Inspired by the yellow and red penalty cards flashed by football referees, some New Zealand bars are using color-coded cards to help curb excess drinking.
A yellow card is shown to imbibers who may be heading towards trouble during a night at the pub, while a red card removes them from the bar, said Hospitality Association of New Zealand chief executive Bruce Robertson.
In a dozen bars using the cards in the North Island cities of Auckland and Wellington, a yellow card means no alcohol is served to the recipient for a specific period of time.
“If you’re giving them the red card you’re saying ‘I’m sorry, you are too affected by alcohol for us to serve you any more, or have you on the premises. I’m afraid you’re going to have to go,”‘ he said.
Patrons who leave with “good grace” are entitled to return another time and present their red card for a free drink, Robertson said.
NZ bar operators face a stiff fine — over $6,000 — and suspension of their liquor license for serving drunks. Pretty good motivation for sorting out problems like this.
And the new trend coming to New Zealand: collecting Red Cards from the trendiest bars, pubs & clubs. All the cool people will be doing it.
#1 that trend won’t last long. One can do most of the bars/pubs in a kiwi city over a few weekends. Once one is banned from all bars, they would want to go back to their favs.