It's early evening and a man walks into a bar. Apart from the barman, there's only one other guy there, sitting on a barstool sipping his drink.

The barman says "Good evening, sir. What will you have?"

"Thank you, I'll have a whisky, please."

The man takes another barstool, and the barman hands him a whisky.

"That'll be £1.50, sir". (This was a long time ago)

"Oh, I didn't expect to pay for this - you offered it freely".

The barman looks startled, and says "How do you think we make any money here? We don't give free drinks. Now pay up before I get mad".

At this, the quiet guy on the other barstool says to the barman "Excuse me, I don't want to interfere, but I think the customer has a point. I'm a lawyer. I heard you offer him a drink when he came in, and he accepted it. This created a contract between you, and there was no mention of money. In my opinion, he is entitled to the whisky, free of charge".

The barman looked startled, then turned to the man and said "All right, the brief here says you're entitled to your drink, so drink it up. And then go! And I never want to see you in this bar again".

The man finishes his whiskey, bids good evening to the barman and the lawyer, and leaves.

A few weeks later, the same man walks into the same bar, where the same barman is behind the bar.

"Hey, you! Get out of this bar. I said I never wanted to see you in here again. Now leave!"

The man looks startled. "I'm sorry" he says. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've not met you before and I've never been near this bar in my life".

The barman is taken aback. "Oh, excuse me sir. I thought I recognised you. You must have a double."

"Make it a whisky, please!"


Phil