One pint and a coupon!

The music was of course second to none and the venue - Valletta Waterfront - was a good choice.

The main sponsor of the event was Farsons, as was very obvious and, therefore, the audience had no choice but to drink Cisk ,water or lemonade.

I went to buy a pint of beer and was asked for Lm2. When I commented that it was quite expensive, the girl told me that I was getting one pint and a coupon. I told her that I only wanted one pint. She insisted that I was getting one pint and a coupon. When I asked what was the coupon for, she replied: "For another one pint". I asked to see the manager and he was kind enough to grant me my wish as a consumer and sell me one pint for Lm 1.

Another customer wasn't so lucky. He asked for one pint and he was put through the same ordeal. However, when he asked to see the manager, an elderly man came over and very brusquely informed him that he was the manager. The customer explained to him he wanted only one pint and no coupons. The "manager" told him angrily he had to have one pint and a coupon. The customer insisted that he wanted only one pint as he was driving home and he could not drink more than one pint. The "manager" told him to use the coupon for water or lemonade. The customer insisted he wanted only one pint of beer and nothing else. The "manager" kept on insisting that the customer had no choice and had to buy what the supplier demanded to sell him! He also told the customer to get out of the queue. The customer replied that he wanted a "f...g drink", to which the "manager" replied "f... off!"

So the customer went outside the venue and bought himself one pint from a local bar. It was cheaper and the service was friendly and he was treated like a customer.

Is the system of forcing a customer to buy more alcohol or buy lemonade or water that he does not want legal in this country? What does the Consumer Department have to say about this situation? The Commissioner of Police and Sedqa should also be kind enough to look into this kind of forced binge drinking!