Bartenders likely won’t have time to determine whether a customer who is ordering alcohol is packing a gun. The Columbus Dispatch says that’s the sentiment of Ohio bartenders after the state legislature approved versions of a bill allowing concealed-carry permit holders to take guns into bars, restaurants, and open-air arenas as long as they don’t drink alcohol. The new law would allow establishments the option of posting their own signs that would prohibit guns inside. The Ohio Restaurant Association asked Gov. John Kasich not to sign the bill.
The way some bartenders see it, alcohol and guns don’t mix. They worry about how the proposed law would be enforced. “How do you find out if a person is carrying?” said one bartender. A tavern owner said, “What are we supposed to do, frisk them?” Said another bar owner: “It’s not a good idea. I can’t see anything positive coming out of it. I don’t think the honor system is going to fly, especially when we have over 1,000 people in here.”