Interview

Hey guys,

As we discussed yesterday, I interviewed a bouncer whilst at work using the five questions we came up with as a group. In terms of context, the bouncer I interviewed was a white male who had been in the profession for seven years working at various pubs, clubs, and cocktail bars around London (I used a bouncer from the neighbouring cocktail bar as I had much more of a rapport with him than our new one). I told him it was for a project but that he'd remain anonymous so that he'd be brutally honest. Here are the questions and his answers: 

Q1) What are the warning signs of a troublesome customer?

A1) A guy who is louder, their presence or vibe. A woman who is vocal within her group of friends, causing arguments in the queue.

Q2) How much does race play a role in your profession?

A2) For me, not at all. A lot of other bouncers judge a group of black guys and can be weary of them. But me, most of my mates are black, I have no problem with them at all.

Q3) Does the venue affect your own professional behaviour? 

A3) The venue dictates the rules, we just enforce them. Some places have a strict dress code, they tell me what they don't allow and we have a zero-tolerance policy in enforcing them. The same with ID; we have no exceptions. So, I guess in some places, we're stricter with dress code and stuff but we are just there to enforce whatever the venue wants. Like here, I'm more easy going, it's a more relaxed atmosphere and there's no dress code. They're more lenient so I am.

Q4) How would you deal with an aggressive woman compared with an aggressive man?

A4) I'd deal with them in the exact same way. I try and reason with them and if they refuse or get aggressive with me, I will use physical contact. First, it's just an arm, I try and lead them out forcefully but if I have to physically remove them, I will. It doesn't matter to me if it's a man or woman. We try to be "reasonable and necessary". 

Q5) Have you ever kicked someone out "for a laugh"? 

A5) Personally, I haven't but it can happen. If a bouncer just doesn't like the look of someone or doesn't want to let them in, they'll find any excuse to refuse them entry. It could be what they're wearing, had too much to drink or failed to show ID.

I'm also planning on interviewing a female bouncer in New Cross to compare the answers and see if there are any differences in how they work. I hope this is helpful in some way or could maybe even be a starting point to explore other themes of nightlife further. Looking forward to hearing your feedback! 

Stay safe kids,
G x