i work in a pub and was working the day when i very politely asked someone to stop smoking at the bar, throughout the next hour i had to repeat my question a minimum of five times and this culminated in him (a 50-ish drunk man) having a serious go at me (tiny 20yr old girl) none of which i can specify on here, just trust me it was bad. I said i wasnt going to serve him any more, called my manager down, who then refused to barr him or ask him to leave. I'm strongly tempted to quit, and i do have another offer of a job from elsewhere, but before i do, i just wanted a few opinions, am i over reacting??
thanks

You have a right to work in a bar without smoke. But it is a hazard of your profession. Your manager should've supported you! I assume that the SOB did a tad bit of profanity at you.

Talk it over with your boss and tell him that you shouldn't have to work in an environment where people verbally abuse you.

Get out now. It sounds like that pub is trouble. The gaffer is frightened of the customers. It starts with verbal abuse and the next thing you know its violence. If the landlord wont back up his staff, when they acting on his instructions then the thugs will just take over.
Ive seen it happen a few times, not so much these days though, but that might be because I choose my pubs differently :)

i accept that working in a bar comes with smoke, but no smoking at the bar is a new rule that we have been told we have to enforce as strongly as possible. the guy in question was so rude, both to my face and after i walked off to another member of staff, that i won't repeat to my boyfriend what he said.

Leave right now! isnt that a Will Young song?...! Good luck. x

Walk away - pub landlords/managers should always support you, even if you are in the wrong.

No one should have to put up with verbal abuse at work. Managers are there to protect their staff, sounds like your boss is a gutless wonder. You did not over react.

thanks for your answers, i'd pretty much already decided to leave, as i feel like he has now basically said to all customers that they can talk to the staff there however they like and not face any consequences. I'm glad everyone that answered agreed with me! i had visions of him acting like i was being a silly little girl and over reacting but now i feel a lot better about handing my notice in today. And i can't imagine i'll be doing much work this week!!!

Just out of interest which pub is this?

i work in a pub and was working the day when i very politely asked someone to stop smoking at the bar, throughout the next hour i had to repeat my question a minimum of five times and this culminated in him (a 50-ish drunk man) having a serious go at me (tiny 20yr old girl) none of which i can specify on here, just trust me it was bad. I said i wasnt going to serve him any more, called my manager down, who then refused to barr him or ask him to leave. I'm strongly tempted to quit, and i do have another offer of a job from elsewhere, but before i do, i just wanted a few opinions, am i over reacting??
thanks

Stick around till next summer and if he does it then take enourmous pleaseure in reporting him to the authorities and he will get a wopping fine. Tell him to his face that you will do it and that he can't do a damn thing about it because you are in the right. If he threatens to sack you tell him you will take him to an in udstrial tribunal and cause him even more trouble.