(CNN) — College students who find themselves out on a date gone wrong at bars in southeastern Florida may be able to turn to the bartender for help.
Posters hanging in the restrooms of about a dozen bars and restaurants in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter give instructions to women about alerting bartenders if they’re in danger or uncomfortable.
First, order a drink called the “Owls Shot.” Then, depending on what’s happening, say one of the three coded phrases displayed on the posters. Based on the code, here’s how the bartenders will respond:
- ‘Neat’: Bar staff will escort you to your car
- ‘On the rocks’: Bar staff will call a ride for you
- ‘With lime’: Bar staff will call the police
The idea came from Florida Atlantic University’s Student Government whose members were brainstorming ways to protect students.
“Everyone’s on board. Bars owners love it, the administration thinks it’s a great idea. There’s been really no negative response to it at all,” Governmental Relations Director at FAU Alejandra Rodriguez told CNN.
The students came up with the idea over the summer, and then got to work creating the posters and going door-to-door to ask managers of bars and restaurants to join the initiative. Some students even took matters into their own hands to speed things up by bypassing the university’s payment request process and simply putting up the money themselves, Rodriguez said.
“The launch of a safety initiative within the community has been long overdue,” Student Body President Kevin Buchanan and Vice President Celine Persaud said in a news release. “This initiative outlines the importance for students to continue feeling at home even when they’re out engaging with the local community.”
And they’re not stopping there. Students hope to eventually see their posters in every bar and restaurant in the area.
The-CNN-Wire
