Turkish Method of Bringing Drunk Patrons Home is Unbelievable.
Every country has its own unique way of dealing with excessively drunk customers in bars. In some places, they are simply kicked out onto the street, while in others, the police are called. However, one of the most unexpected methods, found only in Turkey, is that since the Middle Ages and until the mid-20th century, drunk patrons were taken home in a basket.
Turkish people bringing drunk patrons home in a basket.
For centuries, one could find porters with large wicker baskets near bars in Turkey. Their job was to wait for drunk individuals to take them home. It was crucial that a person who had drunk too much could clearly read their home address. However, if the drunkard was a regular customer, it was likely that the bar already knew their address.
The wicker baskets used by the porters were initially designed to carry food and other goods. But over time, it turned out that transporting people in them was just as convenient.
Despite the fact that for porters, this was a very tiring job both physically and mentally, many considered it a side job. By regulation, hard-working individuals employed at hotels or train stations during the day became porters for drunk patrons at night.
Porters were called “küfeci”, and their passengers were referred to as “küfe”. The Turkish language even has a saying “Küfelik olmak” – “To be so drunk that you go home in a basket.”
