I have a plot point in my story where a bartender saves a young woman from being raped (someone tries to roofie her, he notices and calls the cops on him
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In 1988, UK undergraduate students still received moderately generous student grants to cover living costs, and had all their tuition fees paid. So the convention of someone working as a bartender to pay for college would be really unusual. To me, it sticks out as an anachronism.
Relatedly, 'roofie' is an Americanism, and may also be an anachronism, although I'm less sure of that. 'Spiked drink' or 'drugged drink' was still the term in the UK in the 80s as far as I know.
On the other hand, accommodation in London was already expensive and the British class system works off favours a lot more than actual cash. Offering him cheap rent on a luxurious flat might be plausible - £100 per month, especially for something well maintained and spacious, would have been a huge favour but would have allowed both parties to maintain the pretence of a business transaction with no personal element attached.
I was an undergraduate student from 1987-1990, in a large city in the UK. There would not have been any tuition fees at that time at all, as all students received a grant that covered fees. Students also received a maintenance grant to live on, although this was means-tested and depended on your parents' household income, so not everyone got the full amount.
Students at that time just *didn't* have part-time or weekend jobs to pay for college. They simply didn't need to. No-one that I knew at that time had a job. Most people lived on the maintenance grant and a few took out student loans, but nobody worked.
I hope this helps. Please ask if you have any more questions.
In addition, many students weren't allowed to have part-time jobs unless authorised by the university. 1988 I think is the year student loans started but few took them - a student in London would be more likely to, but the max was £1000 a year, to supplement the maintenance grant.
Working in the college/union bar as a way to meet people might be plausible though.
Agreed spiking drinks was the term - usually an extra double vodka added to an alcoholic drink.
I agree about the double vodka. A "roofie" might be problematic. I don't recall being aware of drugs being used to spike drinks at that time, although an extra shot or two might be used to spike a drink. An assailant would be more likely to get you drunk in order to attack you.
How do people drink something so much stronger than expected without realising it? Is it as effective as a roofie? This has always puzzled me on TV particularly when someone's non-alcoholic drink is spiked..
I worked in the student bar for extra spending money, and for fun - but it wasn't necessary for living expenses. The grants covered that.
Agreed that it would be seen as a bit naff to offer cash for something like that - it's implying that the student wouldn't have done it out of common decency. Of course there were plenty of rich naff around in London at the time. But the idea of the cut-price flat is a good one: "The development is new and we need someone to act as unofficial caretaker!" Otherwise, a benevolent eye, and doors opened in his later profession would be more likely.
Another point - 1988 is just starting to be aware that getting a girl drunk in order to shag her is not OK. Assuming your rapist has found some horse tranqs or something and the barman has noticed him sneaking them into the drink, I'm not sure the barman would realise the implications of this, and I'm pretty sure the police wouldn't be interested - police generally hated students anyway. Could he grab her handbag when someone tries to grab it or pickpocket her, instead?
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Relatedly, 'roofie' is an Americanism, and may also be an anachronism, although I'm less sure of that. 'Spiked drink' or 'drugged drink' was still the term in the UK in the 80s as far as I know.
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Students at that time just *didn't* have part-time or weekend jobs to pay for college. They simply didn't need to. No-one that I knew at that time had a job. Most people lived on the maintenance grant and a few took out student loans, but nobody worked.
I hope this helps. Please ask if you have any more questions.
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Working in the college/union bar as a way to meet people might be plausible though.
Agreed spiking drinks was the term - usually an extra double vodka added to an alcoholic drink.
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A "roofie" might be problematic. I don't recall being aware of drugs being used to spike drinks at that time, although an extra shot or two might be used to spike a drink. An assailant would be more likely to get you drunk in order to attack you.
Reply
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Agreed that it would be seen as a bit naff to offer cash for something like that - it's implying that the student wouldn't have done it out of common decency. Of course there were plenty of rich naff around in London at the time. But the idea of the cut-price flat is a good one: "The development is new and we need someone to act as unofficial caretaker!" Otherwise, a benevolent eye, and doors opened in his later profession would be more likely.
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