Kilted New Years - DENIED!

[Magnus Sporrano]

My wife used to be a bartender in a somewhat rowdy country/western bar in Durham, NC. I used to go there and hang out at her bar to make sure the customers didn't get too pushy with her (the bouncers had their hands full).

While it sucks to be denied entrance, I'm almost certain it was to avoid a bar brawl. If you go in wearing something that they feel is likely to incite the regulars into a fight, they simply won't let you in. Sucks for you, but it makes sense.

No big deal. You found a better place to celebrate, anyway.

[GlassMan]

Seems to me that if the bar has that much trouble keeping it's patrons under control then they should have more security on staff.

There are many clubs in the DC area that seem to constantly have fights breaking out inside, many leading to fatalities. The response by the City has been quite proper. They need to either increase security, stop serving alcohol, or close down.

The fact that you allow violent, law-breaking miscreants into a bar is not excuse for denying entrance to a law-abiding and honorable kilt-wearer.

Imagine the uproar if the doorman had refused entrance to someone wearing a minority ethnic outfit because they wanted to avoid a fight inside!

[Riverkilt]

Um....think this sad incident happened in the United States of America....a free country (well, sorta...) with no known clothing regulations, laws, that I know of.

I disagree with the posts about denying admission to prevent a fight.

Any such establishment that found one type of patron hassling another type of patron would eject, evict, 86, the aggressive intolerant patron NOT the one victimized by drunken pea brained intolerant customers.

Booze dealers have such silly problems to deal with.

Not offending a cluster of drunks is just not justification for denying patronage to a potential customer because he's kilted....at least not in the U.S. of A.

Particularly at an IMITATION country western bar.

Ron
Who 30+ years ago used to drink at a REAL cowboy bar in Dulzura, CA...that's probably long gone in a tidal wave of red tile roofed suburban little boxes of ticky tacky by now...

[Yaish]

You guys are great. I havent sent my own email yet, simply because I wanted to be sure I did so in the light of a new day and a clear head.

Mine will be on its way immediately however. As a security professional myself (I am the Security Director for a large hospital) I understand not wanting to allow patrons in who could incite a fight. If I was wearing some of the T-shirts I saw other people in the bar wearing, that certainly would have been appropriate (they allowed shirts with profanity and insulting sayings printed on them just fine). The kilt certainly doesnt fit that profile. If once inside I caused a problem, kick me out. No problems there at all. Again, this wasnt the case.

As was said though, I went elsewhere and had a great time, met a new kilted friend who does live steel unchoreographed fighting and who invited me to come to his group. The other club even let him wear his Skean Dubh, and can you believe he didnt use it to stab anybody? Amazing, with us kilt wearers being such a rowdy subversive lot...

[GMan]

Have to formulate my thoughts before something from me gets sent. However I feel that I would not go back and end up patronizing a place that accepts my "shorts" and let them know why.

[mudd]

I have also just sent the bar an e-mail.
I’m afraid that I was not as eloquent as the rest of you, though.

It seems to me that if the bar was concerned that the Kilt would would have caused a fight, they may have said so instead of calling it a pair of SHORTS.

[bjcustard]

The idea that they wouldn't let him in to prevent violence is just bull****.

Would they dare deny a person of minority heritage, just to prevent violence with their "regulars"?

I think they call that "predjudice", among other things, and it is wrong.

[Alan]

The idea that the wearing of a kilt would possibly intice violence is just wrong. I work part time for a club as a bouncer and on special occations such as New Years Eve I wear my kilt. I have had no problems with the patrons. The only problems occur between the patrons. As far as wearing the kilt I figure that the Problem people are either worried that a man in a kilt is very self comfident, which can be a deterrent, or that they don't want to have to tell their friends that they got their a.. kicked by a man in a skirt. Either way the only problems I have when I wear the kilt at work is keeping the women from trying to discover what I have on under the kilt. Mostly I just get good comments.

[JayFilomena]

While it sucks to be denied entrance, I'm almost certain it was to avoid a bar brawl. If you go in wearing something that they feel is likely to incite the regulars into a fight, they simply won't let you in. Sucks for you, but it makes sense.

I have to agree with the few guys that say it might have been a good thing. I guarantee..that if some drunk twit looked under my kilt to "see if it were true" i would pop him in the head. While I personally have never been shown that kind of bias, The bartenders, bouncers and managers know who is inside and can spot trouble a mile a way, even if your not the one to start it. But now you know where the trouble makers hang out, and where they dont. Glad you had a happy new year eventually.

[Phil Wright]

another mail sent this evening. Racism of any kind really winds me up!
Phil