A drunk walks into a bar ...
Q: A drunken person hits on you in a bar. How do you deal with it?
If you’re not liking the attention you’re receiving, it’s best to make your lack of interest crystal clear to the would-be romancer. An attempt to shut down this behavior must be absolute, unwavering and swift.
While a drunken person may seem cute and even funny, he or she can be a ticking time bomb of emotions and potentially violent. So be firm, be clear and make sure the folks working at the bar are aware of the situation.
—Jeffrey Morgenthaler, award-winning bartender, author of “The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique”
If you realize that the person who is making sexual advances is intoxicated, be polite but firm in your actions.
Don’t dance, engage in conversation with, or accept a drink from him or her. Often people feel they are being rude by saying “no” or walking away,
and they end up in a situation that is harder to get out of later.
Engaging and then turning this person down can make him or her angry and even violent. It’s very important to set and be aware of your personal boundaries in these situations because the person making the sexual advances is having trouble processing. Be firm in your response, and keep repeating like a broken record: “I do not appreciate your advances. I am not interested. I am asking you to stop.” If the person is touching you, be clear with him or her: “You do not have my consent to touch me. Please stop.”
Immediately remove yourself from the situation, and if you are alone at a bar, ask the bartender or another patron for help.
—Jennifer D. Yonan, executive director of the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center