brush to clean up your mess, then cleaned up said broken glass and taken it back to the bar for them to have disposed of in the glass bin behind the bar (landlord of 35yrs)
Crafty-Reality-9425@reddit
I've worked in hospitality and I can tell you that you did the right thing. No way should a customer be dealing with broken glass, dust pan or not. Those other people were being self-righteous dicks, by the sound of it.
KayfabeCommunist@reddit
Having worked many years in pubs:
The staff should’ve come straight away to clean it but sounds like they were very busy! Honestly, from my experience a lot of the time someone who breaks a glass will make an offer or attempt to clean it up. If I and everyone else was too busy, they can brush it up. If not, ‘don’t worry mate, I’ve got it’.
Probably should’ve offered or attempted to clean it in some way tbh
Professional-Dot7483@reddit
Op. At least you know what to tell any annoyed people in the future!! "I shouldn't pick it up for their health & safety reasons" but, thank you....Karen 🤭
ddgk2_@reddit
Should have made an effort. Sitting down would appear arrogant.
Emergency-Activity66@reddit
Staff usually prefer to clean the mess themselves to avoid injury to the customer. Once notified they should have cleared it up then and there.
It also ensures that the staff knows all the the glass has been cleared and also gets disposed of safely and not chucked in any bin to then cause further potential harm. On a few occasions I've seen people break a glass, clear it up, and put it in the general waste bin. I get it's well intended but that poses a risk to others safety too.
I'd say it would be worth at least moving any large shards, if they're an immediate danger, out of the way, or at least asking a friend or someone nearby to keep an eye on it while you notify the staff.
Benster981@reddit
Personally, yes but only because I’m a bartender. Would never expect customers to clean up their own broken glass. Also wouldn’t give out dustpan and brush for someone to do it yourself. Most id do is ask where the broken glass is so I can sort it quicker
Queen_of_London@reddit
No, bar staff would be the ones to clean it up. If they let customers clean it up then they can't verify if all the shards are actually gone or not, and staff are the ones best placed to dispose of glass - it'll be somewhere that customers don't have access to.
Not having table service means that customers are more likely, per round, to drop a glass than staff are, but it's what we're used to and it encourages chatting at the bar. It's a toss-up - well, more of drop down usually, but same same.
Offering to get a dustpan and brush and clean up is pretty common, mainly and moving the glass aside with your foot is or shooing people away is the right thing to do.
But when it comes to actually clearing up and disposing of the glass, it *should* be the staff. It's the only practical way to do it.
Master-Trick2850@reddit
Never heard of this myself
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