Comments on: If You Aren’t In, You Might Get Left Out!

By: Farahnaz

Farahnaz — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:23:58 +0000

Dear Warren,
It strikes me that why they do like that. Are they going to make a name for their restaurants/ clubs/ … or to look down on dark skin people/ people who aren’t beautiful?
Thanks’ for excellent information.
Best regards,

By: Sanaz

Sanaz — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:15:27 +0000

Thanks Warren,
It’s an interesting post.

By: Hans-Petter Fjeld

Hans-Petter Fjeld — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:26:08 +0000

First of, thanks for using my picture as an illustration, and crediting it in absolutely correct fashion.

This topic is interesting too me because I used to work as a bouncer in Oslo, Norway, while finishing my education. The guy on the photo was a colleague of mine. I believe we have such “in”-places in Oslo, that is described here, its just that I have never worked at one, or tried to get in at one. I think its a shame that people are so desperate for recognition that they put a lot of effort into being socially accepted in a certain crowds. I wonder if it might be the symptom that tells us that something might be wrong in the culture.

There are absolutely bouncers that are racists, that goes for any nationality, immigrant or not. I have worked with Turks that don’t like Pakistanis, Indians that hate Africans and so on. But isn’t that true for any profession? Is it just more obvious with a bouncer?

In Norway the bouncers task is to be the club-owners representative. Therefor if a bouncer tells a guy to leave, it is considered equal to if the owner of the place would have said the same thing. This means that the owner of a place has to trust the bouncers, and they need to be a bit in sync about what they want. If the bouncer want a guy to leave, they cant really grab him if he just says no. The bouncers in Norway can’t (in principle) get physical with anyone before they feel that they or someone is in danger. That makes the screening in the door even more important. If you can stop a (potential) troublemaker in the door, before he gets in, you (as a bouncer) saves yourself a whole lot of trouble.

In my experience, from the most “picky” places I have worked, how you act while waiting in line makes a lot of difference. If you cant stand in line for 10 minutes without blowing some steam then you might not be someone we want inside. Also, if the ladies in from or behind you are bothered already before you are inside, then you might as well be asked to leave the queue also.

My two cents. And again, thanks for using my photo with correct attribution!

By: gregorex

gregorex — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:18:26 +0000

Still no comment’s section in podcasts
I’m just at this moment watching “High Anxiety” on Film4. Brilliant parody of Hitchcock’s movies
PS. I don’t know why Google dictionary says that the word “movies” is wrongly spelled

By: Fernanda

Fernanda — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:48:56 +0000

Thats a very pollemic subject! I dont used to get out to this kind of entertainment, but i have heard about this, and sorry Alvaro, but this is a news from Brazil. I live in sao paulo and here this kind of “thing” (race issue) happens. My friends from school about ten years ago told me about such kind of behavior.
I deffinitly thinks that this fact is more bigger than appears! Here, in sao paulo, we have a lot of malls and if you goes to one in a specifically region (zones south, north, west or east you all going to found out people looking strange to how you are dressing; if you are not at your class mall. the bouncers are a class of professionals that show clearly and anormaly some under behaviors in our society.

By: emiliano

emiliano — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:22:48 +0000

Dear Warren, as you I think this is an interesting topic everywhere, even here in Spain up to day it is in the news as two bouncers are having a trial by murdered a boy last year in Madrid and another in Barcelona two o three years ago.
Spain is the great tourist spot of Europe, Ibiza, Mallorca, Marbella, Barcelona, Costa Brava, and so on.
Lots of people are coming from outside to have fun, music, dance, alcohol, everything.
Our young and not so young are doing the same every night.
Yes, it´s a prosperous business and everyone wants to earn as much money as possible.
There are thousand of sites, evey one with it´s own rules and people to be selected.
So It seems necessary to have these bouncers at the door of the sites to choose the people allowed to get in, and all kind of problems begun with the treatment given by them to people ouside waiting to be admited.
Here not latinos, here not blacks, here not spaniards, here not people dressed this way or this other, here not unknown people, here “I don´t like
your face”, here you can´t pass because I don´t want or I don´t like you…….and so on.
Thousands of Latinos and africans were beating by them everywhere if they wanted to be admitted. In fact one or two were killed in Barcelona by these bouncers.
Another boy was killed in Madrid last summer by these men, and several were beating every night.
So it was necessary to change the law and create a test for these bouncers that they need to pass if they wanted to be at the doors and get the jobs.

My opinion?.
Nothing has changed, people are being selected the same way, we know that because we have some friends who go these places and also we may listen to the daily news.
Yes, I know it´s a difficult subject and everyone has their own opinion and reasons to have these bouncers at the doors. Fights, drugs, drinks,
fuss,……….business, money, tourist interest….local prestige, high level feast spot (you may think what you want).
Thank you very much Warren, of course this is a good topic to propose here and I am very glad that you did it, also it´s evident that doing that has nothing to do with our way of thinking, yours is clear an honest to me always, that´s not necessary to add.

By: Hilario

Hilario — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:22:31 +0000

Dear eslpod friends,

It´s more than obvious what “to be in” means for, not for bouncers but for club´s owners, people which potentially are having a lot of money to spend in.
Discrimination against people out of the money´s standard or using pretty women as a bait should be banned any way, you get the ticket you can´t be left out.

Black and other several color skinned people and perfectly ugly/fat women will probably allowed in with no problem if they are showing some external wealthy signs, they become connected, attractive … and even fashionable.

By: Yaroslav

Yaroslav — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:44:40 +0000

Thank you so much from Russia.

It’s truly an interesting story. And it also surprised me at this racial discrimination that is still exists and which America has been trying to get rid of for years

By: Rezaul Karim

Rezaul Karim — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:18:13 +0000

Actually, we adore beauty and when an attractive women come before us we try to respect their beauty by giving preference to them. In our country there is a saying “ladies first”.

-Rezaul Karim.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:04:27 +0000

I go clubing like every weekened
never feel that I left out
I mingel with people
sometimes we throw birthday party in clubs
we get boots ,
it costs alot but worth the money
we get hammared sometimes
bouncers are a bunch of well-built bulky people
some of them are huge
u don’t wanna argue with them
while waiting in lines ,sometimes,I wish I were a girl
they get to go in with a small charming ,smily chat
but ,poor guys that even a big smile don’t get them anywhere:)
I m telling you ,it sucks over winter time