If you’re paying the hefty prices of an airport bar, you’d hope that your beverage would come served with a little respect.
Drinking or dining at the airport is, in general, pretty miserable. Apart from the high prices, the eating experience is often not particularly pleasant—and you usually have barely enough time to actually enjoy it before rushing to your gate.
Still, if you’re going to treat yourself to one of their pricey dishes, you would expect that you receive some decent treatment. However, one recent Chicago diner says that a server’s strange statement led to her being kicked out of an airport restaurant.
What Happened To This Woman At An Airport Restaurant?
In a video with over 206,000 views, TikTok user Alanah (@alanahstory21) recounts how she was kicked out of the Goose Island Beer Company restaurant at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
According to Alanah, she was sitting at a restaurant killing time before her flight left. After ordering and consuming a drink, she decided to order another one. Once she received it, she was told, for reasons she didn’t understand, that she needed to leave.
“This girl, the server, tells me I need to leave,” Alanah recalls. “And I was like, ‘I want to just sit here and finish my stuff. I don’t want to drink this at the gate. Like, I just want to sit at the restaurant.’”
This caused an immediate reaction from the server.
“She said, ‘Have you been overserved?’” Alanah states.
Things Get Worse
Shocked by the bizarre accusation, given the single drink that Alanah consumed, she responded with a simple, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“[The server] says, ‘Are you gonna swear at me?’” Alanah says. “[She] picks up my drink that I hadn’t even started drinking yet—and the other patrons in there are like, ‘What in the world?’ Like, ‘She hasn’t been overserved.’”
Eventually, a manager came over. However, the manager simply stood behind the waitress’ story.
“I’m like, ‘I’ve had one drink sitting here. Like, can y’all issue me a refund? Something?’” Alanah states. In response, she says the restaurant “threatened to call security on me.”
The whole ordeal left Alanah feeling “so freaking helpless.”
“What am I gonna do?” she says. “Get on that f—— no fly list over some goofy-a– s— that is, I guess, having a bad f—— day?”
Who Decides If Someone Has Been Overserved At An Airport?
While Alanah was rightfully upset about the accusation of being overserved despite only having a single drink, enforcement of alcohol consumption limits has an incredible amount of ambiguity.
There’s no strict limit that defines when someone has been overserved. Instead, servers and bartenders are tasked with monitoring guests to ensure they do not reach the point of intoxication.
Failing to do this has several major consequences. First, the bar can lose their liquor license. This can happen not only as a result of overserving guests but from failing to effectively and adequately manage intoxicated patrons.
Second, the state of Illinois has what’s called a Dram Shop Law. This means that if someone is overserved at an establishment and then goes on to cause harm, the place that served them the alcohol can be held liable for damages.
Finally, allowing a flyer to become intoxicated can lead to a host of other issues. For example, they could be denied boarding. In the worst case, they could cause onboard issues that require a flight to land early.
Given all this, it’s understandable that an airport bar in Illinois might be quick to hurl the “overserved” accusation—though that doesn’t make Alanah’s treatment fair.
@alanahstory21 I actually can’t believe that just happened at whatever the resturant is next to L9 😅
Commenters Demand A Response
In the comments section, many users said that the restaurant owed Alanah an apology and an explanation.
“Take it to corporate. Become that Karen. Threaten them. Tull be filling a complaint. Always ask for full names from management to that girl,” declared a commenter.
“I’m sorry to hear about your experience. You should report it to the Better Business Bureau. Be sure to include the information from your receipt and details about your experience, as this will make a difference,” shared another. “Don’t feel helpless; use your writing skills to make your voice heard.”
“No, what you’re describing is very unusual in my experience as an individual and former restaurant trainer. You have every right to be upset and at bare minimum a refund is in order,” detailed a third. “The situation you described calls for a refund, an apology, and compensation, usually in the form of a gift card that covers a full meal for two. Plus training for that server and their manager.”
BroBible reached out to Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and Alanah via email.