Listen up, cuz, have you ever imagined walking into a restaurant, ordering a tripe soup, and when you say "a tap water, please," the guy looks at you like you're an alien? Well, that's exactly how it is in Romania in the year of grace 2026. For two years now we've had a law - yes, a law passed back in Iohannis's day, when he was still hanging around the Palace - that clearly says: any restaurant, canteen, or catering service MUST give you free drinking water upon request. What was he thinking? Maybe at some dinner in France he saw how the carafe of water comes on the house and thought "let me do a good deed before I retire." And he did it. European directive, Emergency Ordinance 7/2023, the whole shebang. But you know how it is with us: law exists, but enforcement doesn't. Like pensions, like highways, like everything.
Now, sit down and let me hit you with the numbers that'll take your breath away. In Bucharest, bro, a city with thousands of eateries, from kebab joints to Dubai-priced restaurants, there were exactly 64 places offering free tap water. Mark my words: 64. Some of them are hipster cafes that were already doing this before the law, like Coftale, which gave water in reusable bottles and saw that customers stayed longer, consumed more. But the rest? Zero, period. Throw in a mall, a shopping center, Henri Coandă Airport, and a few bars. That's it. And from last year until now, just a handful more have been added. Growth almost nonexistent. What can I say, Caragiale would be proud of the pace at which we implement these Western laws.
And you see, the problem isn't that owners don't want to give water. The problem is the law has no teeth. No clear sanctions, no enforcement rules. So when you ask for water, the owner tells you "company policy, sir, we don't have a filtration system" or "only bottled water, 8 lei a bottle." And what do you do? You stare into space. You have no one to complain to. Theoretically, you can notify ANPC, but do you think anyone will come to check if they gave you a glass of water or not? Let's be serious. In Spain, France, Portugal, the UK, it's normal: you ask for water, they bring it. Here, it's like asking for a space rocket. And we're the ones saying "we're Europe, man." Yeah, but second-hand Europe, with laws that aren't enforced.
Now, I'm not saying HoReCa doesn't have problems. They have taxes, costs, all sorts of troubles. But that tap water, boss, won't ruin you. On the contrary, as the guy from Coftale said: a satisfied customer stays, orders another coffee, a juice, a pastry. You win in the long run. But here, the owner thinks: "I gave him free water, he drank, now he leaves and buys nothing." Poor mentality, cuz. Not to mention this scorching summer, when a person walks into a place dying of thirst and has to pay 8 lei for still water. That's public health, bro. But who cares? Until a serious inspection comes and hefty fines are applied, we'll keep paying for water like suckers, while in the West it's free on every street corner.
So, until then, pay attention: as a customer, you have the right to ask for water. If they refuse, you can politely tell them about the law. Maybe they'll get scared. And if not, file a complaint with ANPC. Maybe if enough pile up, something will move. But until then, get ready to pay for water at restaurants. That's how it is with us, bro: the law exists, but we follow it as we see fit. Applause for the geniuses.
