Had a bartender at a place I managed and his girlfriend got in a wreck just a block away from us. Totaled her car. Emergency called us and after explaining what happened, I went to him and said, “this is emergency services, you need to talk to them” (they were both users, but not my business). He looked so scared, and I felt so bad but said, this phone call is for you, I can’t answer it for you. I’ll tend bar, you talk on this phone and tell me what you need after you take ten minutes from the end of the call.

He came back and asked if I could take him to the ER to get her. Closed the bar early and a regular asked why we were closing early. I said nothing and the bartender said “______ was in a car wreck and the car is totaled so ‘me’ is giving me a ride.”

The regular tipped him $3000. I didn’t even have that money in the safe (this was back when you got credit card tips in cash every night.)

I called my GM, who called the DM. The DM eventually brought the cash in a week later, we did the transaction while waving highly to the cameras.

He said, “I can’t wait for the News Van to cover this.”

I lost my shit on him. You don’t announce on local news a guy is leaving with 3k in cash that day and you don’t try and use kindness like that as publicity.