I'm not sure I want to dip my toe into this thread, but here I am doing it...

I have to admit that I can see this both ways. Unless I'm missing something, the 3 letter word substituted for "police officer" is a word I would not consider to be vulgar or obscene. The way it was used does not seem to obscene either. Polite? Maybe not. I'm sure police, mayors, presidents, queens, and prophets and dieties of all religions, and anyone in between, have been described in public places with similar labels, and worse... without necessarily using obscene or vulgar language.

Obviously, people can be offended by things (verbal or otherwise) that may seem rather innocuous to you, me, or perhaps even most other people. It only takes one person to get offended and speak up, even if we don't think they should be offended. I do wish society as a whole was less sensitive to getting their feelings hurt. I also wish some people would be more sensitive to the feelings of others. Between those two groups the rest of us ebb and flow, and for the most part we manage to get along well enough without getting too ruffled about anything anybody might say.

At the end of the day, the person who runs a business will usually get to decide the rules of conduct in their establishment. I can't speak to the specifics of anti-discrimination law, which must be upheld. Beyond that, it's up to the pub owner/manager in this case, regardless of how innocent your friend's comment may have felt to him, or to you.

Personally, I think a threat to be banned from a pub for that kind of comment is a bit of an overreaction. I'm sure worse comments and worse language has been uttered there at some point. But somebody complained, and we don't know how that complaint was delivered to, or heard by the management. It's an unfortunate situation, and a lesson learned. It could be an opportunity to discuss exactly what happened with the manager and come out on the other side as friends, each with a better understanding... Or maybe it's a hint that this particular pub really isn't the place where your friend really wants to hang out. Just an opinion, from one kilted biker to another.