Buying The Bar

Buying the Bar

Botswana

July 2000

I am traveling with 20 people, wandering around Southern Africa on safari. I am the only American in this group. Mostly people come from Europe and a few come from Australia. Prior to our departure, we were told to bring US currency only as it is accepted everywhere we go. I have come with a 300 one-dollar bills and 40 five dollar bills. My travel mates all have nothing smaller than $20 bills. This has proven to be difficult for them as they attempted to exchange currency with merchants who make no more than $1 or $2 a day.

Today I am joined by four friends as we stumble upon  a nearby bar. We order a round of drinks: three beers at $.50 each, a Coke for $.30 and a glass of wine for $.40. We each pull out our money. They pull out $20 bills and I dropped two dollars on the bar and tell the bartender, “I’ll buy this round”. He is relieved that he does not have to make change for the other four people.

Two more people from our group come in and they too order beers. They pull out two $20 bills and the bartender glances at me. “Yes”, I nod to him, “I’ll pay for them”. He thanks me.

Another couple comes in. He orders a beer and she orders a glass of wine. They pull out their money but this time I don’t even wait to get a signal from the bartender. “Put it on my tab,” I tell him, “I’ve got it”. My friends protest but I explain to them that the bartender can’t break their $20.

The bartender comes over to me apologetically. “I am sorry madam; I don’t expect you to pay for these but I didn’t expect so many large bills today”. I tell him that everyone but me has large bills because they’re not Americans. “Oh I see Madame; he says “that will present a problem. I cannot make all that change”. I tell not to worry about it but he seems to feel little guilty.

For the next 2 hours most of the group comes to the bar and orders a drink and I add it to my tab. I can sense relief from the bartender every time I say, “I got it, don’t worry about it, I got it”.

I finish my beers and ask for the tab. He pulls out a calculator and tallies the 30+ drinks on my tab. When he finishes he walks over slowly to my spot at the bar. He seems hesitant. “Madame that will be $18 for everyone,” he says sort of sheepishly.

 “What!!!” I blurt out. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “$18.  Are you kidding me?”

 He becomes defensive, “Madame, there were many drinks. I thought you realized”.

But I cut him off. “No, no, no, no, no,” I tell him. “I can’t believe it only cost me $18 to buy the bar tonight. Here.” I hand him a $20 bill.  “Take that and keep the change”.

 “Really madame, this is for me?”. He can’t believe that I’m tipping him the top of all this. No one ever tips him.

 “Yes, you deserved it for all of your panic tonight with all of these $20 bills. Keep the change.”

That was 20 bucks well spent.

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