You might be a regular if...

As I have grown past the legal drinking age I have found that it is always nice to have a regular bar that you go to. No matter where you may end up going on a given night, how ever fancy a new place is, you always have your tried and true place you can go to in case things to not work out. Here is a list of things that indicate you might be a regular that I have been compiling over the last few years.

Signs you might be a regular:

Your bartender knows what drink to pour you without even asking.

Your bartender has your drink waiting for you when you sit down at the bar.

Your bartender has a refill for you before you ask for one and knows instinctively when you will not want another refill.

You can walk into the bar and know that you will be able to sit and talk to at least 2 people that are sitting at the bar.

You get happy hour prices even if it isn't happy hour.

You get comped frequently, maybe even every other drink, or may only pay for the first drink and then tip for refills.

You have a reserved seat at the bar.

That seat has your name engraved on the back of it.

Last call is only for those other folks; you can get a drink right up to closing time.

You have stayed at a bar way past closing time and are not asked to leave.

You go over to the bartender's place after the bar closes.

The bar tender and/or staff come over to your place after the bar closes.

You have had too many and the bartender takes you back to their place to sleep.

You get every shot, beer or any other drink you order in a glass while all the other folks get theirs in plastic cups.

Other regulars regularly buy you drinks.

Employees, other than bar tenders regularly buy you drinks.

You have your own special mug kept behind the bar for you.

The beer delivery guy or distributor knows you by name.

The bar tender or owner occasionally tosses you a free T-Shirt every now and then.

You are invited to the bar's staff only parties.

At Christmas time, the bar puts up stockings for all the employees, you have one too even though you do not work there.

When bartender is busy, you can walk behind the bar and pour your own drink, as long as you let the bartender know.

When the bartender is busy, you start busing glasses so they won't fall behind.

When the bartender is busy, you walk behind the bar and start washing glasses so they don't fall behind.

When the bartender and/or servers are busy, you start taking orders so they don't fall behind.

When the bar has a special event they hire you for the day to help serve drinks.

The bar actually offers you a job.

You know the name of every bar tender and server.

You know the names of all of the cooks.

You know the names of all the bar tender's, server's or cook’s siblings, spouses and/or children.

Those people buy you drink when you are at the bar.

The bar tenders and servers all give you a hug and/or handshake when they see you or you are leaving the bar.

The bar tender asks you to watch the bar while he/she takes a smoke/bathroom break.

You have been asked to help “86” an unruly customer.

You have been asked to help watch the door and check ID’s when the regular doorman does not show up.

The bar is closed due to a power outage but you are still welcomed in to help drink all the beer before it gets warm.

You have met up with the bar tender(s) for some activity outside of the bar.

You have gone camping with the bartender or other members of the staff.

The bar tender asks you to house sit for them while he/she is out of town.

You have the personal cell phone number of all the bartenders.

Servers start asking you for rides home after they get off from work.

You have your own shot named after you and only you and the bar tender know what is in it. Then other people start ordering it.

You help staff members work on their car or do house work just because you can.

Staff members help YOU work on your car or do house work just because they can.

If there is some extra of any drink recently mixed, they pour it into a glass for you.

If any drink is accidentally mixed, they put it in front of you so it will not be wasted.

If the bar tender asks you to tip in cash so your abnormally high tips will not show up on their server’s report and alert management.

If you are allowed to go through the back door, even if there is a big line out front.

If you are at the back of a five deep line at the bar and the bar tender asks you what you want before the umpteen people in front of you.

If are photos of the bar on the wall and you are in a couple of them.

If there is a painting of the bar on the wall and you are in it.

If the owner, who is rarely around, stops to say hi to you when he sees you.

If the owner stops to have a drink with you on the house whenever he sees you.

If the bar tender is planning a trip and asks you for advice about where they should go.

If the bar tender brings up topics you never realized you talked to him about and is truly interested in an update.

When the bartender is asked about a certain beer they yell the question over to you so you can answer it.

When management orders a new beer or spirit, they give you a sample and ask your opinion of it.

The manager asks your advice when ordering new beers, or spirits.

If the bar is undergoing renovations and the manager or owner asks you for advice on what do.

If you have met the owner’s children and they run up and hug you whenever they see you.

If you bring somebody new into the bar the bar tender does not ID them since they are with you.

You can start a tab without having to hand over a credit card or ID.

You can walk out on a tab once in a while without getting charged the "mandatory" service charges.

When the Manager locks himself out of his office, he enlists you to help him break into it.

If you bring your twin brother into the bar, every single employee does a double take and then tells your sibling what a great guy you are.

The bartender lets you plug your I-Pod into the stereo when you come in.

The bartender shows you how and then lets you skip songs on the Juke box when you don't like them.

People call the bar to see if you are there when they cannot find you otherwise.

If you are gone for a few days and folks at the bar do not know where you have been you get a concerned call to make sure you are all right.

Finally if you wank into a bar a full three years after having moved away and the bar tender, owner and servers still remember you and have your drink on the bar before you sit down.

This is a list I have compiled over the past 8 years and covers multiple bars in multiple States. Not all of these are my own experiences, though most are, and I do not condone all of these as accepted decorum at your local watering hole. Basically, do not try to do all of these things at your regular bar or you might, in the least get a talking to or at the worst get 86ed from your favorite place.

As it goes, if you are a true regular, you should know where you stand in a place and the limits that they place on your behavior. In my experience, sometimes a bar can be much more than a watering hole, it can be a family.