2. My main photo shows me with a cross around my neck. In nightclubs I tend to show it by having at least THREE buttons undone. NOTE: this is mainly to show my cross, not my chest, although recently I have been known to get my chest out!
Do the security men mind?
No, but the security lady did! I'm talking about the one in the Venue. On one occasion someone had 4 buttons undone and was showing their chest, so I undid 5 and showed my chest. Everyone cheered - but before I knew it the short blonde security lady was on the scene and said "This is your LAST WARNING. If I see you with your shirt undone again, you're GOING OUT and you're NOT COMING IN AGAIN." I wrote into Sponge (now called Impact) and they replied:
All pubs and clubs have their own rules and regulations. In the Venue we do not allow people to take their shirts off because it might offend and is unfair (girls can't take off theirs!)
Mind you, that was written by a girl (the SU Comms officer)! All pubs and clubs do indeed have their own rules and regulations, but those of the Venue were the strictest I have come across, as we will see.
But before we do, I can tell you that I came back from placement to find that the Student Union have dumped Showsec, and now employ bouncers directly. According to one bouncer, they now allow you to take your whole shirt off, as they don't want a fight to be allowed to continue because they're all busy telling me to put my shirt on! (And the SU Comms officer is male now!) In fact, when my computer is shutdown, it says "Please wait while showsec shuts down" followed by "It's now safe to take off your shirt"! (Just edit C:\Windows\logos.sys and C:\Windows\logow.sys using Paint! To change the startup screen edit C:\logo.sys! Bill Gates doesn't want you to change them, otherwise he would have called them .bmp!)
First, we stay in Bath.
In Caddies, I know the security men quite well and I always talk to them on the way in and again on the way out if they're not busy. Once on the way in, this conversation came about:
Doorman 1: Are you wearing your chain tonight?
Me: Yes. How do you know I wear one?
Doorman 2: Because you undo your shirt.
Me: You have noticed! Why don't you tell me to do it up?
Doorman 2: Getting excited now, are we?
Me: Why don't you tell me to do it up?
Doorman 2: We couldn't tell you to do your shirt up. You're a valued customer.
In Moles, they have never told me to do my shirt up. In fact, they never venture from the door!
In Po-Na-Na (so called because every time you do a poo you have to go na-na because the locks are broken) I once received a tap-tap-tap on the shoulder then the security man told me to do my shirt up, but that was all.
In Babylon, once when I had my shirt off completely they told me to put it back on, and told me: "You can leave it open as long as you put it on." That quote became a classic! But now, there's evidence suggesting that you can take it off!
In T's, I have never been told to do my shirt up, and as I left one of the security men told me "Don't get cold!" Maybe he said that because I had my shirt undone?
Moving on to Bristol now, and:
In Odyssey (now called The Works), if they happen to pass you when you have your shirt undone they tell you to do it up - then carry on as if nothing had happened, more interested in keeping drinks off the dance floor!
In Evolution, however, they do tell you to do your shirt up. The question is, how many buttons?
And in Creation, once I was asked to do my shirt up by a man in a black T-shirt, who I assumed to be a customer making a suggestion. However, when I ignored said suggestion, he tapped me hard on the shoulder and I only realised he was security when I saw his walkie-talkie! But, he said "only a little bit". Later that night, another bouncer had a hard job getting many people to put their shirts on. I can see why we all had them off (including myself!) One of these days, someone will invent air conditioning!
In the Rock, I have been told to do my shirt up, but only when it was completely undone!
How about Southampton?
In Ikon (probably also Diva), I have occasionally been told to do my shirt up, but not often. It seems as if they are a bit lazy at times, apparrently missing some fights, and not always promptly responding to unofficial podium dancers!
In Jumpin Jaks, under the same management, at one stage the hypocrisy of the bouncers (telling me to do my shirt up when they had all their buttons undone) was the cause of a boycott. I don't think the "Customer Safety" legend on the back of their tops was appropriate.
OK, so there has to be one exception to the rule, and it happens to be the Academy. Here, I got told to do my shirt up when I had 4 buttons undone. However, I will never go there again (unless a placement student in my department at IBM tells the bouncers I've forgotten my NUS card! No, I'm not like that really.)
And at Schooners, they don't seem to like too many buttons undone.
In the Dungeon, however, you can take your shirt off and the bouncer will only raise an eyebrow.
At the Rhino Club, where I shook hands with the Artful Dodger, I don't think the bouncers ever leave the door.
In Los Marinos.com, (the influence of the Net!) I have not been told to do my shirt up.
At Kaos, they don't like shirts off, but they don't seem to mind them undone all the way. If only non-students were allowed in...
And a few other places...
In the Guildhall, Winchester, they seem to let you take your shirt off
At Berties, Newbury, they let you take your shirt off.
And up in the north, Cream (Liverpool) lets you take your shirt off. And many do!
And over in Dublin, IE, I was not asked to do my shirt up at either HQ or the Kitchen. Either that or they said it in Gaelic!