What is the situation with bouncers these days?

Vexr said:
I was invited to work at a late night club unofficially cash in hand after my regular venue closed, and saw the 'deputy head doorman' there grab a guy who was obviously worse for wear but not doing any harm. He pulled him in to a fire escape stairwell and it sounded like a battering was going on. I don't know for sure if that bouncer filled in a defenceless guy who was in no state to defend himself, but heard enough stories to strongly suspect it.
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Few instances like that in the town I grew up in back in its rougher days - but you didn't always know who was connected to who - there was a few instances of the wrong person getting put in hospital when it no state to defend themselves with the predictable repercussions.
 
Vexr said:
I've been on both sides of the 'velvet rope' in my late teens and early 20s. I went out a lot as a student, but at the same time paid my way through uni by working the doors on the other nights I wasn't going out. It was a mixed bag experience that I'll probably never fully digest.

I was invited to work at a late night club unofficially cash in hand after my regular venue closed, and saw the 'deputy head doorman' there grab a guy who was obviously worse for wear but not doing any harm. He pulled him in to a fire escape stairwell and it sounded like a battering was going on. I don't know for sure if that bouncer filled in a defenceless guy who was in no state to defend himself, but heard enough stories to strongly suspect it.

The weirdest bouncer I ever encountered was female. Back then female door supervisors were a rarity. This one almost looked like a normal mid-late 20s lass, but was absolutely unhinged, ready and willing to assault anyone in the blink of an eye and obviously loved it, along with being a master of dishing out verbal abuse. I'm certain she only got away with it due to how startling being attacked by her was (and the fact her targets were too confused to really respond and chose to retreat), and the fact she always had multiple male bouncers right behind her. Her style obviously worked as she became head doorsupervisor at a large night club, which subsequently lost its license some years later because of a) murders by the public, and b) a murder or two by the door supervisors.

There were multiple other non-violent but obviously psychiatrically disordered types I met during my time as a door supervisor, including sociopaths who were masters of gossip and lies, some to the point of pathological lying. Disturbingly these were often the types that can really charm the public and the right 'high value targets' in the night club industry.

On the other side of the coin there were a bunch of guys and girls I worked with who were perfectly 'normal', stable, sociable, helpful, and nice but not a walkover. They treated the public probably better than they deserved and had no love of violence. One thing I learnt is not to judge door supervisors by their appearance, both male and female, as it often defies expectations finding out who are the sane ones versus who are not.
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I should probably give an honourable mention to those door supervisors who aren't immediately the modern definition of 'nice' or 'normal' by today's modern standards of customer service, but they weren't sociopaths or psychopaths, and they turned out to be the most solid people you'd want with you when things really hit the fan.

Even as a colleague it can be hard to crack the ice with these stoic types, but once done so they turn out to be an asset socially and definitely professionally. One saved my ass as I was about to be get blindsided by a boxing-stanced roided up gym nutter: this other doorman I could previously barely get a word out of did not hesitate to grab and disable this guy and toss him out, while I was stood radio-in-hand in danger of being sucker punched from behind.

The more sociopathic 'talking' variety of doorsupervisors take credit for being hard men on the doors, and yet they make sure they never have to step up to the plate, perhaps as a matter of principle more than cowardice.

I suspect things have changed since 'my day'. The earning power of door supervisors was already falling compared with the actual cost of living. This was exacerbated when the job centre started 'training' and dishing out SIA licenses to anyone and everyone for free, increasing turnover and wage suppression. I hear stories of door supervisors just leaving the venue if things kick off, because why not? The wage now is weekend pocket money from a free SIA license provided by the job centre.

I think there are demographic changes at play as well. There are both far more female door supervisors as far as I can tell and also more door supervisors from other countries of origin. What effect that has, along with suppressed wages compared with the old days, I can't really guess at.
 
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Vexr said:
I should probably give an honourable mention to those door supervisors who aren't immediately the modern definition of 'nice' or 'normal' by today's modern standards of customer service, but they weren't sociopaths or psychopaths, and they turned out to be the most solid people you'd want with you when things really hit the fan.

Even as a colleague it can be hard to crack the ice with these stoic types, but once done so they turn out to be an asset socially and definitely professionally. One saved my ass as I was about to be get blindsided by a boxing-stanced roided up gym nutter: this other doorman I could previously barely get a word out of did not hesitate to grab and disable this guy and toss him out, while I was stood radio-in-hand in danger of being sucker punched from behind.

The more sociopathic 'talking' variety of doorsupervisors take credit for being hard men on the doors, and yet they make sure they never have to step up to the plate, perhaps as a matter of principle more than cowardice.

I suspect things have changed since 'my day'. The earning power of door supervisors was already falling compared with the actual cost of living. This was exacerbated when the job centre started 'training' and dishing out SIA licenses to anyone and everyone for free, increasing turnover and wage suppression. I hear stories of door supervisors just leaving the venue if things kick off, because why not? The wage now is weekend pocket money from a free SIA license provided by the job centre.

I think there are demographic changes at play as well. There are both far more female door supervisors as far as I can tell and also more door supervisors from other countries of origin. What effect that has, along with suppressed wages compared with the old days, I can't really guess at.
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On the subject of money, head door positions are now being offered £13ish an hour around here.
Tells you all you need to know about the sort of person they expect to get.
 
I've worked in night clubs and trained with bouncers.. The majority are quite professional, but you will get a small contingent of idiots who do need weeding out.

However they are bouncers, having to deal with violent drunk idiots and I can't imagine in this day/age when people are empowered through the weak policing/laws and will try anything on thinking they can do so with impunity that it's a recipe for disaster.
 
I got punched in the chest by a bouncer for sitting on someone who had just bottled my friend and rugby tackled him to the ground. I had literally pulled him off my friend and sat on him so he couldn't move lol. The bouncer jumped over us and I was like 'Great, someone to help', but no 'BLAMO, chest punch'. To be fair, he probably took one look and thought I was the instigator. I just put my hands up and walked out of the bar. This was somewhere we were known as being regular customers and knew all the door staff and bar staff (the bouncer was a new guy). The bar manager had seen it all happen and came straight over to apologise to us as we watched the bottler try to run away from the police and get rugby tackled by a policeman about 100 yards down the road lol. We had to go give statements at the police station as my mate had quite a nasty cut on the back of his head. The police then drove us back into town as they were going that way anyway, we went back to the same bar and they gave us free drinks all night haha!
 
No decent venue should need "bouncers". The clientele they attract shouldn't need coercion or eviction.

That's not to say our few remaining gentleman's clubs are without their problems. Pratt's in London, considered to be in the top five gentleman's dining and social clubs, has announced without preamble and with immediate effect women will be allowed as members!

Naturally this has caused somewhat of a furore and without means of appeal the gentlemen members are now considering their options. Boodles has a long waiting list and is by invitation only, as I think Whites still is.

"Dissapointed is an understatement", railed one member, "it will never be the same, why did they do this?"

Maybe they'll be needing bouncers to control the uppity members?

www.dailymail.co.uk

KAY: Britain's poshest club after it opened its doors to lady members

What has incensed the gentlemen of Pratt's is that the decision was imposed without consultation or a ballot. Instead, they were informed by letter and email.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
Well that's precisely how these top establishments keep the riff-raff out. And women until they sadly succumbed to political correctness.

Let's use Ian Fleming's basis for Blades Club in two of his James Bond novels, Boodles as an example. You see membership is strictly by nomination and then by election, some footballer can't just tip up with his floozie and walk in. I think the villain Blofeld got his name from a none villainous early member of Boodles, Sir John Blofeld.

A more pleasant bygone era, gentlemanly company and sumptuous but tasteful surroundings are still available to the well shod and well connected :)









Boodle's is regarded as one of the most prestigious clubs in London,[1] and counts many British aristocrats and notable politicians among its members.[2] It is the second oldest club in the world, with only White's being older.[3] Boodle's Orange Fool is a traditional club dish.[4]

Early members were opponents of William Pitt the Elder’s foreign policies relating to the Seven Years' War, and political allies of Lord Shelburne.[5] The club is generally regarded as being aligned with the Conservative Party, with many of its current and former members holding important positions within the party, although the club is not formally tied to any political party. During the Regency era, Boodle's became known as the club of the English gentry, while White's became the club of the nobility. Four members have been awarded the Victoria Cross and Sir Winston Churchill was one of the few people to be elected to honorary membership. It is reputed that Beau Brummell's last bet took place at the Club before he fled the country to France. Today, membership is strictly by nomination and election only.

In 1782 Boodle's took over the "Savoir Vivre" club house at 28 St. James's Street, London, and has been located there ever since. The building had been designed by John Crunden in 1775. The ground floor was refurbished by John Buonarotti Papworth between 1821 and 1834.
 
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These hyper-exclusive members-only clubs are the epitome of elitism which no longer has a place in modern society and is actively holding us back as a species. The amount of political and financial corruption that happens and has happened behind those doors must be utterly staggering. I can't help but think how much more progressive and fair and prosperous our society might be if Boodle's and White's had burned to the ground decades ago with all their members inside.
 
I've watched what the so called progressives, (the exponents of dragging us all down to the lowest common denominator), have achieved in modern times versus what were the probable bastions of elitism, the Edwardians and Victorians achievements. Edwardian and Victorian times saw true statesmen, a well defined social structure, and a robust peniary system. They enjoyed a sustainable and equitable population level, and taught half the world how to drag themselves from the mire without bringing them here to do so.

I'll throw my hat in with the elitists thanks, I like to be on the side of the winners, not the starry eyed, chip on shoulders losers :)
 
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Well have worked a door before..the SIA test is a laugh really..it doesnt test anything..ya do the course and thats it. Anyone could get one.

Worked with a guy who would pull out a gum shield and make sure the agressor would see him putting it in....killed any agro in them stright away lol.

Women fights where the worst.
Also when the bar shift would end I went with a couple others and continued for a few hours at a McDonalds right next to it....I did it 2 weekends and that was me, it closed soon after.
 
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Yep, women are the worst, by far. It is the same in the dog world I am a big part of. Two dogs will often have really nasty fight, settle a score and then rub along OK together. Two bitches that start a proper show down rarely tolerate each other reliably ever again. Women ehh? There's method in my misogyny :)
 
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