Wash. bloodmobile offers beer to blood donors

[Ghost in the Machine]

Wash. bloodmobile offers beer to blood donors
Posted: Jan 11, 2010 2:51 PM EST
Updated: Jan 11, 2010 3:51 PM EST


TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state blood center is offering donors a deal: Give a pint of blood, get a pint of beer.

Cascade Regional Blood Services in Tacoma says its "Give blood, get beer" promotion has worked so well that it's being expanded.

The News Tribune of Tacoma reported Monday that donors who are at least 21 years old are given a coupon for a free pint of beer.

Participating pubs and restaurants must wait at least four hours after the blood drive ends before donors can collect their free pint.

Cascade's director of donor resources Dan Schmitt says it's a fun way to get more donors, and it's good for the participating businesses as well.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11802800

[NightWatcher]

1. file under: ways to get a cheap buzz in a shitty economy

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Is it GOOD beer?

I'm not taking a needle for any goddamn Budweiser. :beer:

[OI812]

8. Budweiser is not beer

it is mostly water with little chunks of crap in it.

(apologies to Jonathan Winters)
:rofl:

[dionysus]

12. eww, that watery rice-beer.

:puke:

[LiberalFighter]

3. Pint? Since when is beer offered by the pint in America?

[amyrose2712]

4. Quite a while now nt

[nosmokes]

6. come to the salmon nation!

[KansDem]

16. "WE'VE GOT NO BITTER UP HERE!!!"

A little off topic but I have to relate a story about how I learned a little about the nationalistic differences between Scotland and England.

I spent a couple weeks in England during the spring of 1986. Now, I was not aware of the vast varieties of "beer" the English enjoyed, but I learned quickly. I learned about porter, ale, lager, stout, among others including my favorite: bitter. I learned I could walk into a pub and ask, "A pint of bitter, please," and taste a fine nectar.

After a week in London, the opportunity arose to venture to Scotland for a couple of days. After having ridden the express northward, I arrived in Edinburgh. I checked into my B&B in the early evening and, after unpacking and freshing up, I went out into the streets of downtown Edinburgh to take in the sights, and a few pubs.

The very first pub I entered, I walked up to the bar and was greeted by the barkeep who ask me for my pleasure. I replied, "a pint of bitter, please," to which the barkeep did a double take and answered in no uncertain terms, "WE'VE GOT NO BITTER UP HERE!!!" I must say I was taken aback a bit, but a gentleman sitting on a barstool, who professed to be from London, turned to me and explained diplomatically (no doubt sensing I was an American) that "the Scots did not have 'the kinds of beer' the Brits do."

The bartender followed up with a "I'll give you something I think you'll like." It was equally tasty and the lesson was learned.

But 24 years later I can still see the bartender's incredulous look and hear his terse response...:D

[notesdev]

5. This will last until the first lawsuit

all it takes is one person getting woozy and falling over, then the bar and the blood service get sued to all hell and back. Hope their liability insurance is paid up!

[virgogal]

7. This annoys me. eom

[OI812]

9. Me too, it's WAY too damn far away.

...

[tularetom]

10. This is nothing new - I remember doing this over 40 years ago in Berkeley

Only they didn't pay us directly - they gave us a coupon we could use for a hamburger at a local restaurant/pub. So instead of a hamburger we would talk the manager into giving us beer.

If you went in and drank the beer right after you gave blood you could get a real good buzz from one or two glasses of draft.

[TheWraith]

11. Okay, it's not as bad an idea as it appears...

Making them wait at least 4 hours replenishes some of their blood supply, so they're not pouring alcohol into it while they're low.

[sharp_stick]

13. In college

we used to donate blood so we could get drunker with less money. That was the theory anyhow, we seemed to get just as drunk with or without the blood donation. It started me on a lifetime of donating blood.

[Don Caballero]

14. One pint?

I would give blood if I got a case of a high end pale lager. But a pint? I would have to drink eight just to catch a good buzz.

[DemoTex]

15. I once had a dentist in Houston who had wine available in the waiting room ..

No joke. He said those who had a glass or two of wine before seeing him were more relaxed.

[OI812]

18. I would have six

and be VERY relaxed.

;-)

[CBR]

17. Cool. Sign me up! nt

[cutlassmama]

19. Aren't a lot of people who sell their blood alchoholics anyway?