TIPS Program Ignored by Local Topless Bar
October 10, 2001
Las Vegas Tribune
By Steve Miller
    Tribune Photos 
 Man found passed out near car with engine running, Oct. 2, 2001                                       Bar patron passed out in parking lot, Nov. 30, 2002

LAS VEGAS - An unidentified man was found lying unconscious near his running vehicle behind the Crazy Horse Too topless bar, 2478 Industrial Road, at 5PM, Tuesday, October 2. Another unconsious man was found lying in a pool of urine in the bar's parking lot on November 30, 2001.

Witnesses report that one of the men entered the bar at 3 PM on Monday, Oct. 1, and left the bar twenty-six hours later in a drunken stupor. Bar employees reportedly allowed the man to leave the bar, stagger to his vehicle, and start the engine. The man then reportedly fell out of the vehicle, regurgitated, staggered a few steps and passed out on the pavement. When he could not be revived, mechanics from Allstate Auto, a business located next to the bar, called paramedics. The man was released from UMC the following day after detoxification. He returned to Allstate Auto to reclaim his car.

It was determined that the second man found unconsious in the parking lot on Nov. 30, was also attempting to access his car when he passed out.

"I can't believe they were gonna let these guys drive! If he stayed there all night he must have spent a fortune. The least thing the manager of the bar could have done was call him a cab and make sure he did not drive," said Buffalo Jim Barrier, the owner of Allstate Auto.

"Evidently, the Crazy Horse employees have not taken the TIPS course," Barrier said. TIPS stands for Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers, a course required by law to be taken by all cocktail servers and bartenders.

Barrier says that he has reported numerous other instances of drunks being allowed to drive away from the Crazy Horse Too, but has received no response to his complaints from the bar's owners or the city.

TIPS provides bartenders with techniques that help prevent alcohol abuse situations like this one. The program also discusses techniques through which servers can help prevent drunk driving including calling a cab for patrons who may have had too much to drink, or encouraging friends to provide a safe-ride home.

"Every local topless bar subscribes to TIPS, however, the Crazy Horse Too evidently does not feel obligated to join the program and nobody seems to care," Barrier said. "I think Sandy Heverly of Stop DUI should step in before people get killed by guys like the one we helped!"

Because the bar holds a privileged license, the City Council can take disciplinary action if the Crazy Horse Too is not complying with city alcohol awareness laws.

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