May 28, 2024 • 38 mins
Ever wondered what it's like to transition from flipping burgers to serving drinks in an airport bar right after 9/11? My brother James Brown joins us for a hilarious and eye-opening episode where he recounts his journey from working at McDonald’s to navigating the complex world of post-9/11 airport security as a bartender. From managing an unexpected surge in hot dog demand to cleverly handling a run-in with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, James gives us a candid look at the unique challenges and quirky moments that defined his early days behind the bar.
While the airport bar may seem like a mundane setting, it's anything but. We dive into celebrity encounters that range from the amusing antics of Steve-O in his converted van to the more frustrating demands of Emmett Smith and the prickly demeanor of Sean Penn. These stories offer a blend of humor and reality, highlighting the unpredictable nature of airport bar life. On a more serious note, we also touch on the critical issue of suicide awareness, urging listeners to engage in open conversations and support friends through tough times.
To wrap things up, we share some unforgettable stories from the airport restaurant scene. From the charisma of Jerry Jones to the down-to-earth interactions with sports legends like Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Peja Stojakovic, we explore the highs and lows of meeting these icons. Plus, you'll hear about the rollercoaster experiences of working in an airport restaurant, including a wild tale involving a manager named Breezy and the colorful character Muhammad. And let's not forget the importance of good relationships with first responders, perfectly illustrated by a friendly encounter with Officer Crabapple. This episode promises a mix of laughter, poignant reflections, and unforgettable airport bar tales.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, welcome back.
Guys Tell Us From An AirportBar, episode three.
We're having our first guest ontoday.
I'd like to introduce mybrother of all people, James
Brown.
Welcome to Tell Us From AnAirport Bar.
James, Pull up a barstool,let's grab you something to
(00:22):
drink.
Let's go tell me.
Tell me a little bit about yourtime at the airport and working
in bars.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, I started was I was working in McDonald's and
you gave me a call and said hey,you want a job for I was like
six bucks more now and what Iwas making it was like eleven
something an hour.
So I went into McDonald's sameday, turned into my shirt and
the manager goes hey, you're onfries.
I go no, sir, you're on fries.
And went straight to theairport and started working.
(00:55):
Uh, I mean before I even gotbadged, cause this is where I
got after nine, 11.
Yep, and I was getting escortedin every day and there had to
be someone standing next to meall day just to work.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Didn't really make sense Even to go to the bathroom
.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, no matter where you went, there was always
somebody there.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, I have that super awesome privilege now.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Started at the art bar.
I was almost 17 by the time.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Okay, so real quick, the art bar.
We've mentioned this little barthat you had to be bussed out
to because back in the day theyhad prop planes and even smaller
regional jets than what theyhave now.
So basically, they're sendingyou out to this oversized
trailer, sending you out to thisoversized trailer, and we had
(01:46):
this little bar in there thathad two four tops built into the
wall and then it had a littlefour top Barstool bar, but in
front of that you couldn't evensee the bar until we put some
neon signs back there.
But in front of that we had alittle deli case with a cashier
(02:08):
and I believe that's how youstarted out as a cashier.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I started out as a cashier rolling dogs man, that
hot dog roller.
You can fit 36 things on.
He's only supposed to fit 12.
Like they're going out of style.
Chili Chili cheese dogs.
You want chili cheese on that.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
It's only a dollar more.
Yes, I do Thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So I got to the point where we couldn't cook enough,
so we were just stacking thosethings and you'd have to like,
unstack them, rotate them asthey were cooking.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Pick at the bottom 36 at once, and then we'd put them
in a hot plate and then go and36 more.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Jesus.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Jesus.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh, and there'd be a line all the way down the
terminal out to where the buslets you off.
Because you're there and that'sit Probably, or you could go
across the hall and get amagazine and candy bar.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Like do I want to eat or not?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
When I first started, the cashiers weren't allowed to
get tips.
The bartenders were Back to.
When I started, I was about toturn 17.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I'm like this is bullshit that guy's getting tips
.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I'm getting tips.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I've kept putting a cup out.
The GDN would come by like youcan't have that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I'm like yeah, cool, take it away as soon as we walk
out.
But another one you got $100for selling hot dogs.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
This is incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
This is the best thing that's ever happened in
life.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
This is a cheat code, and then when you turned 18, we
made you a bartender.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Well, before that we had Dals Breeze and me working
out there, because you'd alreadygone pretty much back to A16 or
E12 or somewhere and we weregoing back and forth.
But we were there and we wouldtake out the van.
It's a delivery van, yeah onlysupposed to be used to get
(03:57):
deliveries and all that outthere, but it was our smoking
van.
Whatever you wanted to do, Ineeded a cigarette, go out there
and smoke in the van and comeback inside and no one knew
anything.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
A multifaceted tool.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
But one night, me and Kevin get in it and I mean, I'm
not joking he floors it inreverse.
We're doing like 30, 40 milesan hour like I was scared for my
life and all of a sudden he washere, boom, and just murders.
A mirror off the side of thevan, oh shit, huge scratch down
the side.
And he's like oh, don't tellanybody.
(04:29):
I was like what do you mean?
Don't tell anybody?
The van's brand new.
And so he parks it.
I come into work next day to awrite-up from the GM saying hey,
I heard you wrecked the van.
I was like no, I didn't Kevin.
(04:51):
He's like no, he already gaveus a story.
Wow, never with his, I did notknow what did he hit?
oh, you're the tug, oh, okayokay, 10,000 pound piece of
machinery, nice.
And then didn't even like.
They're like I don't know, saythat but didn't record it.
It's like let's not tellanybody.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah literally don't tell a soul, because I'm going
to.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah so tell us a little more about this your time
at the bar out there.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I got visited by.
Tbac one time everybody's.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
TABC our favorite.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I got visited by TBAC one time.
Tabc, tabc came out, ourfavorite Alcohol Beverage
Commission, and I'm not stupid,I'm pretty smart when it comes
to rearranging what things say.
So our tab on the bar it's 16ounce Budweiser.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
All of it's 16, but there's no.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
OZ.
After it it says 16.
And you said 16?
.
Oh, on the actual receipt andthat GM back to it was wanting
to make some extra money, so heordered 14-ounce glasses.
So we're handing out 14-ounceglasses.
I'm 18 years old.
I'm not going to argue withanybody.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
What am I supposed to do?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
He's like, hey, this ticket says 16 ounce, sir, and
the cup says 14 ounce.
I go, actually your ticket justsays 16, but light, where does
it say ounce on there?
And he goes I'm going to comearound there, I'm going to show
you in your system.
I was like you come around thisbar, I'm going to show you in
your system.
And that was the end of it.
We never got investigated, hejust walked away.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
He's like I'm good.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
People.
They don't want to start shitat the airport, I'll say that,
like they'll come in tough andthen they shut it down real
quick.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Second, there's any pushback, they're like I'm okay,
I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And so I remember something that may coincide with
this, about you telling a guyyou're going to shove a bottle
of Grey Goose up his ass.
I mean, what kind ofconfrontations did you get into
out there?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
well, my job's on the line with the police out there,
tsa, all these people like Iwasn't working at the art bar.
I was at the main terminal, theA terminal At the larger
restaurant.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Things were more serious.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yes, 2005, 2006.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
They were all over the place.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So I'm bartending, a couple comes in.
They're super friendly thewhole time.
She's drinking Bloody Marys,he's drinking beer, he finishes
his, she's all private, third orfourth one, and they're White's
getting ready to leave and shestarts pouring Bloody Mary in a
cup.
I'm like man, you can't takethat with you Trying to be as
polite as I can.
Husband starts saying is thishow you treat patriots?
(07:38):
I go, what do you mean patriots?
He's like something that comesto your establishment.
I go, you mean a patron?
No, I mean I tell them thatwhat they can and can't do,
because this is my license andthis is how I make money.
And he kept running his mouthand he started coming around the
(08:00):
bar and the bar was a bigsquare, so like you had to walk
around the whole thing and theoffice manager's there Kind of
like the bar.
And the bar was a big square,so like you had to walk around
the whole thing and the officemanagers there Kind of like the
bar we work in.
now You're going to like that.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
It just in a different restaurant setting.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Guests are cut off at a certain point, right, like
they're not allowed to come.
You can't go, yeah, behind thebar and he starts coming around
and threatening me and tellingme he's going to beat my ass,
and at that point I was born andbloody married with gray goose
and I said you come back here,I'm gonna shove this bottle up
your ass, and about that time itwas back.
Then he's like let's not namedrop okay well, he confused the
(08:34):
situation rather quickly andlet's just say the guy walked
out.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, okay well know the patriot that he was.
Yeah, the patriot.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So how long did you work at the airport?
Right after 9-11?
Until 2013.
That's a good story.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
when I quit, too, so, okay, we worked at this little
bar together.
Do you remember the time when,um, okay, so we had the little
sign on the wall that said, withthe little old lady that says,
yes, they ID'd me too and we hadto?
Do you remember that?
Yes, okay, so do you rememberthe time?
(09:22):
This, this lady must've beenpushing 70, anyways, and you
know, I'm in my twenties at thispoint and, um, I'm ID and
everybody like I'm supposed tocorporate guy, and uh, so this
lady comes through the line andgets a Dr Pepper and a barbecue
(09:45):
sandwich, and she comes over tome to get a beer and she paid
out, you know, through the deliline or whatever, and comes over
to the bar and and orders abeer or something like Coors
(10:06):
Light, and I'm like, man, pleasesee your ID.
And she goes, excuse me.
I said, yes, man, do you seethe sign on the wall?
And she goes, fuck you.
And throws her barbecuesandwich at me.
No, and I'm just standing therelike she should not be getting
(10:26):
on a plane with other people,sure enough not even 20, 30
seconds later, after she walksout of the bar, she turns around
, comes back in and throws herDr Pepper on me.
I'm like holy shit, lady, andyou know what, I just let this
(10:46):
lady walk.
I it was the end of my shiftand I was just like you know
what, I'm not chasing after her,I'm not calling the police on
this lady.
You know what, just let it go.
And that's one of the one timesI let it go, and that's one of
the one times I let it go Do youremember that?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Now, how accurate was she?
You said she threw them at you.
Did she hit you with both?
She did, she did.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Wow, that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Well, it was a little tiny place.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I mean she didn't have.
I mean, if you had a smallreach you would have gotten,
that's impressive.
A small reach you would havegotten, that's impressive.
So, um, tell me, james, some ofthe celebrities and some of the
people you've met over theyears while you were out there.
Um, I remember uh a bunch ofyou guys had uh told me a story
(11:42):
about Steve-O coming in, so Iwas still at the art bar.
The Steve-O from Jackass rightyeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah, and John and JJ were the bartender at A16.
And so I'm bartending andthey're calling me like, hey,
you closing up.
I'm like, yeah, you know, wegot a flight.
And they're like, oh hey,steve-o's up, we're all going to
go smoke.
And I was like, cool, I'mpretty sure I closed the bar
down about 30 minutes early,maybe, who knows and cashed out,
(12:13):
brought all the money up and wewent and got in my 93 F-150 and
drove around the airportparking lot and I'll tell you
what he's clean now.
But man, he didn't let us havea drag off the joint, that's for
damn sure.
I think we all got one.
But the coolest shit has someamazing stories to tell.
(12:37):
Definitely back to Grey Goose.
That's what he was drinking.
I don't know what the airport isin Grey Goose, but like
everyone.
Why don't we?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
just go ahead and plug his podcast, so maybe he'll
have us on steve-o's wild rideright.
He actually films it in a vanthat he lives in oh seriously,
yes, is it like one of thoseconverted, it's like one of the,
it's like kind of like asprinter van, kind of thing
where it's got.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's very small.
It's probably the size of thisroom or smaller, probably not
even as wide, and he has astudio in there and that's where
he lives yeah, no, I've heardthese crazy stories about people
converting these.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Uh, what are those mercedes?
Yeah, the sprinter vans yeahyeah and um live in it, could we
?
Speaker 3 (13:23):
could do anything Roll across country.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
So, Steve-O, who else have you bumped into out?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
there, emmett, no Great cowboy legend Emmett Smith
.
He's a dick.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I heard he's got a good tip for it.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
He wants special treatment.
Every time he came in I was atE32 or 31, whatever we used to
call that, it was home team.
Sports varsity Went through somany name changes.
Yes, and we had a back room Wasit the tennis court?
And every time we'd comethrough that was closed off.
We didn't set people back there.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
This is a little sports bar.
It's huge.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And you just didn't need that.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
It had a tennis court room, and then we had a hockey
rink room and then had all thesecollege football memorabilia.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
You just didn't need to open it, because then you've
got to clean it.
It's like we're not going touse it.
Open it because then you've gotto clean it and do all.
It's like we're not going touse it.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
It's like each of those rooms are another 15
tables.
We've closed both back roomsand every time I come in you
move the chairs, go back thereand leave 10%, and it's just
like dude, I'm going to have toclean this whole area because
you don't want people to see youin this dead-ass terminal.
Yeah, Like there's no one inthere.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
If, if you pay us to do that, that's fine, but if
you're going to just be anaverage or below average
traveler, yeah we never talkedto him.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
We'd ask how he was doing.
Yeah, I've heard this about him, sean Penn, another guy, huge
dick.
We didn't want autographs, wejust wanted like I forgot what
movie it just came out, but itwas really good and we're like
hey man, congrats on the movie.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You know really good and we're like, hey man,
congrats on the movie.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
You know we all just went saw it, milk remember mike
used to get the tick like we gosee star wars and all that was
like the oh, yeah, yeah, thoseuh opening like opening night
show.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Thursday night or friday night, it was like uh
early viewing.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So there's one that we went andsaw with him with chomping and
like he was out there like, hey,man, that was a great movie.
And he just leave me the fuckalone and we're like, oh okay,
sounds good, cool story man.
Um, I've got a real sad oneabout someone I met.
(15:40):
Um, if you want to get seriousfor a minute, we can switch
gears, baby, it's a podcast.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
It's a bar tell a story.
If you want to get serious fora minute, we can Switch gears.
Baby, it's a podcast, it's abar Tell a story.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
If you want to like suicide awareness.
If you've got friends, talk tothem.
You never know what's going onin people's life.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Oh, you never know what's going on with people
traveling to the airport orwhere they're going to a funeral
or what may be going on.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So always be cool to everybody.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah, but one guy I met I mean he's a Texas legend,
unless they're shitty to youTexas legend Brian Longhar, the
strong arm.
Yeah, oh, yep.
So he came to our bar this isback in E31.
And had a bunch of drinks.
He was taking his daughter on asafari.
(16:25):
She was depressed at the time.
It was pretty sad because hewas taking her and trying to
bring her back to spirits.
They came back.
She ended up committing suicide.
Six months later he ended upcommitting suicide.
One of the nicest people I'veever met in my life.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Really.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Like stand-up guy Back to like I said suicide.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, it's hard to tell from those commercials you
cannot tell what people aregoing through.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Never know, never know.
Talk to your friends.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Most people are hiding it.
It's like the people that arelike the most bubbly, like the
most like Most people are hidingit.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
It's like the people that are like the most bubbly
like, the most like, and you'dbe like, oh they're fine, but
they're masking it.
One of the best people I evermet was him and just the
friendliest guy you'd ever meetin your life and he was trying
to do anything he could for hisdaughter.
I guess that's going to be sadfor a second.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah, so I was talking about on the last
podcast, the last episode I hadbumped into.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Jerry Jones Did something good, yeah, I'm having
that Jerry.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
So I think, haven't you bumped into him too?
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, we had a drunk patriot, a guest, a drunk patron
in the bar.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
He probably had four beers from us, so yeah, under
the limit, but I think he wentto Friday's beforehand.
Sometimes you just can't tell.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Man, some people can hold their own.
You never know if they popped apill or what they've done
before they got to the bar.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Half a drink and they're plastered, but A16 was
open all the way through.
They had one little glass areaand the rest was just open.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I was talking about those gates that came down at
A16 last week.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And Jerry Jones goes walking by.
This guy, like I said, he's notdrunk but he's had a few and
all of a sudden you just hearhim go.
Hey.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Jerry.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
At the top of his lungs, like Jerry and.
Jerry Jones.
He's walking by the bar.
He gets I don't know probablywhat, 60 foot maybe.
Yeah, there's a little deli,kind of like Bar Bar.
Right, imagine that a littleto-go deli and you just see
Jerry come running around thecolumn full speed to the bar and
goes I'll drink what he'sdrinking.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
How long ago were we talking about?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
This is 2016,.
2009 okay, okay um, and this iscowboys have a bud light deal.
You know he's gonna drink budlight because I'll take wager.
I'm like, well, he's drinking,courage like.
He's like I can't drink.
This is before they switch themiller light.
Yeah, uh, and he's like I can'tdrink.
Who is like, give me a millerlight, I mean a.
He's like I can't drink.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Cooper's like give me a Miller Lite I mean a Bud
Light and I was like you got it.
You're like you got it.
Sorry, we don't have any bluelabel for you, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Back to another cool dude.
He started signing autographsfor everyone in the restaurant.
We had people leave and go tothe golf store, which has sports
stuff too, and that A32.
It's a long walk.
Go buy stuff, bring it back.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
And then sign it for people.
From what I've been told,jerry's just one of the greatest
, but he just wants to entertain.
He's like a marketing guy.
He just wants to make peoplehappy and just be that guy.
And his stories, from what I'vebeen told, are just the best
stories of all time.
He's such a salesman.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
But he was probably one of the most entertaining
because no one was told.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Yeah, it's like cool, let's do it for 30, 30, 40
minutes.
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Assign an autograph.
That sounds like Dirk Nowinski.
That is awesome when I bumpedinto him and Steve Nash, and
they were awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh yeah, then we talked about this.
I've met a few NBA guys PejaStojakovic, siberian sniper
Siberian sniper, yeah.
So I saw him in the hallway andI was like, hey, you mind if I
get a picture or anything.
He's like, yeah, man Cool.
He's like, yeah, man Cool.
(20:45):
He's like, how about I come inand you find me a diet cook and
I'll take pictures and signautographs with anybody you want
?
Man, yep, I was like get inhere, but no, who, uh, anybody
else you bumped into out there?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Oh, man there's.
It's been so long that left in13.
That's 11 years ago.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I remember the one time when what is it Remember?
Big Al Ginkovich?
No.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Not weird, al, no, al .
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Big tall guy had gout and remember one time who was
it.
You're talking about theshoeshine guy.
No, not the shoeshine guy.
The big tall guy that was amanager at Varsity.
Big tall guy.
The big tall guy that was amanager at Varsity Big tall guy.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Anyways, it's coming to me.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Who was it?
Who was it that walked in,played for the Cowboys?
It's on the tip of my tongue.
Al's behind the bar doinginventory or something.
All I hear is hey, woody, it'sfrom the Cowboys.
(22:17):
Give us more, Are you?
Speaker 2 (22:21):
talking about Woodson .
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Thank you.
What does he do?
He comes in and gives a big hug.
I guess they grew up together,but he was super, super cool.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Dude, he was super cool.
I met him at the burger jointthat we worked at for a little
bit.
He just sat down at a tablewith the guy that said hi to him
and he just sat there for hiswhole meal and just talked to
him and I was like man, such anice guy I forgot we worked at
that little burger joint in theairport.
That was a cool little spot, notbad.
That was where it was weird setup.
It was kind of like what youwere talking about, that little
(23:06):
where there was a line up frontand the bar was separate to the
side so everyone would ordertheir burgers up front and then
come to the bar, which wasreally weird.
But then they also had beertaps up front, so they were like
double cutting into your moneyso like what chris would do is
there'd be a line of 40 people.
He'd just go up there.
Hey, you want to cut the lineand you could just order your
burger here, your burger with meand I'll send you over there to
pick it up.
Yeah, and we would get salesand tips like that and be like,
(23:27):
hey, do you want to wait for 20minutes?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
And you could knock it out faster than the half-dead
people they had at the cashierstand.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Well, those are the only people that don't have
felonies that can work in theairport.
The kitchen always hassomething to go against the
cashier and love the bartendersand so on, so you're going to
get it faster.
Normally it's just going tohappen.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And we're going to ring it in.
Right, we're not going to messit up, we're going to come get
it.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So tell me a little bit about some other experiences
you've had.
I know spring break gets crazyout there.
Think you have a story or twoto tell about spring break.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
That's JJ's show, but I was there for it, so spring
break we had all of the southernflights.
You're going to the beach.
We had All of the Southernflights.
You're going to the beach.
We had it.
Yeah, it was all the peopleGoing to party, um, and probably
(24:37):
some Mexico flights and yeah,anything.
South we it was.
That's where we were, and youcan just imagine how many people
were there.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So oh dude, it gets crazy here in spring, Right.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
That's where they start the party at the airport
bar.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
You would have someone at the bar offer to buy
shots for all the ladies if theyhad a little spring break fun
and loped them out.
So it was just uh, about every30 minute ordeal there was just
boobs out at the bar um.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I've I've seen, excuse me.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I'm speechless.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I remember a time at over at the varsity lady got up
on top of the bar at closing andthere's only.
You know the terminal's deadover there during, I'd say,
after 6, 37 and we would usuallyclose around 7, 38.
You know, earlier in theevening and I'm telling you
(25:48):
there's like one or two peoplein the restaurant and there's
nobody in the terminal and thislady just starts strip, gets up
on top of the bar and startsstripping.
We had to call security To noaudience.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
To no audience.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
We had to call security.
But oh yeah, spring break wasand it was only.
I think that was like 2005,2006.
That's before the corporatebuyout.
If you would happened and thefun was lost.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Man, I feel like spring break was crazier then
too.
You still had MTV, spring breakand all this crazy it was.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I was already wearing nothing coming in the lady.
I was 18 at age 16.
Her mom had breast cancer andshe was a candidate for breast
cancer because her mom hadbreast cancer.
Lady's probably 45, goodlooking.
(26:52):
I'm back to them 18 becauseI've just started bartending.
And she's like hey, come aroundhere, sweetheart, and I'm like
maybe she needs assistance.
What do you need?
How old is this lady?
She's pushing 50.
I'm pushing 50 now, so hush,I'm 18 at the time 18 to that
(27:14):
you're like well.
I'm very naive.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Older than your parents at the time.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
I'm naive.
She's been telling me thestories, older than our parents.
She had huge jugs, um, and sheturned around and then, like,
grabbed my hand and wraps aroundher, pulled her shirt up, puts
my hands on him, goes what doyou think about those?
I was like they feel like, uh,boobs, these feel like boobs, um
, they feel like boobs.
(27:39):
Are they built for speed?
Speaker 3 (27:41):
or comfort.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I'm 18, naive, don't know what's going on.
I have no years of experienceunderneath me to welcome to the
airport.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
That's just what I was about to say.
What?
Yes, very nice.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I've had people try to trade me yes, very nice.
I've had people trade like tryto trade me stuff from their
luggage for drinks because theylet's make a deal and it's
always random like this is likeCD players were still a thing
back then, right.
So I had like a lady try to giveme a CD player.
I'm like my phone can do that,which back then wasn't as yeah.
(28:18):
So I had a lady try to give mea CD player.
I'm like my phone can do that,which back then wasn't as great.
But this is not new technology.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Would you like a 1989 Walkman?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, I'll take a shot of vodka.
The most random things youcould think People would try to
trade for a drink or something.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I don't know.
So I'm going to shift gearshere.
So tell me from a differentperspective, because I know
there was a time or two that yougot shit face wasted while
either working and or at theairport bar that you worked at
(28:53):
yeah, built through a table.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I heard yeah, I was maybe second year, first year in
college, like I was out of highschool.
I know that because I was incollege and cooler rules, man,
if you're in the cooler, you gotto drink beer before you walk
out.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
That's the rules we don't make the rules, we just
have to follow them.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Why are we night and day?
You drink, I can't touch thestuff, so I had quite a few
drinks.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Breezy was the manager, and I think that's
where most of my downfallhappened.
I didn't have great role modelsmanaging me, kevin.
That's why I'm blaming on this.
So back to the bar we talkedabout a minute ago.
It's like a straight shot of amanaged office.
We call it the Texas T becausethat table was part of another
(29:53):
area, but we walk straight to it.
So I walk from the coolerstraight to the table to get
these people to order.
I don't remember what I said tothem.
I do remember falling andcollapsing through a table and
then waking up in the manager'soffice six, seven hours later
with Kevin telling me that I wasa hero and they gave me a $100
(30:17):
tip.
Me that I was a hero and theygave me a hundred dollar tip.
And so the story he told themwas I was you know living on my
own.
I had all these bills to pay,you know.
But I was also going to school.
I don't remember what he toldme.
I was going to be Somethingamazing.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
He's going to the Marines.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Anything you can imagine to make me look good,
like I was just sleep deprivedand like I just needed a chance
from life, guys, he's terminallyill, but he's fighting.
I guess he got a new table toeat and they left me $100 for
being a stand-up citizen.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Or a lay-down citizen .
I guess that was a good one.
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
They loved you.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
They thought it was great Best service they've ever
had.
What so who was the cook thatwould drink back there in the
office If you?
Speaker 2 (31:13):
want a name.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I got a name for you, so to give you guys a little
perspective of this airportrestaurant that we're talking
about.
The bar right next to rightwhen you exit this, the little
area where you can exit and gobehind the bar so when you exit
to your left was the office andbehind the actual bar was a
(31:37):
cooler, so you could go into theoffice and then the actual bar
was a cooler, so you could gointo the office and then go into
the beer cooler, and who wasthe cook that we would always
find drinking?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I was drinking throughout the tunnel, dude.
He even passed out atMcDonald's.
It was Muhammad, muhammad, so,but now, anywhere you go in that
route, dude, no, no, I don'tthink he ever went home, let's
put it that way.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
He lived there, he was tom hanks.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Like 14 jobs, yeah, different terminal all time,
always drinking.
Um, we came in one morning andit you know, the truck comes in
at like 3am and we walk into theoffice.
He's passed out in a chair withcocaine and bottles of wine all
over the place.
(32:29):
So like, so plenty of bottlesthat are just spent on the
ground sounds like a prettyaverage day in the airport
little bags of coke just allover, and so let's just say he
was no longer allowed at theairport anymore.
Oh Jesus, wow, so he lost all14 jobs.
(32:49):
Oh, wow, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Well, 14 bottles of wine, 14 jobs, he worked out
there for quite a long time Longtime.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Yeah, that was a day, because he was the nicest guy
you've ever met.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Man, probably anyone now, but what other interactions
did you have with the policeout there?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Pretty much.
Whoever you give free coffee tolike the police, they believe
your story over anybody else,and so this guy's a nice guy, we
know yeah we had a.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Well, you know you always want to establish a
rapport with the police,especially when there's
inebriated, because you neverknow patrons involved, because
people come in, they'll come inwasted, like you have to call
them like it's oh yeah,sometimes you have no choice and
just they come in, they'll comein wasted, like you have to
call them, like it's.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
oh yeah, sometimes you have no choice.
They just they come in firingyeah, any cop that ever came in.
It was, you know, free coffee,drink, whatever you want,
because they're taking care ofus.
But no, here's what happened.
They don't ask questions, theygo away.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Because, like, sometimes, like if you end up
giving them a drink, right, theygotta go now take them to the
police station and then you haveto follow these reports.
So that reminds me when I uhworked at the irish pub over in
the international terminal yearsand years ago.
Um, I was on my way to work onemorning and I only lived 10
(34:28):
minutes from the airport and Iwas hauling ass and I'm going
down.
There's an access road aroundthe airport that leads over to
the terminals and at the timewhen I was a manager, I had free
parking in the terminal and soI was hauling ass to work and
past cop going like 55, 60 in a45, pulls me over and, um, he
(34:55):
goes, where are you heading?
You know, sees my badge and I'mlike man, I was hauling ass to
work and, uh, I was like he'slike where you work?
I was like the irish pub.
I was like where, uh, you know,uh, so-and-so cop hangs out and
he goes, oh, and I won't namedrop, we'll just call him
(35:17):
Crabapple and Officer Crabapple.
I was like, oh, you know,officer Crabapple, and I was
like, oh, yeah, he goes, hang ona second.
He gets on his radio and goeshey, crabapple, I got Mr Brown
here pulled over.
And so what do you want forlunch?
(35:41):
And I hear Crabapple go.
Hey, I'll take a dozen of thosewings, let's get some of those
fish and chips.
And sure enough, I called it in.
I called the other manager onmy way in late and had that
(36:03):
order ready for those guys.
But no, you always want toestablish a good rapport with
the police out there.
They're amazing and love, love,love our first responders.
They save our ass.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Yes, especially when people are half-cocked, like you
said right when they get thereand you've got a full bar and
it's busy and you can't dealwith it.
You know, like officer helloand that's an easy way to make
people when they're gettingriled up, you know you cut
somebody off.
They're like I ought to punchyou in the face or whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
And you're like you just go hello officer, then they
, they turn around and chill outreal quick.
You know, and I say it all thetime, I say it to our guests hey
, this federal property, guys,all your misdemeanors turn into
felonies also.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Do you like to fly?
Yeah, it's a privilege.
No flex, so yeah, they have todo daily like to fly?
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Yeah, that's a privilege.
No, the cops don't get creditback for that.
No, flex zone yeah, they haveto do daily audits on themselves
.
Like ARP roads, they have fourminutes to get to a situation
from the time it's called in.
That's either if there arepeople on a plane landing, if
it's at the terminal.
So they run daily tests to makesure they can get somewhere.
(37:18):
Oh yeah, within four minutes,because it's not easy to
navigate and they have to checkin, even when they're on an
emergency at the two-minute markand tell them they're halfway.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Sheesh.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Like there's a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Well, James, I appreciate you coming on.
I don't want you to give allyour stories away.
We'd like to have you back onand thank you so much for being
our first guest.
I love you, brother.
Guys, that's it for episodethree.
We will be back in two weekswith our next guest.
(37:53):
Thanks for tuning in.
Guys, Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Yes, and you can officially find us on Audible
Spotify, Apple, Amazon, you nameit.
So anyways, Thanks y'all.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Good time.
Hey, welcome back.
Guys Tell Us From An AirportBar, episode three.
We're having our first guest ontoday.
I'd like to introduce mybrother of all people, James
Brown.
Welcome to Tell Us From AnAirport Bar.
James, Pull up a barstool,let's grab you something to
(00:22):
drink.
Let's go tell me.
Tell me a little bit about yourtime at the airport and working
in bars.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, I started was I was working in McDonald's and
you gave me a call and said hey,you want a job for I was like
six bucks more now and what Iwas making it was like eleven
something an hour.
So I went into McDonald's sameday, turned into my shirt and
the manager goes hey, you're onfries.
I go no, sir, you're on fries.
And went straight to theairport and started working.
(00:55):
Uh, I mean before I even gotbadged, cause this is where I
got after nine, 11.
Yep, and I was getting escortedin every day and there had to
be someone standing next to meall day just to work.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Didn't really make sense Even to go to the bathroom
.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, no matter where you went, there was always
somebody there.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, I have that super awesome privilege now.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Started at the art bar.
I was almost 17 by the time.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Okay, so real quick, the art bar.
We've mentioned this little barthat you had to be bussed out
to because back in the day theyhad prop planes and even smaller
regional jets than what theyhave now.
So basically, they're sendingyou out to this oversized
trailer, sending you out to thisoversized trailer, and we had
(01:46):
this little bar in there thathad two four tops built into the
wall and then it had a littlefour top Barstool bar, but in
front of that you couldn't evensee the bar until we put some
neon signs back there.
But in front of that we had alittle deli case with a cashier
(02:08):
and I believe that's how youstarted out as a cashier.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I started out as a cashier rolling dogs man, that
hot dog roller.
You can fit 36 things on.
He's only supposed to fit 12.
Like they're going out of style.
Chili Chili cheese dogs.
You want chili cheese on that.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
It's only a dollar more.
Yes, I do Thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So I got to the point where we couldn't cook enough,
so we were just stacking thosethings and you'd have to like,
unstack them, rotate them asthey were cooking.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Pick at the bottom 36 at once, and then we'd put them
in a hot plate and then go and36 more.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Jesus.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Jesus.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh, and there'd be a line all the way down the
terminal out to where the buslets you off.
Because you're there and that'sit Probably, or you could go
across the hall and get amagazine and candy bar.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Like do I want to eat or not?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
When I first started, the cashiers weren't allowed to
get tips.
The bartenders were Back to.
When I started, I was about toturn 17.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I'm like this is bullshit that guy's getting tips
.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I'm getting tips.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I've kept putting a cup out.
The GDN would come by like youcan't have that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I'm like yeah, cool, take it away as soon as we walk
out.
But another one you got $100for selling hot dogs.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
This is incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
This is the best thing that's ever happened in
life.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
This is a cheat code, and then when you turned 18, we
made you a bartender.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Well, before that we had Dals Breeze and me working
out there, because you'd alreadygone pretty much back to A16 or
E12 or somewhere and we weregoing back and forth.
But we were there and we wouldtake out the van.
It's a delivery van, yeah onlysupposed to be used to get
(03:57):
deliveries and all that outthere, but it was our smoking
van.
Whatever you wanted to do, Ineeded a cigarette, go out there
and smoke in the van and comeback inside and no one knew
anything.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
A multifaceted tool.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
But one night, me and Kevin get in it and I mean, I'm
not joking he floors it inreverse.
We're doing like 30, 40 milesan hour like I was scared for my
life and all of a sudden he washere, boom, and just murders.
A mirror off the side of thevan, oh shit, huge scratch down
the side.
And he's like oh, don't tellanybody.
(04:29):
I was like what do you mean?
Don't tell anybody?
The van's brand new.
And so he parks it.
I come into work next day to awrite-up from the GM saying hey,
I heard you wrecked the van.
I was like no, I didn't Kevin.
(04:51):
He's like no, he already gaveus a story.
Wow, never with his, I did notknow what did he hit?
oh, you're the tug, oh, okayokay, 10,000 pound piece of
machinery, nice.
And then didn't even like.
They're like I don't know, saythat but didn't record it.
It's like let's not tellanybody.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah literally don't tell a soul, because I'm going
to.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah so tell us a little more about this your time
at the bar out there.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I got visited by.
Tbac one time everybody's.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
TABC our favorite.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I got visited by TBAC one time.
Tabc, tabc came out, ourfavorite Alcohol Beverage
Commission, and I'm not stupid,I'm pretty smart when it comes
to rearranging what things say.
So our tab on the bar it's 16ounce Budweiser.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
All of it's 16, but there's no.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
OZ.
After it it says 16.
And you said 16?
.
Oh, on the actual receipt andthat GM back to it was wanting
to make some extra money, so heordered 14-ounce glasses.
So we're handing out 14-ounceglasses.
I'm 18 years old.
I'm not going to argue withanybody.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
What am I supposed to do?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
He's like, hey, this ticket says 16 ounce, sir, and
the cup says 14 ounce.
I go, actually your ticket justsays 16, but light, where does
it say ounce on there?
And he goes I'm going to comearound there, I'm going to show
you in your system.
I was like you come around thisbar, I'm going to show you in
your system.
And that was the end of it.
We never got investigated, hejust walked away.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
He's like I'm good.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
People.
They don't want to start shitat the airport, I'll say that,
like they'll come in tough andthen they shut it down real
quick.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Second, there's any pushback, they're like I'm okay,
I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And so I remember something that may coincide with
this, about you telling a guyyou're going to shove a bottle
of Grey Goose up his ass.
I mean, what kind ofconfrontations did you get into
out there?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
well, my job's on the line with the police out there,
tsa, all these people like Iwasn't working at the art bar.
I was at the main terminal, theA terminal At the larger
restaurant.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Things were more serious.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yes, 2005, 2006.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
They were all over the place.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So I'm bartending, a couple comes in.
They're super friendly thewhole time.
She's drinking Bloody Marys,he's drinking beer, he finishes
his, she's all private, third orfourth one, and they're White's
getting ready to leave and shestarts pouring Bloody Mary in a
cup.
I'm like man, you can't takethat with you Trying to be as
polite as I can.
Husband starts saying is thishow you treat patriots?
(07:38):
I go, what do you mean patriots?
He's like something that comesto your establishment.
I go, you mean a patron?
No, I mean I tell them thatwhat they can and can't do,
because this is my license andthis is how I make money.
And he kept running his mouthand he started coming around the
(08:00):
bar and the bar was a bigsquare, so like you had to walk
around the whole thing and theoffice manager's there Kind of
like the bar.
And the bar was a big square,so like you had to walk around
the whole thing and the officemanagers there Kind of like the
bar we work in.
now You're going to like that.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
It just in a different restaurant setting.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Guests are cut off at a certain point, right, like
they're not allowed to come.
You can't go, yeah, behind thebar and he starts coming around
and threatening me and tellingme he's going to beat my ass,
and at that point I was born andbloody married with gray goose
and I said you come back here,I'm gonna shove this bottle up
your ass, and about that time itwas back.
Then he's like let's not namedrop okay well, he confused the
(08:34):
situation rather quickly andlet's just say the guy walked
out.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, okay well know the patriot that he was.
Yeah, the patriot.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So how long did you work at the airport?
Right after 9-11?
Until 2013.
That's a good story.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
when I quit, too, so, okay, we worked at this little
bar together.
Do you remember the time when,um, okay, so we had the little
sign on the wall that said, withthe little old lady that says,
yes, they ID'd me too and we hadto?
Do you remember that?
Yes, okay, so do you rememberthe time?
(09:22):
This, this lady must've beenpushing 70, anyways, and you
know, I'm in my twenties at thispoint and, um, I'm ID and
everybody like I'm supposed tocorporate guy, and uh, so this
lady comes through the line andgets a Dr Pepper and a barbecue
(09:45):
sandwich, and she comes over tome to get a beer and she paid
out, you know, through the deliline or whatever, and comes over
to the bar and and orders abeer or something like Coors
(10:06):
Light, and I'm like, man, pleasesee your ID.
And she goes, excuse me.
I said, yes, man, do you seethe sign on the wall?
And she goes, fuck you.
And throws her barbecuesandwich at me.
No, and I'm just standing therelike she should not be getting
(10:26):
on a plane with other people,sure enough not even 20, 30
seconds later, after she walksout of the bar, she turns around
, comes back in and throws herDr Pepper on me.
I'm like holy shit, lady, andyou know what, I just let this
(10:46):
lady walk.
I it was the end of my shiftand I was just like you know
what, I'm not chasing after her,I'm not calling the police on
this lady.
You know what, just let it go.
And that's one of the one timesI let it go, and that's one of
the one times I let it go Do youremember that?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Now, how accurate was she?
You said she threw them at you.
Did she hit you with both?
She did, she did.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Wow, that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Well, it was a little tiny place.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I mean she didn't have.
I mean, if you had a smallreach you would have gotten,
that's impressive.
A small reach you would havegotten, that's impressive.
So, um, tell me, james, some ofthe celebrities and some of the
people you've met over theyears while you were out there.
Um, I remember uh a bunch ofyou guys had uh told me a story
(11:42):
about Steve-O coming in, so Iwas still at the art bar.
The Steve-O from Jackass rightyeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah, and John and JJ were the bartender at A16.
And so I'm bartending andthey're calling me like, hey,
you closing up.
I'm like, yeah, you know, wegot a flight.
And they're like, oh hey,steve-o's up, we're all going to
go smoke.
And I was like, cool, I'mpretty sure I closed the bar
down about 30 minutes early,maybe, who knows and cashed out,
(12:13):
brought all the money up and wewent and got in my 93 F-150 and
drove around the airportparking lot and I'll tell you
what he's clean now.
But man, he didn't let us havea drag off the joint, that's for
damn sure.
I think we all got one.
But the coolest shit has someamazing stories to tell.
(12:37):
Definitely back to Grey Goose.
That's what he was drinking.
I don't know what the airport isin Grey Goose, but like
everyone.
Why don't we?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
just go ahead and plug his podcast, so maybe he'll
have us on steve-o's wild rideright.
He actually films it in a vanthat he lives in oh seriously,
yes, is it like one of thoseconverted, it's like one of the,
it's like kind of like asprinter van, kind of thing
where it's got.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's very small.
It's probably the size of thisroom or smaller, probably not
even as wide, and he has astudio in there and that's where
he lives yeah, no, I've heardthese crazy stories about people
converting these.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Uh, what are those mercedes?
Yeah, the sprinter vans yeahyeah and um live in it, could we
?
Speaker 3 (13:23):
could do anything Roll across country.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
So, Steve-O, who else have you bumped into out?
Speaker 2 (13:33):
there, emmett, no Great cowboy legend Emmett Smith
.
He's a dick.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I heard he's got a good tip for it.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
He wants special treatment.
Every time he came in I was atE32 or 31, whatever we used to
call that, it was home team.
Sports varsity Went through somany name changes.
Yes, and we had a back room Wasit the tennis court?
And every time we'd comethrough that was closed off.
We didn't set people back there.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
This is a little sports bar.
It's huge.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And you just didn't need that.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
It had a tennis court room, and then we had a hockey
rink room and then had all thesecollege football memorabilia.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
You just didn't need to open it, because then you've
got to clean it.
It's like we're not going touse it.
Open it because then you've gotto clean it and do all.
It's like we're not going touse it.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
It's like each of those rooms are another 15
tables.
We've closed both back roomsand every time I come in you
move the chairs, go back thereand leave 10%, and it's just
like dude, I'm going to have toclean this whole area because
you don't want people to see youin this dead-ass terminal.
Yeah, Like there's no one inthere.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
If, if you pay us to do that, that's fine, but if
you're going to just be anaverage or below average
traveler, yeah we never talkedto him.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
We'd ask how he was doing.
Yeah, I've heard this about him, sean Penn, another guy, huge
dick.
We didn't want autographs, wejust wanted like I forgot what
movie it just came out, but itwas really good and we're like
hey man, congrats on the movie.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You know really good and we're like, hey man,
congrats on the movie.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
You know we all just went saw it, milk remember mike
used to get the tick like we gosee star wars and all that was
like the oh, yeah, yeah, thoseuh opening like opening night
show.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Thursday night or friday night, it was like uh
early viewing.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So there's one that we went andsaw with him with chomping and
like he was out there like, hey,man, that was a great movie.
And he just leave me the fuckalone and we're like, oh okay,
sounds good, cool story man.
Um, I've got a real sad oneabout someone I met.
(15:40):
Um, if you want to get seriousfor a minute, we can switch
gears, baby, it's a podcast.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
It's a bar tell a story.
If you want to get serious fora minute, we can Switch gears.
Baby, it's a podcast, it's abar Tell a story.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
If you want to like suicide awareness.
If you've got friends, talk tothem.
You never know what's going onin people's life.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Oh, you never know what's going on with people
traveling to the airport orwhere they're going to a funeral
or what may be going on.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So always be cool to everybody.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah, but one guy I met I mean he's a Texas legend,
unless they're shitty to youTexas legend Brian Longhar, the
strong arm.
Yeah, oh, yep.
So he came to our bar this isback in E31.
And had a bunch of drinks.
He was taking his daughter on asafari.
(16:25):
She was depressed at the time.
It was pretty sad because hewas taking her and trying to
bring her back to spirits.
They came back.
She ended up committing suicide.
Six months later he ended upcommitting suicide.
One of the nicest people I'veever met in my life.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Really.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Like stand-up guy Back to like I said suicide.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, it's hard to tell from those commercials you
cannot tell what people aregoing through.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Never know, never know.
Talk to your friends.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Most people are hiding it.
It's like the people that arelike the most bubbly, like the
most like Most people are hidingit.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
It's like the people that are like the most bubbly
like, the most like, and you'dbe like, oh they're fine, but
they're masking it.
One of the best people I evermet was him and just the
friendliest guy you'd ever meetin your life and he was trying
to do anything he could for hisdaughter.
I guess that's going to be sadfor a second.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah, so I was talking about on the last
podcast, the last episode I hadbumped into.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Jerry Jones Did something good, yeah, I'm having
that Jerry.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
So I think, haven't you bumped into him too?
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, we had a drunk patriot, a guest, a drunk patron
in the bar.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
He probably had four beers from us, so yeah, under
the limit, but I think he wentto Friday's beforehand.
Sometimes you just can't tell.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Man, some people can hold their own.
You never know if they popped apill or what they've done
before they got to the bar.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Half a drink and they're plastered, but A16 was
open all the way through.
They had one little glass areaand the rest was just open.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I was talking about those gates that came down at
A16 last week.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And Jerry Jones goes walking by.
This guy, like I said, he's notdrunk but he's had a few and
all of a sudden you just hearhim go.
Hey.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Jerry.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
At the top of his lungs, like Jerry and.
Jerry Jones.
He's walking by the bar.
He gets I don't know probablywhat, 60 foot maybe.
Yeah, there's a little deli,kind of like Bar Bar.
Right, imagine that a littleto-go deli and you just see
Jerry come running around thecolumn full speed to the bar and
goes I'll drink what he'sdrinking.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
How long ago were we talking about?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
This is 2016,.
2009 okay, okay um, and this iscowboys have a bud light deal.
You know he's gonna drink budlight because I'll take wager.
I'm like, well, he's drinking,courage like.
He's like I can't drink.
This is before they switch themiller light.
Yeah, uh, and he's like I can'tdrink.
Who is like, give me a millerlight, I mean a.
He's like I can't drink.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Cooper's like give me a Miller Lite I mean a Bud
Light and I was like you got it.
You're like you got it.
Sorry, we don't have any bluelabel for you, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Back to another cool dude.
He started signing autographsfor everyone in the restaurant.
We had people leave and go tothe golf store, which has sports
stuff too, and that A32.
It's a long walk.
Go buy stuff, bring it back.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
And then sign it for people.
From what I've been told,jerry's just one of the greatest
, but he just wants to entertain.
He's like a marketing guy.
He just wants to make peoplehappy and just be that guy.
And his stories, from what I'vebeen told, are just the best
stories of all time.
He's such a salesman.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
But he was probably one of the most entertaining
because no one was told.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Yeah, it's like cool, let's do it for 30, 30, 40
minutes.
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Assign an autograph.
That sounds like Dirk Nowinski.
That is awesome when I bumpedinto him and Steve Nash, and
they were awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh yeah, then we talked about this.
I've met a few NBA guys PejaStojakovic, siberian sniper
Siberian sniper, yeah.
So I saw him in the hallway andI was like, hey, you mind if I
get a picture or anything.
He's like, yeah, man Cool.
He's like, yeah, man Cool.
(20:45):
He's like, how about I come inand you find me a diet cook and
I'll take pictures and signautographs with anybody you want
?
Man, yep, I was like get inhere, but no, who, uh, anybody
else you bumped into out there?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Oh, man there's.
It's been so long that left in13.
That's 11 years ago.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I remember the one time when what is it Remember?
Big Al Ginkovich?
No.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Not weird, al, no, al .
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Big tall guy had gout and remember one time who was
it.
You're talking about theshoeshine guy.
No, not the shoeshine guy.
The big tall guy that was amanager at Varsity.
Big tall guy.
The big tall guy that was amanager at Varsity Big tall guy.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Anyways, it's coming to me.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Who was it?
Who was it that walked in,played for the Cowboys?
It's on the tip of my tongue.
Al's behind the bar doinginventory or something.
All I hear is hey, woody, it'sfrom the Cowboys.
(22:17):
Give us more, Are you?
Speaker 2 (22:21):
talking about Woodson .
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Thank you.
What does he do?
He comes in and gives a big hug.
I guess they grew up together,but he was super, super cool.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Dude, he was super cool.
I met him at the burger jointthat we worked at for a little
bit.
He just sat down at a tablewith the guy that said hi to him
and he just sat there for hiswhole meal and just talked to
him and I was like man, such anice guy I forgot we worked at
that little burger joint in theairport.
That was a cool little spot, notbad.
That was where it was weird setup.
It was kind of like what youwere talking about, that little
(23:06):
where there was a line up frontand the bar was separate to the
side so everyone would ordertheir burgers up front and then
come to the bar, which wasreally weird.
But then they also had beertaps up front, so they were like
double cutting into your moneyso like what chris would do is
there'd be a line of 40 people.
He'd just go up there.
Hey, you want to cut the lineand you could just order your
burger here, your burger with meand I'll send you over there to
pick it up.
Yeah, and we would get salesand tips like that and be like,
(23:27):
hey, do you want to wait for 20minutes?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
And you could knock it out faster than the half-dead
people they had at the cashierstand.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Well, those are the only people that don't have
felonies that can work in theairport.
The kitchen always hassomething to go against the
cashier and love the bartendersand so on, so you're going to
get it faster.
Normally it's just going tohappen.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And we're going to ring it in.
Right, we're not going to messit up, we're going to come get
it.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So tell me a little bit about some other experiences
you've had.
I know spring break gets crazyout there.
Think you have a story or twoto tell about spring break.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
That's JJ's show, but I was there for it, so spring
break we had all of the southernflights.
You're going to the beach.
We had All of the Southernflights.
You're going to the beach.
We had it.
Yeah, it was all the peopleGoing to party, um, and probably
(24:37):
some Mexico flights and yeah,anything.
South we it was.
That's where we were, and youcan just imagine how many people
were there.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So oh dude, it gets crazy here in spring, Right.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
That's where they start the party at the airport
bar.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
You would have someone at the bar offer to buy
shots for all the ladies if theyhad a little spring break fun
and loped them out.
So it was just uh, about every30 minute ordeal there was just
boobs out at the bar um.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I've I've seen, excuse me.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I'm speechless.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I remember a time at over at the varsity lady got up
on top of the bar at closing andthere's only.
You know the terminal's deadover there during, I'd say,
after 6, 37 and we would usuallyclose around 7, 38.
You know, earlier in theevening and I'm telling you
(25:48):
there's like one or two peoplein the restaurant and there's
nobody in the terminal and thislady just starts strip, gets up
on top of the bar and startsstripping.
We had to call security To noaudience.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
To no audience.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
We had to call security.
But oh yeah, spring break wasand it was only.
I think that was like 2005,2006.
That's before the corporatebuyout.
If you would happened and thefun was lost.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Man, I feel like spring break was crazier then
too.
You still had MTV, spring breakand all this crazy it was.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I was already wearing nothing coming in the lady.
I was 18 at age 16.
Her mom had breast cancer andshe was a candidate for breast
cancer because her mom hadbreast cancer.
Lady's probably 45, goodlooking.
(26:52):
I'm back to them 18 becauseI've just started bartending.
And she's like hey, come aroundhere, sweetheart, and I'm like
maybe she needs assistance.
What do you need?
How old is this lady?
She's pushing 50.
I'm pushing 50 now, so hush,I'm 18 at the time 18 to that
(27:14):
you're like well.
I'm very naive.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Older than your parents at the time.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
I'm naive.
She's been telling me thestories, older than our parents.
She had huge jugs, um, and sheturned around and then, like,
grabbed my hand and wraps aroundher, pulled her shirt up, puts
my hands on him, goes what doyou think about those?
I was like they feel like, uh,boobs, these feel like boobs, um
, they feel like boobs.
(27:39):
Are they built for speed?
Speaker 3 (27:41):
or comfort.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I'm 18, naive, don't know what's going on.
I have no years of experienceunderneath me to welcome to the
airport.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
That's just what I was about to say.
What?
Yes, very nice.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I've had people try to trade me yes, very nice.
I've had people trade like tryto trade me stuff from their
luggage for drinks because theylet's make a deal and it's
always random like this is likeCD players were still a thing
back then, right.
So I had like a lady try to giveme a CD player.
I'm like my phone can do that,which back then wasn't as yeah.
(28:18):
So I had a lady try to give mea CD player.
I'm like my phone can do that,which back then wasn't as great.
But this is not new technology.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Would you like a 1989 Walkman?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, I'll take a shot of vodka.
The most random things youcould think People would try to
trade for a drink or something.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I don't know.
So I'm going to shift gearshere.
So tell me from a differentperspective, because I know
there was a time or two that yougot shit face wasted while
either working and or at theairport bar that you worked at
(28:53):
yeah, built through a table.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I heard yeah, I was maybe second year, first year in
college, like I was out of highschool.
I know that because I was incollege and cooler rules, man,
if you're in the cooler, you gotto drink beer before you walk
out.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
That's the rules we don't make the rules, we just
have to follow them.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Why are we night and day?
You drink, I can't touch thestuff, so I had quite a few
drinks.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Breezy was the manager, and I think that's
where most of my downfallhappened.
I didn't have great role modelsmanaging me, kevin.
That's why I'm blaming on this.
So back to the bar we talkedabout a minute ago.
It's like a straight shot of amanaged office.
We call it the Texas T becausethat table was part of another
(29:53):
area, but we walk straight to it.
So I walk from the coolerstraight to the table to get
these people to order.
I don't remember what I said tothem.
I do remember falling andcollapsing through a table and
then waking up in the manager'soffice six, seven hours later
with Kevin telling me that I wasa hero and they gave me a $100
(30:17):
tip.
Me that I was a hero and theygave me a hundred dollar tip.
And so the story he told themwas I was you know living on my
own.
I had all these bills to pay,you know.
But I was also going to school.
I don't remember what he toldme.
I was going to be Somethingamazing.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
He's going to the Marines.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Anything you can imagine to make me look good,
like I was just sleep deprivedand like I just needed a chance
from life, guys, he's terminallyill, but he's fighting.
I guess he got a new table toeat and they left me $100 for
being a stand-up citizen.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Or a lay-down citizen .
I guess that was a good one.
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
They loved you.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
They thought it was great Best service they've ever
had.
What so who was the cook thatwould drink back there in the
office If you?
Speaker 2 (31:13):
want a name.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I got a name for you, so to give you guys a little
perspective of this airportrestaurant that we're talking
about.
The bar right next to rightwhen you exit this, the little
area where you can exit and gobehind the bar so when you exit
to your left was the office andbehind the actual bar was a
(31:37):
cooler, so you could go into theoffice and then the actual bar
was a cooler, so you could gointo the office and then go into
the beer cooler, and who wasthe cook that we would always
find drinking?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I was drinking throughout the tunnel, dude.
He even passed out atMcDonald's.
It was Muhammad, muhammad, so,but now, anywhere you go in that
route, dude, no, no, I don'tthink he ever went home, let's
put it that way.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
He lived there, he was tom hanks.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Like 14 jobs, yeah, different terminal all time,
always drinking.
Um, we came in one morning andit you know, the truck comes in
at like 3am and we walk into theoffice.
He's passed out in a chair withcocaine and bottles of wine all
over the place.
(32:29):
So like, so plenty of bottlesthat are just spent on the
ground sounds like a prettyaverage day in the airport
little bags of coke just allover, and so let's just say he
was no longer allowed at theairport anymore.
Oh Jesus, wow, so he lost all14 jobs.
(32:49):
Oh, wow, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Well, 14 bottles of wine, 14 jobs, he worked out
there for quite a long time Longtime.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Yeah, that was a day, because he was the nicest guy
you've ever met.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Man, probably anyone now, but what other interactions
did you have with the policeout there?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Pretty much.
Whoever you give free coffee tolike the police, they believe
your story over anybody else,and so this guy's a nice guy, we
know yeah we had a.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Well, you know you always want to establish a
rapport with the police,especially when there's
inebriated, because you neverknow patrons involved, because
people come in, they'll come inwasted, like you have to call
them like it's oh yeah,sometimes you have no choice and
just they come in, they'll comein wasted, like you have to
call them, like it's.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
oh yeah, sometimes you have no choice.
They just they come in firingyeah, any cop that ever came in.
It was, you know, free coffee,drink, whatever you want,
because they're taking care ofus.
But no, here's what happened.
They don't ask questions, theygo away.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Because, like, sometimes, like if you end up
giving them a drink, right, theygotta go now take them to the
police station and then you haveto follow these reports.
So that reminds me when I uhworked at the irish pub over in
the international terminal yearsand years ago.
Um, I was on my way to work onemorning and I only lived 10
(34:28):
minutes from the airport and Iwas hauling ass and I'm going
down.
There's an access road aroundthe airport that leads over to
the terminals and at the timewhen I was a manager, I had free
parking in the terminal and soI was hauling ass to work and
past cop going like 55, 60 in a45, pulls me over and, um, he
(34:55):
goes, where are you heading?
You know, sees my badge and I'mlike man, I was hauling ass to
work and, uh, I was like he'slike where you work?
I was like the irish pub.
I was like where, uh, you know,uh, so-and-so cop hangs out and
he goes, oh, and I won't namedrop, we'll just call him
(35:17):
Crabapple and Officer Crabapple.
I was like, oh, you know,officer Crabapple, and I was
like, oh, yeah, he goes, hang ona second.
He gets on his radio and goeshey, crabapple, I got Mr Brown
here pulled over.
And so what do you want forlunch?
(35:41):
And I hear Crabapple go.
Hey, I'll take a dozen of thosewings, let's get some of those
fish and chips.
And sure enough, I called it in.
I called the other manager onmy way in late and had that
(36:03):
order ready for those guys.
But no, you always want toestablish a good rapport with
the police out there.
They're amazing and love, love,love our first responders.
They save our ass.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Yes, especially when people are half-cocked, like you
said right when they get thereand you've got a full bar and
it's busy and you can't dealwith it.
You know, like officer helloand that's an easy way to make
people when they're gettingriled up, you know you cut
somebody off.
They're like I ought to punchyou in the face or whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
And you're like you just go hello officer, then they
, they turn around and chill outreal quick.
You know, and I say it all thetime, I say it to our guests hey
, this federal property, guys,all your misdemeanors turn into
felonies also.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Do you like to fly?
Yeah, it's a privilege.
No flex, so yeah, they have todo daily like to fly?
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Yeah, that's a privilege.
No, the cops don't get creditback for that.
No, flex zone yeah, they haveto do daily audits on themselves
.
Like ARP roads, they have fourminutes to get to a situation
from the time it's called in.
That's either if there arepeople on a plane landing, if
it's at the terminal.
So they run daily tests to makesure they can get somewhere.
(37:18):
Oh yeah, within four minutes,because it's not easy to
navigate and they have to checkin, even when they're on an
emergency at the two-minute markand tell them they're halfway.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Sheesh.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Like there's a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Well, James, I appreciate you coming on.
I don't want you to give allyour stories away.
We'd like to have you back onand thank you so much for being
our first guest.
I love you, brother.
Guys, that's it for episodethree.
We will be back in two weekswith our next guest.
(37:53):
Thanks for tuning in.
Guys, Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Yes, and you can officially find us on Audible
Spotify, Apple, Amazon, you nameit.
So anyways, Thanks y'all.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Good time.
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