#$%@&* evil doorman forbids lights

Yeah, I'm still a little mad so maybe telling you all about this will help cool me down.
I went to a show last night here at The Rave/Eagle Ballroom in Milwaukee, a midsized (few thousand) well known concert venue. I intentionally emptied my pockets of anything objectionable (little swiss army keychain, green laser) before leaving for the place.
I watch people with hats and any purses or bags get turned away for a while (10 mins?) until its my turn to be searched. Long story short, he sees the Princeton Tec Pulsar and Arc AAA, turns them both on and takes them off my my keychain. I'm about to say something when he says "No lights!!" and raises his arm to dramatically thrust my precious torches into the large garbage can next to him. I catch his arm and say I'll probably just put them in the car, thank you very much. For a man that touches and frisks for a living, he sure doesn't like being touched by the customers. I get the hell away from him, lock them up in the car and make sure I get into a different frisk line by a different entrance.
I'm still not sure what the security risk is with these little lights. I can see a laser ban or a c or d cell flash ban, but keychain style led lights?? Heaven forbid there's a power outage at a packed windowless venue and all the portable lights are locked in cars.
A side note: as I was leaving, I saw about a half dozen people by the contraband garbage can trying to sort out whose asthma inhaler what whose. Wouldn't want those in the place, saving lives and all.
waddayagannadoo??

Anyone know the issue with lights?

brendan

Originally posted by jngl:
Anyone know the issue with lights?

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">This is probably just a ban on flashlights in general at places like this. The bouncers, etc. tend to use flashlights for signaling devices as well as other uses so probably don't want the general public in there with a bunch of flashlights.

For instance, if you see someone causing trouble in a place like this, watch the bouncers as they come over to try and calm the situation down. If they can't restore order, they will usually signal other bouncers with a flashlight to come over and help them "assist" the trouble maker straight to the front door and out on his butt.

That's probably why the ban is in place.

You seem pretty well versed in the bouncer protocol, L-H. Which do you have more experience with? Being Bouncer or Bouncee?

I feel your pain Brendan. I can just see some big burly dude trying to toss my Arc AAA CPF in the trash. NOT. I'd probably do something brave and macho to prevent a loss like that. Screaming like a school girl* comes to mind. (* no offense to school girls anywhere). I especially liked the part about friskers not wanting to be on the receiving end of a "touch."

Can you put a light in your sock? I mean, how thorough of a search do they do?

When I worked at a racetrack for 2 months the policy was have them open their bag, look, complain about the water...do not touch though. We had a big table we'd let them leave their water on--which we would proceed to throw away, but we'd never throw away something valueable like a flashlight--not while I was on the job anyway

*I just took the tickets, it was the security guys that had to take away water etc.

Originally posted by darell:
You seem pretty well versed in the bouncer protocol, L-H. Which do you have more experience with? Being Bouner or Bouncee?
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I feel your pain Brendan. I can just see some big burly dude trying to toss my Arc AAA CPF in the trash. NOT. I'd probably do something brave and macho to prevent a loss like that. Screaming like a school girl* comes to mind. (* no offense to school girls anywhere).

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LOL....ok darell....I'm caught. I've had an experience or two of being the Bouncee.

First time it happend, a friend and I were talking to two young ladies and had them take a seat at our table for an indoor concert. Unfortunately, a bouncer didn't like the fact that one of the ladies was his ex-girlfriend.

He came over and started crap with us and then said that we were drunk (we were both stone cold sober). He whipped out his flashlight, signaled some other bouncers and showed us what the outside of the building looks like during a concert. I wish I had been drunk.....at least then I could have vomited on him.

Oh well.....it would have been a different story if he had tried to take one of my flashlights though. I'd have kicked him in the shin, punched him in the throat, and ran off screaming like a big pregnant woman (I can't scream like a school girl anymore.....puberty took that talent away from me.)

If the lights had been in my sock they would not have found them. Thats part of the frustration...

Believe me, all types of contraband made it through security..plenty of pretty girls smiled right past the patdown post, the patdowns were just that, etc. I bring carkeys, wallet, money & nothing else and get "caught".

It's kiddie security - guys with no necks playing bully, wishing they could be real cops, flexing for the little girls (and boys! ). If it were real security they'd just be worried about guns and large knives.

I went through a Marine checkpoint once, and had a swiss army knife with me (tinker model). I just put it in the basket and asked him what he wanted me to do with it. He said "You may take that with you sir.". Marines, it seems, are not concerned with 2" bladed knives. As it should be...

Can't imagine any concert worth being frisked to see. Can think of lots of reasons not to want to go anywhere where you *can't* have weapons with you.

First off I wouldn't let them pat me down, but I can understand that you paid money to go and want to get in. look around firearms accessories sites and maybe you'll find an ankle holster that will suit the bill. have seen them for magazines that should fit lights. That or stick it down your pants (might make ya a little more popular, especially if it turns on}. There is a holster called Thunder Wear thats basically like a pouch that fits under the pants but worn like a waist pack. Keeps it concealed and you could put other items in it (spare battery, cash...)

Those are ways I could have possibly smuggled items in, but the problem is that I wasn't trying to pull anything and my harmless belongings are viewed as contraband. Also, the nature of the frisking was such that a concealed pouch might very well have been discovered; around the beltline, etc.

Personally, I don't object to a frisk to keep weapons and tear gas grenades out, but asthma inhalers and keychain lights are a bit much.

I think the place needs a good lawsuit, Inhalers!? Thats risking the lives of people!

I wouldn´t have the heart to let him throw away a flashlight, MY FLASHLIGHT!, But maybe you could and then call the cops and have him arrested for damage or destruction of private property, theft, assault or whatever! that should teach manners to those sheads!

I bet he liked it, and was going to steal it as soon as you went inside.

Did they confiscate Bic lighters & such?

I can understand that your probably still "fairly" young, so you still go to place like this.

My attitude towards place that want to frisk me is, "Oh Really?"

In the past, oh, 22-23 YEARS you can count the number of days when I hvae NOT had a pocket knife on me

1)The 2x I had to go to jury duty - they don't allow blades in the building, and there is no way to say, "I'm not going"
2)My 2 flights since 9/11

Thats IT - other than that, I've always had a blade. Places that want to frisk me get a pass

BTW Security like that actually places the location at RISK of a lawsuit!!!!

One of the fun things they don't realise is that if they prevent you from defending yourself, they become absolutely responsibel for your safety. You get hurt, they are liable

Ah, gotta go get some more flash powder/paper for dealing with folks like that

Some folks at raves like to twirl their lights around on the end of a string. I could see that getting dangerous in a crowded place especially with something like an Arc AAA at the end of a 3 foot string. Maybe the security folks were trying to prevent that kind of thing. If so, I would understand the concern, but I don't condone the searches and confiscations.