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Now Ye're Talking - to a Nightclub Bouncer

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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,981 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    In light of the tragedy in Cookstown, what is your clubs strategy for dealing with large crowds and how often do you revise your protocols?
    Does a tragedy like that give you a sense of concern about your role?




  • Do you believe that some bouncers just dont like some people? And is it ever possible to change a bouncers mind?
    I'm in my mid 30s, and got rejected from a pub on a work night out for being too drunk. Now I accept I had a fair number of pints, but I wasn't any worse than the rest of the crowd. I was the only person to be refused
    I left it, and went home.

    Fast forward a few weeks, and 4 of us from work walked up to the same pub. This time, I know for certain, that two of my colleagues were a lot worse than me. Same bouncer picked me out, and said I was too drunk, but allowed the other three to enter. They all decided not to, and we walked around the corner to another pub, and had no issues.

    Now I have never been kicked out of the initial pub, nor do I go there too often (not a fan).
    I've been going to pub for a long time, and I accept when I am too drunk to get into a pub, and I feel I was fine to enter the pub on both nights.
    The only reason I think I got refused, was that the bouncer thought I was someone else, or he just doesn't like the look of me.
    Do you think things like this happen, and what were my options? I felt like I had no choice, and didnt bother entertaining the bouncer (It was the same bouncer on both nights)


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    circadian wrote: »
    Are you a boardsie regular? Do you tell unruly patrons that there will be the "Banhammer" if they don't wise up?

    I worked in a bar as a student in England. The local Rugby team was sponsored by the bar so you'd have regular idiots trying to start fights with a bunch of huge lads from the team, the bouncers had a thankless task of dealing with it. It's not an easy number. In fact, the town had a banned from one banned from all policy which I think is a good idea, I have no idea if that's implemented in Ireland.

    I certainly am not a regular poster, but I spend a lot of time stalking threads!
    It certainly is a thankless job, but I’m ok with that too. People can dislike me all I want, I’ll still get paid.

    I’ve heard that banned from one banned from all policy being implemented in a few areas, but I’m not sure how it works in practice.


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    In light of the tragedy in Cookstown, what is your clubs strategy for dealing with large crowds and how often do you revise your protocols?
    Does a tragedy like that give you a sense of concern about your role?

    We have security personnel staggering the queue during busy nights. This along with promptly removing anyone who is intentionally pushing keeps the queue relatively calm. With regard to protocol, I can’t remember the last time but you can be damn sure there’ll be a talk about it after Sunday’s tragedy.
    It certainly makes you think about how easily something like that can happen if you’re too lax about procedure.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭Balmed Out


    I worked in a hotel as a student, during a function many of the guests were from a well known criminal family. They and another group went at each other thowing chairs, tables etc. The bouncers contacted other city centre venues and pretty soon there must have been two dozen bouncers sorting them out.
    Is this a normal thing where if theres a lot of trouble all the neighboring venues help out and have you ever had to help with a large incident like that?


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  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    Balmed Out wrote: »
    I worked in a hotel as a student, during a function many of the guests were from a well known criminal family. They and another group went at each other thowing chairs, tables etc. The bouncers contacted other city centre venues and pretty soon there must have been two dozen bouncers sorting them out.
    Is this a normal thing where if theres a lot of trouble all the neighboring venues help out and have you ever had to help with a large incident like that?

    To be honest that’s the first I’ve heard of a situation like that! I’m sure if there was a neighboring venue in need of assistance some of us would be sent, but only if our venue was quiet. If we were full to capacity there’s no way we would be able to spare anyone!

    Touch wood I’ll never be in a situation like it.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,637 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    great AMA.

    Have you ever come up against someone you cant handle even in a group?

    A few years back in a place in Galway, one of the guys i was with was accused of sexually assaulting a girl, he'd left the table to go to the toilet and bar.
    To cut a long story short he was ask to leave, he said no wanted to see manager/evidence etc. His GF said he hadnt done anything and she was told to "shut your trough you fat pig". Anyway stuff escalated quickly 3 bouncers got knocked out and one was getting choked out before reinforcements arrived and erm subdued him.

    Just for scale, he's 6'6 probably over 110Kg and had been doing BJJ ( i think) for a while at the time.


    "the go around the block and get a coffee/something to eat" does that ever work :pac:


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    Do you believe that some bouncers just dont like some people? And is it ever possible to change a bouncers mind?
    I'm in my mid 30s, and got rejected from a pub on a work night out for being too drunk. Now I accept I had a fair number of pints, but I wasn't any worse than the rest of the crowd. I was the only person to be refused
    I left it, and went home.

    Fast forward a few weeks, and 4 of us from work walked up to the same pub. This time, I know for certain, that two of my colleagues were a lot worse than me. Same bouncer picked me out, and said I was too drunk, but allowed the other three to enter. They all decided not to, and we walked around the corner to another pub, and had no issues.

    Now I have never been kicked out of the initial pub, nor do I go there too often (not a fan).
    I've been going to pub for a long time, and I accept when I am too drunk to get into a pub, and I feel I was fine to enter the pub on both nights.
    The only reason I think I got refused, was that the bouncer thought I was someone else, or he just doesn't like the look of me.
    Do you think things like this happen, and what were my options? I felt like I had no choice, and didnt bother entertaining the bouncer (It was the same bouncer on both nights)

    If I was to guess I’d say he most likely is mistaking you for somebody else. It has happened to me on a few occasions where I’ve tirned somebody away thinking they were another individual who has caused trouble in the club before.
    It certainly is possible to change a bouncer’s mind. We’ve often turned people away only to let them in after they talk to us for a while and seem to sober up a bit. That being said, if we turn you away and you get any bit aggressive towards us, there’s no way you’re getting in.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 6,773 Mod ✭✭✭✭connemara man


    How enforceable is the over 21s policy or any age that's over 18.

    People are of legal drinking age it feels like the venue would need a special license


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭Chancer3001


    How often do you get offered "the ride "

    Every bouncer i know cleans up with the ladies.

    I guess its a combo of usually being in good shape, nor being drunk and having authority


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,637 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    Not sure what city you're in but from experience over the last while the use of coke seems mental.

    how often do you come across obvious signs people are using in your club?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    What kind of training, if any, do you get? Are you trained on recognising "real" IDs, de-escalation techniques, physically restraining people? Or do you just pick it up as you go along?


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    great AMA.

    Have you ever come up against someone you cant handle even in a group?

    A few years back in a place in Galway, one of the guys i was with was accused of sexually assaulting a girl, he'd left the table to go to the toilet and bar.
    To cut a long story short he was ask to leave, he said no wanted to see manager/evidence etc. His GF said he hadnt done anything and she was told to "shut your trough you fat pig". Anyway stuff escalated quickly 3 bouncers got knocked out and one was getting choked out before reinforcements arrived and erm subdued him.

    Just for scale, he's 6'6 probably over 110Kg and had been doing BJJ ( i think) for a while at the time.


    "the go around the block and get a coffee/something to eat" does that ever work :pac:

    We certainly have. it’s always the taller and heavier guys. You can usually tell if they’re going to be difficult to remove and can get the necessary amount of security to remove him.

    That being said, sometimes there’s already a fight kicking off and you just have to jump in yourself and hope help isn’t far behind! If one of us was ever to be knocked out or choked like your story, you can be damn sure they’re getting arrested and will be prosecuted.

    Sometimes when I want to remove a large individual who is maybe getting a bit too drunk I’ll ask them to come into the next room where it’s more quiet and that I need to ask him I question. I’ll then keep doing that in every room until we’re eventually at the front door and there’s a lot of security there to back me up. Drink makes you quite gullible!

    We use this quite a bit. We tell them to head down to the shop or a chipper and get something to eat. We know that food doesn’t actually sober you up, but if he’s a little too tipsy then he’ll be grand 20 minutes later when he comes back after waiting for food or whatever.
    We do have the odd person who comes back in a worse state of inebriation again, and thinks that they’re now entitled to enter since they left and got chips.


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    How enforceable is the over 21s policy or any age that's over 18.

    People are of legal drinking age it feels like the venue would need a special license

    Venues are more than entitled to enforce whatever age requirement they want, but it has to be applied uniformly. You can’t have an over 20’s bar but let in a group of 18 year olds because they’re locals and they’re ‘sound’.


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    How often do you get offered "the ride "

    Every bouncer i know cleans up with the ladies.

    I guess its a combo of usually being in good shape, nor being drunk and having authority

    As a fairly young lad myself, I was surprised at the amount of women approaching you chatting you up. I’m no male model, and I still get women who wouldn’t look at me normally trying to flirt with me.
    I’ve never been ‘offered’ the ride, but I’ve had women looking to go home with me, but I would never do it.


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    Not sure what city you're in but from experience over the last while the use of coke seems mental.

    how often do you come across obvious signs people are using in your club?

    I must say it is quite widespread these days. Often when you go into bathroom cubicles you’ll see empty, and sometimes full, bags of what appears to be cocaine.
    You’ll often be in the bathroom and hear somebody sniffling with a terribly bad cold inside the cubicle, so you remove them from the premises.


  • Company Representative Posts: 57 Verified rep I'm a nightclub bouncer, AMA


    Thoie wrote: »
    What kind of training, if any, do you get? Are you trained on recognising "real" IDs, de-escalation techniques, physically restraining people? Or do you just pick it up as you go along?

    We receive very minimal training in recognising IDs. This is mainly because the issue with IDs usually isnt that they’re fake, it’s that they’re using somebody else’s ID.

    We received quite a bit of conflict management training including de-escalation. We also learn about arm and wrist locks that we can use to safely remove individuals. While these locks are good in theory, sometimes it’s more effective to go with the good old bear hug!


  • Registered Users Posts: 607 ✭✭✭heretothere


    I have worked in bars/ clubs in my student years and I have know a lot of bouncers from going out and know that most have normal human responses. But why are some such pricks about going to the loo before leaving?! I have IBS, the last time I was in a club the bouncer spent 15 mins fighting with me before thankfully the manager came over and said let the girl down to the loo.

    If he had just let me down it would have saved us all a lot of time. I was in no state to drive a car, but neither was I falling around the place.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    I have a question sir - why, in the name of holy baby Jesus, would anyone want to work on a door of a nightclub?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,822 ✭✭✭Bummer1234


    Interesting AMA so thanks,

    Since you started bouncing,Has yourself seen the nightclub scene change in anyway?

    Also....When your finished on this thread, Could you shout "right folks please!" :pac:


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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    What type of self defense or joint lock manipulation or otherwise do you have. is that the standard training for someone in your industry.

    Also do you feel you have had the support from An Garda Siochanna you feel your role deserves. I will always remember seeing an incident of bouncers vs customers in a nightclub. GardaI arrive and I here one garda say two loads of scum tearing strips off each other.


    What I mean is if there's violence does AGS back security or do they assume a neutral investigators role.


  • Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭Goodigal


    Thanks for doing this. Very interesting responses!
    What do you think of the constant phone use these days? Would the chances of being filmed (and potentially going viral) change your behaviour in a situation?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 466 ✭✭ Mia Nervous Loiterer


    Do you just assume everyone is drunk/drinking? Or can you tell those who aren't.
    I don't drink at all or do drugs or smoke or anything, but I'd still go out with my friends for a dance.
    I've had some fairly rude and nasty bouncers and I know it isn't because I was too drunk. Seems to be for no reason most of the time.

    One time my husband and I were at engagement party in a fairly popular pub in a town, not just locals etc. He ran out to put more money into the parking meter (neither of us drink). The bouncers gave him a hard time on his way back in saying we don't know you etc. They eventually let him in after he explained he was at the engagement party but I can't think of any reason for them to act like that other than that he's foreign and had foreign ID. Even at that he's American.


  • Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    Great AMA!

    Do you have a bedside locker?
    If so, Whats in your bedside locker?


    Whast the Strangest thing you've seen happen in a club. Like, Bizarre, not just odd....


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,531 ✭✭✭Seanachai


    Do you think relaxing club opening hours in Ireland would make things worse or better?


  • Registered Users Posts: 928 ✭✭✭robertpatterson


    Do you let travellers into your establishment?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭jr86


    Hi there,

    Great AMA fair play

    - If some guy was acting the idiot (we'll say maybe being more of a nuisance/in a light scrap than anything actually dangerous) one week, would you have no qualms letting him in the week after if he came back looking more respectable, or would you give it a few weeks so he'll have learned his lesson? I've no doubt with alcohol involved it can make people much more fiery than usual if they've had a few too many. Is it easy to distinguish between genuine wrong uns and those who've just had a very rough night but are ultimately fairly harmless

    - You say you get mainly students, so I'd assume dress code isn't strictly enforced? Is it completely relaxed, or would they still have to make some sort of effort? What's your own thoughts on dress-code in a nightclub?

    - Do many go to the club on their own each night?

    - Would higher end of the drunken scale antics like punters bawling crying uncontrollably, vomiting everywhere, fighting, losing sh1t be regular every single night of the week? Essentially has working at nightclubs sober really opened your eyes in terms of the relationship a lot of young adults have with alcohol?

    - On average how many photos would you have to take with punters each night? :pac:

    Sorry now for all the Qs

    Cheers in advance!


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,419 ✭✭✭LollipopJimmy


    Great AMA thanks for doing this.

    I worked bars myself when I was back in my student days and witnessed many a drunken gob****e bang their head off the bouncers radio :pac:

    Have you ever been surprised by a drunken idiot returning the next day or a few days later and apologising for bad behaviour?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    Hi thanks for doing the AMA,
    What's the main reason most bouncers are working in the industry I always thought it wasn't really a full time job and more something you'd do on the side to supplement an income is it true for example I heard there's a lot of army lads doing the gig due to the poor pay in the army.

    Generally though I wonder as I always got the impression it was a low paid industry which it appears to be quite dangerous and with tough hours for little reward for example would there not be a lot less stress with the same pay working in a supermarket or a fast food restaurant. Without wanting to sound rude or condescending is there anything in particular you enjoy about the job and if so what is that? Also do pubs and clubs struggle to find security staff considering the work is tough, the pay is low and you have to have a PSA licence.

    Fair play all the same it's a tough job but as the old saying goes someone has to do it. I for one could not imagine myself doing such a job firstly I'm not a big guy and I prefer to avoid conflict or potential conflict situations.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,922 ✭✭✭mikemac2


    Do you get particular trouble from students who know a little about the law and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

    They might quote laws and statutes and threaten to sue under the made-up 1856 stopped at the door act ?

    It happens in shops, does it happen at the door too ?


This discussion has been closed.
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