Security in Calgary Nighclubs

[Ozymandias]

Originally posted by calf@Aug 17 2004, 08:42 AM
What about not cramming as many people as possible into the bars? You get so many drunks in a tight space, stuff's going to happen. Give everyone some personal space and tensions might subside.

Or, to blame the city, allow the number of taxi licenses to increase - get more cabs on the streets and you can clear people from outside the bars faster

This idea must be approached with caution too. Calgary has been known to draw a fine line between patron protection and patron discrimination, which has led to numerous racially-based fights at Cowtown nightclubs. By limiting the number of patrons into a bar, a bouncer could potential choose to block a whole group of incoming customers who are along the same race lines, and, all things being equal, let another racially-based group in without hassle.

In theory the idea makes sense, but I think you'd get larger racial discrimination issues. That, and the bar scene just wouldn't be fun if it wasn't packed. But who am I to talk - I hate the bar scene anyways. B)

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos@Aug 17 2004, 11:16 PM
They must have changed the rules in the 'Bridge because when I lived there I beat the crap out of dozens of people outside many, many bars and they never stopped me.

When did you live there?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101@Aug 17 2004, 09:53 PM

When did you live there?

From '93 to 2000. I was joking about the "beating the crap out of people". Getting in fights is not my style (I'm too pretty). The police presence downtown at the time seemed fairly invisible though.

Some local cool-dudes did beat the snot out of a friend of mine behind a very busy bar one night and the cops, when they did arrive 20 minutes later, accused him of starting it. He did have long hair though so maybe they had reason.

Thinking back, some of the most chaotic (and funnest) nights were at places that had ridiculous drink specials (1$ drinks/5$ pitchers/that kind of thing) so (to drag this back to Calgary bars) they should really make some rules about that kind of thing.

[Reaper]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos@Aug 17 2004, 11:14 PM
Thinking back, some of the most chaotic (and funnest) nights were at places that had ridiculous drink specials (1$ drinks/5$ pitchers/that kind of thing) so (to drag this back to Calgary bars) they should really make some rules about that kind of thing.

Ah...memories of my university experience in Camrose..."Bar Wars"... Beer and drinks so cheap on Thursday nights that you swear that the bartender was going to press charges afterwards.

Man, small university and college towns have the most insane liquor prices because everyone is competing for the students' business.

The cheapest price I ever paid for a pitcher of beer was $4.50 on a Thursday night in Camrose.

When prices were that low I discovered I could consistently drink five pitchers in an evening without significant memory loss.

Of course, I have seen more bar fights and parking lot brawls than I care to remember.

Man, those were the days... (I am so glad they are gone )

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Being a resident in the 1st SW area, I can't wait to see that crappy strip of bars (NYLA, Euphopria) shut down. Given the high value real estate that is going in in that area, I don't give them much life left. With the negative press it's received, I foresee the City and the local Alderbeast Madeline King putting the boots to any further bar development.

For those that don't know, Mescalero / Crazyhorse is set to be demolished this winter, making way for a new commercial / high rise condo / townhouse complex. Developer is Apex, a fairly high profile concern, and probably able to put some decent pressure on the City to "remake" that strip, much like the old Electric Ave.

If you're Asian or East Indian, forget about getting into places like Mynt or the Whiskey. Ever since Skybar and the Palace shut down, the other owners have been wary of picking up this crowd....and have magic private events pop up...

[calculoso]

Originally posted by Cowperson@Aug 17 2004, 08:12 PM
Well, I'm completely out of my league in this topic since its a rare year when I might actually enter a bar . . . . .

HOWEVER, on a trip down to LA a few years ago with Bingo and a few other fellows, we found outselves in a bar at Redondo Beach where they scanned our drivers licence at the door.

No drivers licence. No admittance.

And that is my lone contribution to this topic.

Cowperson

Years ago, I remember having my license scanned when entering the bar.

I don't know if it is still done. There are privacy concerns with this practice though, as you don't know what they're going to do with that info.

I think they used to have a network of bars with the same system, so if you were kicked out of one bar you weren't allowed into others.

[Cube Inmate]

Originally posted by calculoso+Aug 18 2004, 11:17 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (calculoso @ Aug 18 2004, 11:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Cowperson@Aug 17 2004, 08:12 PM
Well, I'm completely out of my league in this topic since its a rare year when I might actually enter a bar . . . . .

HOWEVER, on a trip down to LA a few years ago with Bingo and a few other fellows, we found outselves in a bar at Redondo Beach where they scanned our drivers licence at the door.

No drivers licence. No admittance.

And that is my lone contribution to this topic.

Cowperson

Years ago, I remember having my license scanned when entering the bar.

I don't know if it is still done. There are privacy concerns with this practice though, as you don't know what they're going to do with that info.

I think they used to have a network of bars with the same system, so if you were kicked out of one bar you weren't allowed into others. [/b][/quote]
The Den at UofC implemented that system a year or two ago after a lot of violence supposedly caused by off-campus visitors. We'll see if it's still in place when it opens up again in a couple of weeks for fall semester.

[flamingchina]

Hey Reaper, when where you in Camrose? I was there in 98/99
ahh OC's, how I hated that place, the raven was good though...
The thing the U of C is using is good, if someone causes a fight, take there id, ban emm from the club, and if it's netowkred properly, all the other clubs in the city. smight help stem the tide a bit..
although the problem pops up of unprovoked attacks.

[Reaper]

Originally posted by flamingchina@Aug 18 2004, 09:55 PM
Hey Reaper, when where you in Camrose? I was there in 98/99
ahh OC's, how I hated that place, the raven was good though...
The thing the U of C is using is good, if someone causes a fight, take there id, ban emm from the club, and if it's netowkred properly, all the other clubs in the city. smight help stem the tide a bit..
although the problem pops up of unprovoked attacks.

I was in Camrose from 1991-1995. Good times. I can't remember any of it.