Yeah, don't get me wrong, I can't really comment properly because I've never been in that situation. I've never been in a fight and I don't plan to get into one. If someone was coming towards me threatening to kill me and he actually looked like he might be able to do it, you probably wouldn't see me for dust! (obviously that won't work for a doorman!) I'm what you might call a pacifist [coward]. Besides, I have a big hole in my ear that would be lovely and easy to rip out if the opportunity presented itself!
Rough night on the doors last night. Anyone got any thoughts?
- Thread starter NitrogenY3K
- Start date
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I can't really comment properly because I've never been in that situation. I've never been in a fight and I don't plan to get into one. If someone was coming towards me threatening to kill me and he actually looked like he might be able to do it, you probably wouldn't see me for dust! (obviously that won't work for a doorman!) I'm what you might call a pacifist [coward]. Besides, I have a big hole in my ear that would be lovely and easy to rip out if the opportunity presented itself!
Man of Honour
that's where training and experience comes into it. A doorman/security in general should never be threatening and shoudl be able to reverse the situation with minimal force. They're not taught to be fighters, and that's not the way it should be IMO. Doormen get so much **** which they don't deserve. Though some do see it as a carte blanche to be bullies - it's the same in any industry, there are always the prats that ruin it.
Permabanned
next time theres a group get a metal bar and bash there heads in.
I'd have never thought lava lounge was a place where a rough crowd would go - half the time you seem to have the bubble machine on the go, and the main draw for a sunday was the 2 for 1 cocktails (been a while since I last went so may have changed). Hardly a biker bar is it
lol, the bubble machine
. Its not really, its usually quite a decent crowd, and sundays are usually very quiet and relaxed. Nice to work usually becoase there is usally no stress and no incident. We only now and again have scumbags in there.
Associate
I'm usually fine with doormen. Always say 'Hi' or 'cya later' as I go past them and never have any trouble. The trouble comes from idiots that can't handle their drink after 3 stellas need to prove their manliness. Can't people just drink and have a good laugh on the dancefloor. Same with idiots who randomly decide to punch people on the dancefloor because they think they can get away with it. I'd be happy to jump in for a doorman if I seen something big kick off (and I never fight).
Are you SIA licenced? It doesn't sound like the sort of mentality you're taught to have within the SIA. When I got my licence I had to do several courses dealing with non-threatening behaviour, defusing situations, dealing with people and so on... To me it sounds like you're getting wound up too much. I certainly would not have said to the drunk "just because you're outnumbering me 7-1 (or whatever) it makes you a hardman..." or thereabouts. That's just the wrong attitude to have IMO. Let them strike first, pre-emptive strikes are fine if you're in a corner with nothing to lose, get the **** down as quick and as fast as possible. In a professional role, you have to pacify the situation and be non-threatening in your body language, behaviour and language choice. But you're young and so your reaction is not surprising really - I was the same.
Yeh I know what you mean, i know im young, and this weekend Ive had to speak politely for over 10mins at a time to 3-4 customers explaining why their mate cant stay in there because hes licking the walls hes so drunk, and then having to deal with them complaining about me and saying im an idiot becaise "you didnt treat him fairly" when all ive done is say "Oright mate, you feeling ok, you have had a few to many to drink mate, i think its time to go home and go to bed, tell ** mates your off and you can go out here" to which they say ok mate cheers and leave, and then i have these prats telling me im out of order.
I think last night was just the icing on the cake, and it probably was handled the wrong way.
No personal attacks - Gilly
Luckily the company that run most the doors in my town (Brentwood) are just that, professional and decent! I have seen dozens of idiots chucked out of various pubs and clubs in town but never have the doormen acted like thugs, they simply and very effectively use restraining moves and march them out.
Luckily the company that run most the doors in my town (Brentwood) are just that, professional and decent! I have seen dozens of idiots chucked out of various pubs and clubs in town but never have the doormen acted like thugs, they simply and very effectively use restraining moves and march them out.
Man of Honour
It takes a lot to admit when you make a mistake.
I just hope you feel you can handle it and learnt from it. The last thing you want is for the SIA to get involved and revoke your licence.
A doorman’s job first and foremost should be to pacify not teach a lesson. You are there to diffuse situations, not to take revenge or deal with the scum in our society, we have the police force for that and even though we may all feel they are not doing it as well as we would ourselves, that’s the law and a good doorman stays within the law.
Second I don't personally feel working the door gives you 'life experience'. Sure it gives you an insight into how people react when they are drunk, drugged or being egged on by a group of 'friends', but it is hardly reflective of their personalities 95% of the time. There are many better things you could be doing to gain such experience I would suggest and in fact working the door will give you nothing more than life experience of the worst aspects of people which you don’t really need to experience to learn anything.
I know nothing about you, but maybe you should look at putting your frustrations into another direction, maybe into Rugby Union or Amateur Boxing, both of which served me well as a kid and taught me that there were many people much harder, tougher and stronger than I would ever be, and that 99% of the time it was not the goby, loud mouthed, tattoo'd tough nut who you saw down the pub.
Such environments would also give you a far greater insight into life I would suspect too, and have great social circles from which to gain valuable experience and insight. I have never worked a door nor would I wish to, it’s a horrible job but someone has to do it and fair play for taking up the reins, but I think your mindset seems to be off kilter with the job at hand, based on your post here which is all I have to go by.
I can fully understand why you want to iron bar idiots, I get that feeling 4 or 5 times a day but the fact remains I will be breaking the law and lowering myself to their level, which means they have won in real terms, and going down for slapping an idiot who will still be an idiot in the morning is wasted energy.
Second I don't personally feel working the door gives you 'life experience'. Sure it gives you an insight into how people react when they are drunk, drugged or being egged on by a group of 'friends', but it is hardly reflective of their personalities 95% of the time. There are many better things you could be doing to gain such experience I would suggest and in fact working the door will give you nothing more than life experience of the worst aspects of people which you don’t really need to experience to learn anything.
I know nothing about you, but maybe you should look at putting your frustrations into another direction, maybe into Rugby Union or Amateur Boxing, both of which served me well as a kid and taught me that there were many people much harder, tougher and stronger than I would ever be, and that 99% of the time it was not the goby, loud mouthed, tattoo'd tough nut who you saw down the pub.
Such environments would also give you a far greater insight into life I would suspect too, and have great social circles from which to gain valuable experience and insight. I have never worked a door nor would I wish to, it’s a horrible job but someone has to do it and fair play for taking up the reins, but I think your mindset seems to be off kilter with the job at hand, based on your post here which is all I have to go by.
I can fully understand why you want to iron bar idiots, I get that feeling 4 or 5 times a day but the fact remains I will be breaking the law and lowering myself to their level, which means they have won in real terms, and going down for slapping an idiot who will still be an idiot in the morning is wasted energy.
So 1 wrongly handled indicedent out of 100's makes me an idiot. We all make mistakes, and there is no need to call me names over 1 incident.
You assaulted someone for being drunk/stupid and mouthing off. I'd say that was a MASSIVE mistake considering a doorman’s job is to keep the peace.
Also the way you described things makes you sound like a violent person who seems to thing being ARD is kool
Man of Honour
You assaulted someone for being drunk/stupid and mouthing off. I'd say that was a MASSIVE mistake considering a doorman’s job is to keep the peace.
Also the way you described things makes you sound like a violent person who seems to thing being ARD is kool
Regardless, the rules of the forum state that no personal attacks are allowed. Take note.
Soldato
Sorry but its not just one badly handled incident, its your attitude that people think stinks. I'm the same age as you and only once have i ever seen a bouncer throw a punch at someone (he was hit first). In a complete contrast i've seen many bouncers getting people in arm-locks and walking them out the club and out the door. I've also been taken outside myself by a bouncer because me and my friend were trying to give each other dead arms inside the club, after taking me out he asked what i was doing, saw i wasn't a drunk ****** and let me back inside.
Like many people have said your job isn't to be fighting with people, its to be diffusing the situation. Saying you would have loved to hit someone is understandable, i've wanted to hit loads of people for various reasons, the difference is that you shouldn't. Telling the guy you'd take him on in a fair fight is stupid, its just provoking a reaction. You should have told him to calm it down and get out or the police will be here. Hell you could even have lied and said the police are on their way already.
You assaulted someone for being drunk/stupid and mouthing off. I'd say that was a MASSIVE mistake considering a doorman’s job is to keep the peace.
Also the way you described things makes you sound like a violent person who seems to thing being ARD is kool
Who was coming towards me to attack me, im not hard and i dont think fighting is cool.
Soldato
thats what they say
you need to relax a bit and calm down. its nothing personal with these peeps, its just bravado and booze
Soldato
I know where you're coming from as I worked doors for twelve years in Glasgow. The only thing I can say is that you should never have let the eight chavs enter in the first place. A tight door policy ensures very little trouble inside for your regular customers and a very nice, relaxed night out for them. No chavs inside may well mean more hassle outside but it saves the clubs rep going down the pan by them fighting inside, just make sure you've got plenty of back-up.
To those posters who think you shouldn't hit someone who is mouthing off at you, acting in a threatening manner and making comments about wanting to kill your family, ignore the fact that the OP works on a door. Would you accept that behaviour in the street? I think you would be telling the rest of the forum members how you bravely stood up to a chav and made him back off. The OP was perfectly right to defend himself.
To those posters who think you shouldn't hit someone who is mouthing off at you, acting in a threatening manner and making comments about wanting to kill your family, ignore the fact that the OP works on a door. Would you accept that behaviour in the street? I think you would be telling the rest of the forum members how you bravely stood up to a chav and made him back off. The OP was perfectly right to defend himself.
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