I wasn't aware of this, but many of the concession stands at Miller Park are staffed by volunteers, fund-raising for various causes. For some reason I had realized that was modus operandi at many minor league parks, but didn't make the connection. But as many of you probably know, it doesn't matter who you are or who you're working for if you start serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated people:
At least one group has pulled out, and others are questioning whether the risks now involved in the popular fund-raising program outweigh the benefits. The program brought in $525,000 for non-profit groups last year. ...
In the past, the liability coverage for serving a drunken fan who causes injury or death has been assumed by Sportservice, the national food and beverage company that serves Miller Park. Sportservice contracts with dozens of non-profit groups each season to work at concession stands. Those groups carry varying levels of liability coverage; for some, it is minimal.
Given that it's the volunteer who decides whether to sell a fan their beer, I see why Sportservice would want out. Lawsuits for drunk-driving accidents can lead to multi-million dollar settlements, and the insurance coverage required must be astronomical.
Though I've never tended bar, I took a bartending training class a couple of years ago and was flat-out shocked when I found out how those rules apply to bartenders. You serve a drink to someone and they leave the bar, drive away and crash into somebody else? You're liable. You, personally, the guy making minimum wage plus tips. It was enough to inspire me to seek out a different line of work.
I'm not surprised, then, that some volunteers would cut bait. I can imagine it's hard to make split-second evaluations in the sixth inning when the line is twelve people deep, and the law isn't very forgiving. At the risk of veering off into political discussion, it really bothers me that a server could be held responsible for the irresponsible actions of a drunk driver, and that a consequence of that could mean lower-quality service or less community involvement at Miller Park.