At a place with a soda fountain you can usually get water cups for free, BUT at a concession stand type setup, often the only water on offer is bottled, which is probably why they'll give you free soda but not (more expensive) bottled water. It ain't right, but.. it is.

Are they not legally required to offer water for free? I thought that was pretty common.

In the United Kingdom, anywhere they serve alcohol it's the law they give you free tap water. Which is nice.

I've never been to any bar or restaurant in the US that wouldn't do the same, although I'm not sure it's a law. However, the sporting event example strikes me as different because they may have soda and beer dispensers but not actually have a water tap at the concession stand.

There is certainly a free water fountain with tap water, but bottled water is not free.

Ok, so you can't redeem the wristband for water because water is already free?

That's way less ridiculous than the original guys phrasing made the situation seem.

No, the vendors will not give you water under any circumstance, wristband or not, paid or not. You literally have to get soda, pour it out, and find a drinking fountain if you want to refill with water. And of course, the drinking fountain has low water pressure, so you're tilting the cup and lucky to fill it up halfway.

Does it matter who it comes from? Free water is available. The anti-American snipe of "Soda [is] easier and cheaper than plain good tasting water." is wrong.

I have never seen a soda dispenser that didn’t have a switch for water and/or carbonated water.

Some lack one or both. It's optional.

A fountain has no inherent need for non-carbonated water unless they serve uncarbonated drinks like orange or punch.

I've only done a small amount of travel outside North America, but, from what I've seen, water is generally less expensive and easier to get in the USA and Canada than elsewhere. One of the more unexpected things I got out of my first trip to Europe was a much greater appreciation for public drinking fountains.

In Western Europe at least, all faucets, unless labelled otherwise, will provide high quality drinking water. This is appreciated when you see some kid licking and slobbering on the drinking fountain in the USA… https://www.tripsavvy.com/tap-water-in-europe-3150039

I mean, at a stadium sure. Something that is also very USA; the price of water at a gas station VS, say, New Zealand :)

Still, in either country we run mostly safe, drinkable water through our toilets and not soda =D

Shades of Brawndo: ”But it’s got electrolytes!”

It seems to alien to me. In Australia soda (soft drink!) at a sporting venue or a bar will cost $3+ or more for a glass. But if you have a licence to serve alcohol, it is a requirement to provide free water to all patrons.

Reminds me of Germany, where my non-drinking friend would pay more for a coke than I paid for a litre of beer. What a great country.

My experiences in Germany basically led me to believe that most of the restaurant profit is made from drinks and not food, so it's not surprising that they'd be especially sensitive to charging for any kind of drink. I've also seen the same beer vs coke cost experience you have.

There are literally water fountains at every stadium I have been to from pro games to kids leagues. I doubt you can get a free nasty dasani water bottle but you can use any free water fountain without paying.

I went to a professional soccer game in a large stadium in South America a couple of years ago in the middle of summer. It was really hot and all I wanted was water, but you couldn’t buy water at the concession stand. The only drink they offered was Coke.