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Friday, July 18, 2008

CTV: Jays fans fight to keep the ‘Beer Guy’ in the game

First Opera Man in Detroit got a pink slip, now Beer Guy in Toronto is let go:

Wayne McMahon, a 61-year-old beer vendor known for his trademark beer holler, was fired July 8 and since then, fans have turned to the web to fight for his reinstatement.

Aramark, the company in charge concessions at the Rogers Centre, says he was let go because he sold beer to someone without checking their identification first.

The customer turned out to be a 22-year-old mystery shopper who ordered two beers.

Boileryard Posted: July 18, 2008 at 03:56 PM | 35 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: blue jays

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1. Walt Davis Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:08 PM (#2863863)

So a couple years ago at Comiskey, I go to the stand and order a couple beers. "Can I see some id?" "Huh?" "Can I see some id?" Quizzical look. "We get a lot of trouble from you guys." "I'm sure you do get a lot of trouble from middle-aged white guys" as I hand over my id.

I was 45 at the time.

Probably she was telling me I looked like an alcohol enforcement officer. :-)

2. Halofan Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:33 PM (#2863910)

Aramark is the company I would most like to see go the route of Enron.

3. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:38 PM (#2863920)

The customer turned out to be a 22-year-old mystery shopper who ordered two beers.

So he got fired for selling beer to someone who was legal?

Great F-ing decision.

4. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:40 PM (#2863927)

I think I've told this story before, but a beer vendor at a Nats' game once started giving me grief after he sold me a beer without carding me. I think the implication was that I was underage, and he did me a favor, so I owed him a big tip. But since (A) he couldn't come right out and say that and (B) I wasn't actually underage I didn't feel the need to take any action.

5. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:43 PM (#2863931)

The drinking age in that part of Canada is 18 (correct?) and they still fired the guy for selling to a 22 year old? F'in ridiculous.

6. Social media assassin (Templeusox) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:45 PM (#2863936)

"I'm sure you do get a lot of trouble from middle-aged white guys"

Why did you say white?

7. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:47 PM (#2863945)

In Oakland they ask for ID if you look like John McCain. My mom loves it!

8. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:50 PM (#2863952)

Why did you say white?

Cuz those are the kind that buy alcohol at ballgames for their 8 year old sons.

9. salvomania Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:50 PM (#2863953)

Why did you say white?

I think he was being sarcastic, because you know it's not really the white guys who cause the trouble.

10. BeanoCook Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:51 PM (#2863955)

The exact same thing happened in Milwaukee just recently. Only one of the beer vendors that was fired was working since 1 year before Hank Aaron's rookie year in Milwaukee. 1952! Fired for selling more than 2 beers to a customer, I believe was the infraction.

11. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:51 PM (#2863956)

In Oakland they ask for ID if you look like John McCain. My mom loves it!

Your mom looks like John McCain?

12. RJ in TO Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:53 PM (#2863960)

The drinking age in that part of Canada is 18 (correct?) and they still fired the guy for selling to a 22 year old? F'in ridiculous.

It's actually 19 in Ontario (18 in Quebec and a couple other provinces I can't remember). Either way, it's still f'n ridiculous.

13. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 18, 2008 at 07:54 PM (#2863962)

In Oakland they ask for ID if you look like John McCain. My mom loves it!

Your mom looks like John McCain?

Well, no. I mean, not really.

OK. Yeah, yeah she does. Happy? Are you happy now?

14. Dr Love Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:10 PM (#2863993)

I think we're all missing the big story here.

You can be a mystery shopper at a baseball game and the people paying you will let you order two beers at once. Where do I sign up.

15. stoeten Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:12 PM (#2863994)

It's 18 in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba. 19 everywhere else in Canada.

It was my blog that broke this story a week ago, and it's pretty awesome to see it getting more and more attention. (Although... the Facebook group mentioned in the CTV story didn't start until the day after our first post about this, and I can't help but have a part of me wonder why some of the MSM picking up on it doesn't feel inclined to mention that their story first gained traction in the blogosphere. Oh well...)

Wayne was definitely a highlight to an otherwise dreary stadium experience, and his firing is almost as big a crime as the fact that the 473ml beers Aramark had him selling cost $9.75!

16. Mike Emeigh

Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:12 PM (#2863998)

RTFA. The guy was not fired for selling to a 22-YO, but for violating company policy.

"Our policy requires vendors to ID everybody who appears under the age of 30 and limits beer sales to one beer per person per transaction in the stands," said company spokesperson David Freireich.

If that's what the policy requires, that's what Mr. McMahon should have done.

-- MWE

17. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:16 PM (#2864004)

If that's what the policy requires, that's what Mr. McMahon should have done.

I get that that is the policy. I think the policy is stupid. Placing an age on a policy like that is foolish because of how subjective it is. Make it everyone, or make it a judgment call for the vendor. Who's to say the 22 year old didn't look 30? Half the posters here (supposedly) wouldn't have carded Pujols since he's been in the league. I stand by my original statement, firing someone over this, when they didn't actually make a mistake is F'in ridiculous.

18. RJ in TO Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2864007)

"Our policy requires vendors to ID everybody who appears under the age of 30 and limits beer sales to one beer per person per transaction in the stands," said company spokesperson David Freireich.

They're going to have to start firing more people. In my (admittedly limited) experience, I don't think any of their vendors follows this policy in the stands. They certainly don't at concessions.

I'd also like to see a picture of the mystery shopper. I remember a while ago, a place managed to get off on accusations of not IDing for cigarette sales. The person selected to do the test was 16, but was about 6'6, 280, and with the most amazing beard in history. It was agreed that no reasonable person would have thought that this person was anywhere close to the age of 18.

19. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:20 PM (#2864009)

his firing is almost as big a crime as the fact that the 473ml beers Aramark had him selling cost $9.75!

Being that this is a metric number and the Canadian dollar, I have no idea how ripped off I should feel the people of Canada are.

Let's see...

473ml = 16 oz
$9.75 = $9.69 (US)

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

20. RJ in TO Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:24 PM (#2864019)

473ml = 16 oz
$9.75 = $9.69 (US)

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

And it's still not the most expensive beer in town.

21. stoeten Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:25 PM (#2864021)

Also, his previous record should at least be a factor.

Of course, playing devil's advocate, I do remember when they suspended the liquor license for a few Maple Leafs games a few years ago. I'm sure that's a hefty knock to Aramark's bottom line. It's just... to fire him on the spot is a bit ridiculous. Plus, there are rumblings that Aramark is just jumping at the chance to get rid of him, because of his tenure/stature. There have been tensions and threats to unionize employees since Aramark took over the concessions.

http://www.unitehere.ca/pages/releasedetail.php?press_id=184

Aramark, a multi-national company, recently took over the contract to provide concession services at the Rogers Centre, and concession workers are reporting they are now all considered probationary employees, even though they have worked at the Rogers Centre for years.

Rogers Centre concessions workers have been trying to form a union with UNITE HERE since late July 2007 but have faced serious anti-union campaigning. An unfair labour practice complaint against their former employer, Sportservice (a Delaware North Company) and Rogers Centre security is outstanding at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Aramark Canada Ltd. General Manager, Jeff Curley recently sent an anti-union letter to all concession workers telling them “I do not believe that a Union is needed in our location.”

22. TerpNats Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:32 PM (#2864033)

The exact same thing happened in Milwaukee just recently. Only one of the beer vendors that was fired was working since 1 year before Hank Aaron's rookie year in Milwaukee. 1952! Fired for selling more than 2 beers to a customer, I believe was the infraction.

1952? Then the guy was vending games of the American Association Brewers, because the Braves didn't arrive from Boston until '53.

23. MM1f Posted: July 18, 2008 at 08:55 PM (#2864061)

20,
At the local ginourmous Live Nation outdoor concert arena place it costs 11 bucks to get a Bud Light tallboy (22 or 24 oz, i forget which). So thats a nice even 50 cents per ounce of shitty light beer.

24. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 09:12 PM (#2864071)

I get that that is the policy. I think the policy is stupid. Placing an age on a policy like that is foolish because of how subjective it is. Make it everyone, or make it a judgment call for the vendor. Who's to say the 22 year old didn't look 30? Half the posters here (supposedly) wouldn't have carded Pujols since he's been in the league. I stand by my original statement, firing someone over this, when they didn't actually make a mistake is F'in ridiculous.

If the rule is that you should card everyone who isunder 30, you should be carding everyone who looks under 40.

I think companies sometimes have extremely rigid policies because of a previous violation where they got caught. Implementing such a rigid policy is how they escape something much worse (like losing their liquor license, for example). If they get caught not implementing or policing the new rules, they can face serious consequences.

It sucks that this guy got fired, but I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions either way without knowing more.

25. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: July 18, 2008 at 09:12 PM (#2864072)

It's 18 in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba. 19 everywhere else in Canada.

It was my blog that broke this story a week ago, and it's pretty awesome to see it getting more and more attention. (Although... the Facebook group mentioned in the CTV story didn't start until the day after our first post about this, and I can't help but have a part of me wonder why some of the MSM picking up on it doesn't feel inclined to mention that their story first gained traction in the blogosphere. Oh well...)

Wayne was definitely a highlight to an otherwise dreary stadium experience, and his firing is almost as big a crime as the fact that the 473ml beers Aramark had him selling cost $9.75!

Uh oh ... Andrew is in da house.

Best Regards

John

26. Random Transaction Generator Posted: July 18, 2008 at 09:21 PM (#2864078)

On Father's Day, it happened to be this particular vendor's birthday, and I was there (with my Dad).

So as part of the celebration, they handed the microphone over to him and he did the "Let's.....Play....Baaaaaaaallllll".
(his trademark is "Ice......Cold.....Beeeeeeer" in a really deep gravely voice)

Also, his name and picture popped up on the Jumbotron a couple of innings later as part of the birthday celebrations between innings.

27. jwb Posted: July 18, 2008 at 10:11 PM (#2864107)

Aramark CEO Joseph Neubauer is a (bissingerism).

28. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: July 18, 2008 at 10:12 PM (#2864110)

The 473ml beers Aramark had him selling cost $9.75!

No one in Canada makes 475ml cups? They just buy 16 ouncers from the States and relabel them? Sounds unpatriotic to me.

29. Boileryard Posted: July 18, 2008 at 10:21 PM (#2864122)

No one in Canada makes 475ml cups? They just buy 16 ouncers from the States and relabel them? Sounds unpatriotic to me.

We wouldn't have this problem if the U.S. would finally switch to the metric system.

30. Mike Emeigh

Posted: July 18, 2008 at 11:24 PM (#2864178)

We don't KNOW that Aramark hasn't fired anyone else - we only know that Mr. McMahon was fired because he's got a reputation. As long as Aramark has enforced the policy consistently, there's no issue here.

-- MWE

31. Bob T Posted: July 19, 2008 at 12:54 AM (#2864348)

Everyone should come to California. Then you'll have to get your butt out of the seat to go buy a beer.

32. TVerik Posted: July 19, 2008 at 01:14 AM (#2864396)

1952? Then the guy was vending games of the American Association Brewers, because the Braves didn't arrive from Boston until '53.

How do you sleep at night?

33. As foretold by the prophesy (JFSE) Posted: July 19, 2008 at 01:39 AM (#2864442)

If I recall, Wayne sells Bud, which is an American beer. I'm sure their Canadian beer comes in nice round numbers.

34. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: July 19, 2008 at 02:14 AM (#2864486)

In Oakland they ask for ID if you look like John McCain. My mom loves it!

About 20 years ago, I was at a game in Oakland and I couldn't buy a beer (I was 25). The rule was you had to have a CA ID. My military ID wouldn't do. Thing was, at the time there were no less than about 15 major military installations within 100 miles of the park.

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CTV: Jays fans fight to keep the ‘Beer Guy’ in the game

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