Birthday discrimination

[RossLT]

Last night was my best friends birthday and we decided to go out and celebrate. The only problem was the bar that we wanted to go to decided that they were not going to let one of the eight people in our party in. Their reasoning was that he violated the dress code policy of no baggy jeans. The thing was the jeans that I was wearing were way more baggy than what the other guy was wearing and I had no problem getting in. I can't help but think that the only reason that the he did not get in was because he is black. The thing was they had denied entrance to like five other people, all of whom were black, because they violated the policy. Meanwhile a few dozen white people who had way baggier jeans than any of the guys denied entrance got in.

So as the guy in my group is standing outside, with me feeling like an asshole, my best friend and I are listening to a guy explain the dress code. I am trying to not to get upset when they give us some bull**** line about how the dress code is there to protect the patrons.

We decided to leave and on the way out we told the owner, who saw a group of seven people walking out of his bar and approached us, that we were not going to spend money in a place that openly discriminated. I have to admit what I saw last night made me upset and will probably stay with me for a while.

Just needed to vent, thanks for listening.

 

[mike311gd]

Looks like that'll be a birthday your buddy won't soon forget.

That certainly blows, dude. But you can really learn from an experience like that: Don't go into bars that have dress codes. They're most likely overpriced, way too crowded and, therefore, suck hardcore.

 

[Moderator1]

They don't have a dresscode. They were looking for ways to keep black patrons out, it sounds like. Someone should raise hell. Alert the media.
It happened here with an Indian person and the club caught all kinds of hell. His turban/headgear/whatever it is called violated the "no hats" rule.

 

[JakeandElwood]

They don't have a dresscode. They were looking for ways to keep black patrons out, it sounds like. Someone should raise hell. Alert the media.
It happened here with an Indian person and the club caught all kinds of hell. His turban/headgear/whatever it is called violated the "no hats" rule.

Indeed. Tell someone who can stick it to the club.

 

[I Digress]

Looks like that'll be a birthday your buddy won't soon forget.

That certainly blows, dude. But you can really learn from an experience like that: Don't go into bars that have dress codes. They're most likely overpriced, way too crowded and, therefore, suck hardcore.

The only lesson any one could possibly learn from this is that racism is alive and well.....Good job for telling the owner why you were ALL leaving...

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Wow, and according to a conservative publisher here, racism can no longer be used as an excuse because, well, we elected Obama. So there's no more racism.

I Concur with I Digress. Good job for letting them know. Now, let many others know.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

I had a similar experience at a resort hotel a couple years ago. The resort gave armbands to its guests, who were to use them to gain access to the pool. This rule was followed sporadically, as far as I can tell. So I'm in the hot tub with probably 15 other people. About half of us had the armbands, including one black guy. Hotel wonk comes up and says those without armbands have to leave, and he's looking at the black guy. Everybody just stared at the wonk. The only one who leaves is the black guy, and even though others didn't have arm bands, the wonk walks away. Seemed obvious to me what was going on, and I wrote a letter to the hotel's corporate offices. The only thing I can add is, yeah, it does happen.

 

[DanOregon]

Could you name the club? I don't want to go in there by mistake someday. I take a lot of enjoyment knowing that these places will never get a dollar of my business.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

You weren't out with Joe Barry Carroll, were you?

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Three words: Better Business Bureau.

 

[forever_town]

That certainly blows, dude. But you can really learn from an experience like that: Don't go into bars that have dress codes. They're most likely overpriced, way too crowded and, therefore, suck hardcore.

Word for word. If the place has a dress code, I don't want to be there.

 

[RossLT]

Dan the name of the club is Parlor Billiards. Anyone know if I wrote a letter to the BBB would they do anything?

 

[mike311gd]

It couldn't hurt.

 

[wicked]

Dan the name of the club is Parlor Billiards. Anyone know if I wrote a letter to the BBB would they do anything?

Here's who you write to:

-- Every City Councilor.
-- Mayor.
-- Governor.
-- State commission on civil rights (presuming one exists in your state).
-- State representatives/senators in whose district that business resides.
-- Federal representatives/senators in whose district that business resides.
-- State/district attorney's office.

Someone will flock to it like poop on a pig.

***

And Ross, y'all did the right thing. Amazing that this happens still in 2008.

 

[deskslave]

Dan the name of the club is Parlor Billiards. Anyone know if I wrote a letter to the BBB would they do anything?

Here's who you write to:

-- Every City Councilor.
-- Mayor.
-- Governor.
-- State commission on civil rights (presuming one exists in your state).
-- State representatives/senators in whose district that business resides.
-- Federal representatives/senators in whose district that business resides.
-- State/district attorney's office.

Jesse Jackson.

Someone will flock to it like poop on a pig.

***

And Ross, y'all did the right thing. Amazing that this happens still in 2008.

I kid, of course.

 

[RossLT]

There is a columnist for the Seattle P-I who writes from time to time about racial issues, I wonder if he would be interested in hearing my story.

 

[deskslave]

There is a columnist for the Seattle P-I who writes from time to time about racial issues, I wonder if he would be interested in hearing my story.

Entirely possible.

I thought of this too: If you possibly can, see if you can document it happening again. Obviously, you can't go back with the same group of people as last time, but maybe you know some other folks who go as well. Get 'em to take a camera -- video if possible, but a still camera would probably work as well -- and take pictures/video outside of everyone (preferably some will meet the "dress code" and some won't), then of the people they let in and, assuming they pull their act again, your friend (or another minority friend) standing outside.

Otherwise, it's going to be a little bit difficult to actually prove something happened.

 

[MacDaddy]

Dan the name of the club is Parlor Billiards. Anyone know if I wrote a letter to the BBB would they do anything?

The Parlor in Bellevue, Wash.? Not surprised in the least. And yeah, get in contact with Jamieson at the P-I.

 

[KG]

Several people mentioned the dress code issues on citysearch. Some mentioned the discrimination among members of their own party. Another site of reviews also had someone mentioning racial discrimination. It's terrible that something like that happened in this day and age.

Edit: It's terrible that it's ever happened, but surprising to hear it still happens in some places.