I was at a restaurant the other day, and I heard the server say to a group of patrons, “That will be $12.95,” to which one of the patrons responded, “We’re with the fire department; don’t we get a discount?” Then the manager got involved.
These firefighters did not come to the restaurant in a fire apparatus, and they did not have any identifying clothing or badges. However, there was a Maltese Cross sticker with the town’s name on it on a pickup in the parking lot. I was just passing through this town, so I don’t know if the guys were local firefighters or not. What I do know was they expected a break on the price of their meal, and were upset they didn’t get one.
Some firefighters feel that because career firefighters earn low wages and volunteer firefighters earn no wages certain local establishments “owe us” reduced — and in some cases free — meals and drinks. But nothing could be farther from the truth.
The decision to provide reduced or free meals to firefighters, cops and/or EMS personnel rests solely with the proprietor of the establishment — not with the fire department and certainly not with the individual firefighter. The firefighters in this situation were absolutely in the wrong to expect a discount and even more in the wrong to request one.
That being said, the decision to eat at a restaurant that does or does not provide firefighters reduced or free meals rests solely with the individual firefighter. If you feel like you are owed a reduced or free meal, then by all means go eat somewhere that will serve you one. I have no problem with people accepting an offered (key word “offered”) reduced or free meal so long as they are in compliance with their department’s policy, as well as local and state law.
Back to the situation I overheard: Nothing good came from the discussion among the firefighters and the restaurant’s manager. The firefighters left in a huff, and the manager said something negative about the attitudes of the firefighters and cops who serve that community.
As an interesting side note, you may recall a lawsuit a couple years ago in which a restauranteur sued the city. The restauranteur did not offer cops reduced or free meal; the restaurant down the road did offer reduced or free meals. Ergo, cops ate at this restaurant instead of the restaurateur’s. Because the restaurant down the road did offer reduced or free meals, police cars were always in the parking lot. The restaurateur contended that this in and of itself deterred crime at that restaurant, and his restaurant didn’t get the same level of protection. He won the case.