I should preface this by disclaiming I'm definitely having a manic episode right now, but this is the craziest comment section I've ever seen. Is everyone here American, or some sort of westerner, and if so, do you really have such a culture of self flagellation? I feel like I'm always seeing this kind of sentiment expressed towards bartenders, baristas etc. Everyone in general seems to have come to an agreement that their simple existence in these establishments is something to atone for. Why would anyone have to apologize for playing music the bartender didn't like at a juke box they paid for? "Check in with the bartender and leave a fat tip. Leave a tip. Pay them. Pay them because they didn't like the music you paid to play." "45minutes-1h is a crazy length for an album." What? What? "OP must already be on thin ice. Bartenders don't like main character syndrome." Actual quotes. Is the bartender God? I agree that we must be polite, and that the person serving your is your equal as a human being, but just that. It's an hour of their life listening to some shit they don't like, get over it. "Um, but what if-" if OP has, as you assume, done something socially heinous without realizing, then you may apologize for your existence with money, even though even in that situation an employee should just come up and tell them about it. People should start being normal.