Bouncers On The Door

[ROBCamra]

In another thread Sheffield Hatter states that he has a policy of never going into a pub that has a bouncer on the door.

I mention that sadly this means that he wouldn't go into The Baum (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55901/) on a Friday or Saturday night then. The town centre management insist that they have a bouncer on, they don't really need one, but there's no choice.

This place The Old House (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/63375/) also has a bouncer on the door at weekends, but this is to stop the dipsticks from nearby West Street going in, rather than any problem inside the pub. This means that the experience inside the pub is better. So the bouncer is a positive in my opinion in this case.

I'd struggle to visit most pubs in Rochdale and many in Manchester/Sheffield/Leeds/Derby/Nottingham/York/Newcastle/Liverpool etc if I applied that rule.

What does everyone else think?

Does having a bouncer on the door put you off? Or is it just a fact of life these days?

[NickDavies]

It puts me off. Bouncer on the door to me is like hanging a big sign outside saying "This pub is trouble." The bigger and more threatening the bouncers look (and many in that trade look barely human) the less likely I am to go in.

[hondo]

The majority of my drinking is based around visits to fitba and horseracing so at weekend fixtures bouncers tend to come with the flow and wouldn't put me off entering a pub.

[gillhalfpint]

As most of my drinking is during the day I haven't come across a lot of bouncers, but remember a Saturday crawl round Derby before I knew my way around when I found them useful for directions to the next pub, even letting me know if only a back door would be open.

[Farway]

Most of my drinking is in daylight hours, and I suspect my choice of pubs does not warrant one anyway, so I have not seen a bouncer on the door.

However "I agree with Nick" [ha managed to get that political one in :D] and a bouncer to me would indicate possible trouble I can do without

[aleandhearty]

Does having a bouncer on the door put you off? Or is it just a fact of life these days?

Whilst part of me admires 'SHs' ideals, I agree with ROB that for most city centre pubs it's a fact of life, often based on nothing more than mere location, unfortunately being on some 'run' or other. If there was a pub I wanted to visit, with staff on the door, I'd still go ahead. Having said that, I suppose I still self regulate, by not usually drinking in town on a Friday or Saturday night, preferring teatime, or a mellow Sunday afternoon session.

[Soup Dragon]

I have always found the bouncers on the doors at the Old Joint Stock in Brum very welcoming and polite - it is the bar staff that tend to be more miserable.

If i could add - If you saw two glamorous make-up plastered ladies in skimpy clothes at the door - would that put you off?

[Pubsignman]

I understand where SH is coming from, but the need for bouncers tends to be determined by the pub's location - hence many High Street pubs of good repute will have bouncers to keep out the rowdier elements from nearby Yates/Walkabout/Reflex etc...

If I've been to a pub before or have heard good things about it from this site, the sight of bouncers would not put me off, but I can appreciate that if you turn up in a town you don't know and are faced with a choice of two pubs - one with a bouncer and one without - you would be more likely to pick the one without, due to the negative connotations associated with needing doormen.

I'd be far more likely to avoid pubs that employ toilet attendants than bouncers.

[sheffield hatter]

I'd struggle to visit most pubs in Rochdale and many in Manchester/Sheffield/Leeds/Derby/Nottingham/York/Newcastle/Liverpool etc if I applied that rule.

Like A&H, I mostly don't go out on Friday and Saturday nights, especially in the parts of Sheffield where pubs are likely to employ bouncers, i.e. West St/Glossop Rd/Division St/Devonshire St. Having said that, I've never seen a bouncer used at the Bath Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43051/) or the Red Deer (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43326/), which are only a few steps away from the main drag.

I suppose if it's a pub you know and you're aware that the policy is conducive to a congenial atmosphere, then fine, but otherwise I tend to agree with Nick too.:)

A few years ago, when the Hatters were playing Leeds Utd away, I turned up with some friends from Bedfordshire wearing a Luton Town baseball cap, and was stopped from going into The Scarbrough Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/42913/) about two hours before kick-off. My friends and I stood around debating where to go instead, whereupon the bouncer just told me to take my cap off and then let us in. Which just goes to show that every rule is there to be broken.

[Oggwyn Trench]

Most of the pubs around here that have bouncers are kiddies lager barns , although there is a local by-law that pubs(above a certain capacity) must have bouncers when hosting live music .
Only time bouncers have put me off entering a pub was a few years ago in Hanley , Stoke on Trent when a bouncer was having his eye lid stiched up at 12 15 in the afternoon :eek: i gave it a miss

[Wittenden]

My God, if the Flyer had to employ bouncers,I'd know it was time to sign the Pledge.Country pubs aside, I'm afraid they are a sign of the times, not welcome though.

[Gann]

The usage of 'door staff' is definately on the increase, and some of this is being driven by local council rules.
A couple of examples are
1) Pubs applying for late licences round my way sometimes have to agree to control numbers and more importantly noise, and if they fail to do so (e.g. get complaints from local residents ), no more licence extensions. So they employ doorman to help the pub abide by the T's and C's, and this is well run pubs as well as rough ones.
2) Likewise, in Central london, Westminster Council employ strict rules and regulations on outside drinking, going as far as painting white lines on the pavement outside several pubs in Mayfair for example. And if a pub imfringes it could be in trouble with its licence, so several now employ doormen whose primary function is to make sure people stay within the white lines on decent weather days.

[ROBCamra]

The usage of 'door staff' is definately on the increase, and some of this is being driven by local council rules.
A couple of examples are
1) Pubs applying for late licences round my way sometimes have to agree to control numbers and more importantly noise, and if they fail to do so (e.g. get complaints from local residents ), no more licence extensions. So they employ doorman to help the pub abide by the T's and C's, and this is well run pubs as well as rough ones.


My point exactly Gann. The Baum is open until 12 on Friday & Saturday and according to the local council this is a late licence which means that they have to employ a bouncer on those 2 nights.

Not from 11 to 12 though, oh no. They have to employ him from 8 p.m. :muppet:

[Al 10000]

It puts me off. Bouncer on the door to me is like hanging a big sign outside saying "This pub is trouble." The bigger and more threatening the bouncers look (and many in that trade look barely human) the less likely I am to go in.

I have to disagree with your post Nick,

These days they are not called bouncers that was a saying back in the 80s,they are now called doormen and have to go through proper training to do this hard and unrewarding job.
I know this because my daughter is going out with a doorman who does the doors of pubs in Nottingham city centre,this doorman has a name and is a decent human being even if he is 6 ft 7in and built like a brick sh** house.

I have to agree with Rob most pubs that have doormen only have them because the council says so, and on my many visits to lots of pubs i have only had friendly helpfull advise about what i am about to walk into.
So to sum it up i am not bothered if there are doormen or not i will still go in the pub.

[Alesonly]

Even the local Wetherspoons has door Persons on Friday & Saturday usually Two Large well built woman Ive seen them chuck out many of lippy Kids that think there it. It makes them look right Pratt's when they get thrown out by the woman. The reason they have woman on the door is they can better handle the drunken girls which seem worse than most men.

[Spinko]

The usage of 'door staff' is definately on the increase, and some of this is being driven by local council rules.
A couple of examples are
1) Pubs applying for late licences round my way sometimes have to agree to control numbers and more importantly noise, and if they fail to do so (e.g. get complaints from local residents ), no more licence extensions. So they employ doorman to help the pub abide by the T's and C's, and this is well run pubs as well as rough ones.
2) Likewise, in Central london, Westminster Council employ strict rules and regulations on outside drinking, going as far as painting white lines on the pavement outside several pubs in Mayfair for example. And if a pub imfringes it could be in trouble with its licence, so several now employ doormen whose primary function is to make sure people stay within the white lines on decent weather days.

They probably save more on insurance premiums than the bouncers' wages cost.

We have security at work and he's about 5' 3", but I bet having presence reduces the insurance premiums by 100k or more.

The Scarbrogh Hotel in Leeds not only has bouncers but usually around 4 police cars/vans/horses outside on match day. Let it put you off, and go to the Hop instead where you can get a tastier paler ale than you ever find in Scabs.

[AlanH]

I am highly put off by "Door Staff" because of the feeling that they are needed in spite of the the fact some are there only because of local council rules. I judge each case individualy as whether to enter the pub or walk on.
One particular incident that increased my dislike was after reception in Manchester my wife and I tried to enter a Wetherspoons pub. She was wearing evening clothes and a smart hat. As she passed between two "bouncers" (I use the word on purpose in this case), one of them abruptly put out an arm blocking her path and shouted "No 'Ats!". Rather upset, she chose to leave her hat on and we moved elsewhere. Only an isolated case and I know they are not all the same but you do tend to remember these incidents when seeing door staff.

[Galore Admin]

Off topic, but just to say Hi to AlanH. A big thank you for all the contributions to the main site, feel free to ask any questions here.

Hope you enjoy your stay,

Conrad

[NickDavies]

I am highly put off by "Door Staff" because of the feeling that they are needed in spite of the the fact some are there only because of local council rules. I judge each case individualy as whether to enter the pub or walk on.
One particular incident that increased my dislike was after reception in Manchester my wife and I tried to enter a Wetherspoons pub. She was wearing evening clothes and a smart hat. As she passed between two "bouncers" (I use the word on purpose in this case), one of them abruptly put out an arm blocking her path and shouted "No 'Ats!". Rather upset, she chose to leave her hat on and we moved elsewhere. Only an isolated case and I know they are not all the same but you do tend to remember these incidents when seeing door staff.

A big part of the problem is that they are not permitted the tiniest bit of discretion. Hence the stories we can all recite about ordinary middle aged and older blokes forbidden entry to pubs on account of them wearing trainers.