Asking for an angel shot at in downtown Penticton isn鈥檛 going to get you a fresh drink, but it will help you get out of a bad date or unsafe situation.
Miriam Sklar, the Mule鈥檚 general manager, said the staff heard about a similar program a year ago and started talking about bringing it to The Mule. They鈥檝e never had an incident, she said, but adding a safe word sounded like a good way to make customers feel safer.
It鈥檚 very simple. If you are feeling unsafe, just go to the bar and order an angel shot. Neat, and staff escort you safely to your vehicle. An angel shot with ice, and a taxi is on the way. An angel shot with lime, and the police are called in.
The Mule鈥檚 poster adds 鈥淲e鈥檒l handle things discreetly and without a lot of fuss (we鈥檝e been there and want you to know you鈥檙e in good hands).
鈥淚t just took a little bit of figuring out logistically how to make it work in a room where it鈥檚 really loud and there鈥檚 lots of music going and things like that,鈥� said Sklar, adding that part of the discussion was about whether or not the program was needed.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never had an issue here. Nothing鈥檚 ever been brought to our attention,鈥� said Sklar. 鈥淲e鈥檙e lucky, we have a really close-knit group of people that come here and that work here.鈥�
Sklar added that in the more than six months since they introduced angel shots, no one has had to ask for one. The #metoo movement wasn鈥檛 an inspiration for introducing the program, she explained, since The Mule introduced angels shots last summer before #metoo got going.
鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 something that we鈥檙e all talking about more so that might have even been why had the conversation about it,鈥� said Sklar, referring to the original discussion last year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great awareness thing. That鈥檚 a benefit too.
鈥淥nline dating is more of a thing now. People are going out with people that they don鈥檛 necessarily know. We just wanted to just to make sure we鈥檙e doing what we can be a good community partner.鈥�
Penticton is a smaller community, and even though many people are acquainted to some degree, it鈥檚 still possible for a date to take a wrong turn; whether it鈥檚 just someone having a bad day, or a change in their personality.
鈥淵ou want to go to a public place with somebody that you don鈥檛 know. But it could be somebody that you know and all of a sudden it鈥檚 taken a turn,鈥� said Sklar. 鈥淲e just want to make sure that it鈥檚 a good safe time for everybody.鈥�
Sklar said though angel shots are new, taking care of their customers isn鈥檛.
鈥淚 take a lot of pride in our staff here. We have an incredible group of people and they鈥檙e compassionate; they take their jobs seriously. They have fun doing them, but they take them seriously,鈥� said Sklar. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always taken precautions to make sure that the room is a good place to be. If somebody has an issue they don鈥檛 need to necessarily say angel shot but they know that we鈥檙e there for them.鈥�
Steve Kidd
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