I was young and dumb.Well now I'm old and dumb. I was pretty wild in my twenties,
probably lost more than I won, the thing was I was usually just backing up a buddy
who was more drunk than me that instagated the fight, Mostly I was a spectator, saw some epic fights, teeth on the floor.
some blood.40 years ago, never any guns or knives, Left before the cops came. Just Remenising about my wasted youth.

In my early 20’s I was a bouncer in one of the most popular bars in my city. It was a club that stayed open until 5am and got unbelievably packed. Like sardines in a can packed! I worked the dance floor and that is where all the fights happened from people bumping into each other or dancing with someone’s girl. I would never be able to count how many fights I broke up and when breaking up a fight, many times they didn’t know who you were and you became involved in the fight. My role was always defensive and to get them out, but there were a few times I did go on the offensive after getting spit in the face. Crazy days and crazy stuff I saw. In today’s world, I would never do that job again.

Been in a few back in my youth.
I do remember they didn't last very long and everyone usually cleared out before the cops showed up or the bouncers got too involved, but I did once get picked up by the Tempe police for that. No charges thank goodness!
Got my ass kicked and also kicked some ass, usually backing up my friends!

One and with a bouncer at that.
Think the place was called the Red Cheetah in Cincinnati. Doubt it is even there anymore as this was 20 years ago.

They called last call and was not even 2 minutes later the bouncer started snatching beers and throwing folks drinks out.
Bouncer snatched a girl’s beer and she got a little mouthy, her boyfriend (I presume) was trying to get her to just leave. Bouncer started pushing them both toward the exit which was like down 5 or 6 deep steps with some railing. The fella ended up tripping on the top step fell and hit his head on the railing and went down. Did not knock him out but he was most certainly seeing stars. The bouncer starts running toward the fella on the ground and his stride sure looked like he was going to kick the fella.
Well, that was not going to fly with me. So prior to the bouncer getting to kick the fella I punched him right in the face which he was not expecting at all but not enough to end it.
So he came after me and I pushed him back into the rail and thankfully and went over the railing and out the door I went.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
In my early 20’s I was a bouncer in one of the most popular bars in my city. It was a club that stayed open until 5am and got unbelievably packed. Like sardines in a can packed! I worked the dance floor and that is where all the fights happened from people bumping into each other or dancing with someone’s girl. I would never be able to count how many fights I broke up and when breaking up a fight, many times they didn’t know who you were and you became involved in the fight. My role was always defensive and to get them out, but there were a few times I did go on the offensive after getting spit in the face. Crazy days and crazy stuff I saw. In today’s world, I would never do that job again.

You have my utmost respect. I was a fairly big guy, A drunk is not usually a good fighter. dissolve the situation
as fast as you can.

NOLA always has tough bouncers in the Quarter.We were joking about how small a bouncer looked and how he could not handle anything. A minute later a huge guy flies out the front door into the street.Well tough enough to handle that guy.
The best bouners just talk you into leaving.

Only one, in Victoria, Texas. Lot of years and beers ago. Me and my brother won, but the losers got some licks in.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
One and with a bouncer at that.
Think the place was called the Red Cheetah in Cincinnati. Doubt it is even there anymore as this was 20 years ago.

They called last call and was not even 2 minutes later the bouncer started snatching beers and throwing folks drinks out.
Bouncer snatched a girl’s beer and she got a little mouthy, her boyfriend (I presume) was trying to get her to just leave. Bouncer started pushing them both toward the exit which was like down 5 or 6 deep steps with some railing. The fella ended up tripping on the top step fell and hit his head on the railing and went down. Did not knock him out but he was most certainly seeing stars. The bouncer starts running toward the fella on the ground and his stride sure looked like he was going to kick the fella.
Well, that was not going to fly with me. So prior to the bouncer getting to kick the fella I punched him right in the face which he was not expecting at all but not enough to end it.
So he came after me and I pushed him back into the rail and thankfully and went over the railing and out the door I went.

I'm in Cincy. Don't remember Red Cheetah, there was a place in E town near the Indiana border called Crossroads I think
it was also a biker hangout, who knows? Long time ago.

It was downtown maybe on Sycamore.

Did Crossroads have really good wings?? That sounds pretty familiar. Think that was a place I went with my buddy that lived on the West side of the city.

During my 1st attempt at marriage My second job for five years was bouncing at a live band bar in the quad cities.

I don't think busting up fights counts as being involved, so no.

Worst injury I got was a bite on my calf. Went too the e.r.

Probably all the smoke did more damage.

Saw some hairy shit though.

After a nice guy I knew in high school got knifed in a bar parking lot because of an altercation earlier in the bar, I quit going to bars. My friends and I used to stay home and sit on the front porch and drink beer. Cheaper and lots less assholes around. Our neighbor, old Mrs Hoddy, hardly ever called the cops on us.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
After a nice guy I knew in high school got knifed in a bar parking lot because of an altercation earlier in the bar, I quit going to bars.

You just have to quit going to those kind of bars...

Plenty of laid-back neighborhood bars and sports bars out there that basically never see a fight.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
One and with a bouncer at that.
Think the place was called the Red Cheetah in Cincinnati. Doubt it is even there anymore as this was 20 years ago.

They called last call and was not even 2 minutes later the bouncer started snatching beers and throwing folks drinks out.
Bouncer snatched a girl’s beer and she got a little mouthy, her boyfriend (I presume) was trying to get her to just leave. Bouncer started pushing them both toward the exit which was like down 5 or 6 deep steps with some railing. The fella ended up tripping on the top step fell and hit his head on the railing and went down. Did not knock him out but he was most certainly seeing stars. The bouncer starts running toward the fella on the ground and his stride sure looked like he was going to kick the fella.
Well, that was not going to fly with me. So prior to the bouncer getting to kick the fella I punched him right in the face which he was not expecting at all but not enough to end it.
So he came after me and I pushed him back into the rail and thankfully and went over the railing and out the door I went.

This is why as a bouncer, and even now and all through my life, I treat all people with total respect. You don’t have to be an overbearing thug as a bouncer, cop, etc to get the job done. Frustrates me when people act like that. I do internal affairs in prisons and people often wonder how I get cooperation from gang members and suspects; it is how you interact with them.

The one time I did lose it as a bouncer was a situation close to what you described. When it was last call I would always let people know it was last call as I walked around with a trash can picking up empty drinks. I would give people several chances to finish their drink and never just snatched it. One night a guy just took a little sip of his drink after I told him the third time it was last call and he had to finish it or I had to take it. He again looked at me smugly and took a little sip and set it down so I took it. He spit in my face and I punched him several times in the face and rushed him to the “exit bounce door” and when I shoved him out he split his head on the doorframe. At that very moment the club manager came out of his office right there and asked he “what the hell?” But when I explained, he had no problem. I truly didn’t mean to split the guys forehead open.

quote:

Our neighbor, old Mrs Hoddy, hardly ever called the cops on us.

I stopped being eager to get involved in bar fights after a local PD officer pepper sprayed one particularly small bar with a bunch of us inside, that were invited as backup. That’s where I was thoroughly impressed how well one big deputy could make a drunk fly.

Road House!

My band gigged just about every Fri and Sat in bars in Pittsburgh in the early 90s. I saw a lot of crazy stuff, even a fatal shooting. Plenty of bars has U. Pitt cops checking IDs at the door, but they let the bouncers handle the hands-on stuff. I had a few friends tossed out for their own safety when they were getting out of line. Some of those bouncers were just beyond big, tough and always pissed off. The cops were the least of the their potential problems.

I was young and dumb, too. I also paid rent on my barstool by the glass.

I've been in at least 2 or 3 fights. The one that hurt was with 3 other sailors and there was only me and another sailor. I distinctly remember it was on a navy bus going back to the ship. We must have picked up the bus near the main gate.

I never got into a bar fight but it seems I’m the reason my old friend didn’t either. I’m like 6’ and the other guy in my band must have been 5’3”. The problem is his mouth is 7’ tall and grows on alcohol. He’d always mouth off and get political and swear like a sailor. Nothing ever came of it until the one time I wasn’t there. He called some guy a Neanderthal and the guy mopped the entire bar floor with my friend’s face.

I guess I prevented fights. I never drank alcohol though, I just went for the live music. I’m not sure if I’m intimidating or calming.

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