Black Eye Friday

Well, its here again, Black Eye Friday.

I'm sat in my front room having a coffee, watching the Big Bash on Sky Sports, catching up on emails etc and generally relaxing before I venture into the fray.

The last Friday before Christmas has always been known as Black Eye Friday round here for as long as I can remember.
Lots of work do's and people out for a drink.
Lots of dickhead, once a year drinkers who think its acceptable to be loud, lary, and pretty much obnoxious.
They think its ok to shadow box, bump into other drinkers, talk absolute bollocks and generally be an annoyance to everyone else.

Lots of black eyes given out.

This year, like the last one, I'll be working the door at my mates pub.

Last year I'd never seen as many drunken states in my town centre as I did that night.
I'm 50 years old and done a lot of drinking in and around town for more years than I care to work out and I thought I'd pretty much seen as much as there is to see. I've also ran my own pubs, worked doors and ran my own security firm for a while...but oh no, last year was something else.

I'm reasonably well known in this area and know most people.
I also like to take the pre-emptive approach and nip trouble in the bud using more diplomatic methods rather than the direct approach....but there's no accounting the random arseholes who fancy a pop, the crap once-a-year drinkers etc so you've got to be ready for a bit of frisk.

Fortunately my mate, who has a notoriously short fuse, tends to get pissed off with all the bell ends to such an extent that he shuts the pub early and has a bit of a lock in for staff and a handful of locals. Last year he shut at 9.30pm, I left about 4.00am ish.

Its the one night of the year I hate working a door.
I can handle the well known 'hardmen' etc, I can handle the known 'psychos' etc.....its the part time drinkers who think its perfectly acceptable to act like a dick, abuse bar staff and door staff and deliberately try to work themselves with people whilst under the impression they are somehow exonerated because 'its Christmas' and 'they're pissed'.
Well I've got news for them....its not ok and tonight they may just cop an unfortunate one because quite frankly I'm fed up of appeasing these pathetic creatures and may just revert back to the 'school of hard knocks'.

Maybe I should have put this in the rant Forum?

Hell Yeah kick his ass Sea bass

a reply to: Freeborn

I'd make the worst bouncer in the world, because I can't stand cheek and I can put up with about 2 minutes of nonsense, especially from a pished part-timer.

I'd say good luck for tonight, but maybe it's your customers I should be sending my wishes to, tee hee. Have a good one whatever happens and aim for a 9pm lock in.

a reply to: beansidhe

I'd make the worst bouncer in the world, because I can't stand cheek and I can put up with about 2 minutes of nonsense,......

I've learnt over the years to rely on instinct and observation.
Most people are ok if you just ask them to calm down or drop little hints that they are getting a bit too boisterous etc.
Another trick is always try to give someone a way out of confrontation that doesn't mean them losing face in front of their mates.

Obviously some people are just wanting to cause trouble and the end result is inevitable. In those instances you either have to remove someone before it gets that bad or be prepared to do what you simply have to do.

.....especially from a pished part-timer.

Most of the confrontations I get these days are either from women, young un's just starting drinking who haven't really learnt the rules yet or the most infuriating are the supercilious once a year drinkers who tend to look down on all bar and door staff......the last group can be the most obnoxious and troublesome at this time of year.

My patience sometimes gets very stretched....as do some of them!

I only do the door for my mate in his pub nowadays or the odd Northern Soul / Indie / Ska / Punk do's that another mate who has a club put's on occasionally.
I'm too old and I can't be arsed with the aggro - but it keeps me on my toes.

Anyway, got to shoot - start at 5.30 but I'm going to have a couple of liveners before I start.
My mate said he's thinking about shutting at 10.....I'm hoping he gets really pissed off and shuts earlier.

Hope all ok with you.

Hey,

Black Eyes Matter

Well, another Black Eye Friday out the way.

It went relatively as I expected - the usual drunken tom foolery.
Had to turn away umpteen drunks, threw out a couple of idiots but only one instance where things got a bit physical but that was sorted pretty swiftly.

I really don't know what it is about this time of year when normally perfectly respectable, hard working people become complete and utter arseholes and feel its perfect ok to talk #e to each other, treat bar and door staff like dirt and be aggressive to people.

Still, its over and done with now....till tonight when we have The Bin Men's Ball - a day where council workers and many others hire a club, put a comedian and strippers on in the afternoon and then they descend on the town centre in the evening - obviously there's the inevitable high jinks and drunken goings on.
Fortunately I know most of them....but there's still massive potential for a bit of fisticuffs.

I've told my mate I don't think I'll be doing it next year for him, too much hassle for an ageing has-been like me....but I'm sure I recall saying exactly the same thing last year!

Hope everyone has a great Xmas etc, just don't be an arse and have a little bit of consideration for the bar staff etc.

a reply to: Freeborn

Most of the confrontations I get these days are either from women, young un's just starting drinking who haven't really learnt the rules yet or the most infuriating are the supercilious once a year drinkers who tend to look down on all bar and door staff......the last group can be the most obnoxious and troublesome at this time of year.

I used to work bar at the Flying Pickett in Liverpool which was a left-wing pub with a bit of a club upstairs. We'd have gigs on up there. The very worst customers were those who turned out for fund-raising gigs. If it was a benefit gig for some S American union or Senegalese farmers, they'd all be proper arses. They never tipped and were typically rude - champagne socialists.

I moved across the way and worked at the Flute for a couple of years. That was more student-friendly (I was one) and the best tippers and customers were just normal people who lived in Liverpool and were out for a drink.

You're spot on about youngsters and women causing a lot more trouble although coked up groups of lads could be murder too.

We had our Mad Friday works do last night at a hotel venue - free bar. We numbered about 45 and there were probably three to four hundred people on their works do at the same place. Had a taxi for midnight and not a bit of trouble to be seen all night. There was 'that guy' who couldn't seem to walk past without bumping and apologising - he was probably at your gaff to lol.

Merry Christmas