Me vs. bouncer

M

MaMMa

Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
52
I haven't posted here in forever and recently checked here for a multi-use EDC because you guys here are awsome.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I went to a club and forgot my Strider SMF in my pocket. I've been carrying pocket knives for years so its natural to forget it on you, honest mistake.

I walk up to the door to get ID'ed and the ass bouncer snatches my SMF and waves it in the air and screams, "You want to goto jail?!! Why are you trying to bring this inside the club!?!"

I told him it was an honest mistake and I did not even enter the premises yet, I will put it in my car and come back. The bouncer says "no, I'm going to keep it. You can go inside and have fun or goto jail!"

2 cops are standing there just watching so I tell the cop to get my SMF back, I did nothing wrong. Now the cops want to be an ass as well. They say its up to the club. So I start raising my voice and the manager comes out, he tells me to come inside and talk to him about it. We talk and he says I will get it back when I leave. I was ok with that and go order a drink. 2 minutes later he's telling me that the bounce wants $100 for my knife back because its a "strider."

I'm boiling now, he wants my money to get my SMF back! I go outside and tell the guy that if I give him this money, I want him to sign something to document this and ofcourse he refuses. "You want to get an atitude with me, $200!"

I get pissed off now, walk back inside and grabbed the manager's business card, got the 2 cops names down and told them I'm calling my lawyer. Gave him one last chance and he's not giving it back, the cops are still overlooking things. They called another cop and he was even worse then all of them.

I told them I am not going to leave without someone going down for this and they will hear from my lawyer. They threaten to throw me in jail. The manager finally gives in and tells me to meet him across the street and he gives me my SMF back.

Ruined my night, first time in months since I had a break from school and wanted to take my gf out.

So, I'm wondering now, what else could I have done in this situation? Could I do something to the club and these cops for standing there watching this guy steal stuff from me? There was plenty of witnesses. I don't know the law that well but I do know I did not do a damn thing wrong that night. :mad:

Cliffs:
1. Goto club
2. Still outside getting ID'ed never entered the club
3. Bouncer snatches my SMF out of my pocket
4. He won't give it back, threatens me that I will goto jail
5. Wants $100, then $200 for it back
6. Cops are there watching this crap
7. I threaten them by calling my lawyer
8. I get my SMF back
 
Sounds like the cops were working for the club and not for you. I would report them to the DA or whoever is in charge of the cops.
 
Well, I'm not sure you can do anything more about it at this point. If you hadn't gotten your blade back you would have had some recourse but at this point there isn't much else. In some places you could press charges for harrassment but with three cops, the bouncer, and the club manager testifying against you and whoever was with you it would be not worth the effort most likely. It sounds like you handled a bad situation as well as you could. I'm glad you got your knife back.
 
how did they find out about your knife in the first place?


Patted down... perhaps, but why would he be patted down in the first place? I don't think the club would pat every one down before entering...
 
sounds like you did the best you could with a horrible situation. it's really unfortunate that so many people can be a-holes for no good reason, especially cops. that's really sad. i've actually greatly reduced the times i go to these types of places because i can't stand being around jerks like these people that you will find at these places, all the way from the people inside the club to the bouncers to the cops. most people suck. i'm glad you got your knife back.

mad3 i'm guessing he was patted down
 
mad3nch1na said:
how did they find out about your knife in the first place?
Click to expand...

I have it clipped on my pocket and he just looked and saw it. My shirt wasn't long enough to cover over my pocket. I guess I give him props for spotting it and making the club a safer place but they way he handled it was totally out of wack. I really still can't believe what happened.

I left out a lot of details that wasn't necessary, if you guy were there. Man it was horrible.

Oh yea, I had to pay for my freakin' drink that I didn't even get to drink! :mad:
 
My impression is you're not going to patronize that club any more, and soon neither will anyone else.
moving-van.jpg
 
Sounds like the bouncer just spotted it clipped to his pocket. It doesn't sound like MaMMa was in violation of any law, but the club apparently had a "no weapons" policy. That bouncer was a real dick. Don't know what to say about the cops. It is f*cked up that the manager passed it along that "the bouncer wants $100 to give your knife back" -- but at least you got it back without having to pay.

I don't care how "kewl" everybody thinks that particular club is . . . they're a buncha scumbags . . . don't go back, and tell others to avoid it as well.

And about carrying a high-dollar knife into a club? I bet you won't do that again anytime soon.
 
sounds to me like an a-hole who is relying on the cops to protect him on his walk to his car, in my town you mess with people like that your going to get stomped down either when you get off work or at some point later(it's a small town with no where to hide)
 
sounds like the bouncer committed a grand theft person, maybe a robbery depending on how much force he used to remove if from your pocket and if you tried to resist his efforts.

then he tried to extort money from you for your property.

id have arrested the bouncer had i witnessed the same actions or been called to the scene.

assuming, of course, how you tell it is how it happened.

in ca, your possession is in no way illegal if you are an adult.

entering private property subjects you to their rules, which may or may not have anything to do with actual laws. but violating their rule is not a crime, unless you are asked to leave and refuse. then it is only tresspassing. the knife would be incidental.
 
The owners and managers of most thriving nightclubs take pretty good care (as in *perks*) of the cops working at their establishments so it's not likely anyone involved in the incident is likely to be of any help to you. I'm betting there isn't a one of them that will be able to remember a thing about a bouncer holding someone's knife for ransom.

The whole thing sucks but my advice would be to would chalk the incident up as a learning experience. (oh yeah, and leave your expensive knives at home when you go the club. :D )
 
In many jurisdictions what he did would've constituted "Robbery," as he took an item of value off your person -- just like chain snatching.

Proper procedure should've been to either bar you from entering that night, or simply to say "You can't bring that in here" and send you back to your car.

No excuse for that sort of behavior, and the manager is equally guilty.
 
ok in some city's it is illegal to show ur clip of ur knife..this is common..and any private establishment can as part of the requirement "frisk" anyone who comes in but it must not be selective it must be general and happen to everyone or in a certain pattern..of course there is no proof to a pattern unless written down but i doubt that would happen...and so if u wanted to go in the club yes no knife for you..since u were still on the side walk from what i understand..u were in public property and had every right to get your knife back..and dont be surprised with the police reaction...many people try to sneak in weapons and have fights with them..another thing u should all know is many police dont make enough to pay their bills therefor they need night jobs...many police departments let their policemen work in uniform a lot as security and bouncers for many places...its just part of many union contracts and very common in city's..so they probably where looking for the best interest of the club..but then again if in uniform you are seen as a role model and i would not call that a model to follow... in short you did nothing wrong but all i have to say is just relax take a shot take your girl out to a nicer place and have fun..you wont win anything fighting beside a heart attack....
 
Find out the officers names. Turn their names over to internal affairs. Without a doubt they were off duty. While in uniform they still have to follow policies and laws and cant go around being part to theft. As far as the club goes, is civil action worth it? Really? If the manager is not the owner your best bet is to have a talk with the owner in a calm, respectfull way. If you can't maintain your temper, don't bother.

Find out the state, county and city laws and ordanances first and see that you weren't breaking them.

Find another place to drink. Joe
 
As a former NYC LEO, all the actions of the manager, bouncer and officers was wrong, and criminal. The bouncer clearly intended on keeping the knife and attempted to extort money from you for it's return. The officers were witness to a robbery and the extortion attempt and failed to perform their duty, and in fact acted inconcert with the commission of the crime. All that said, stay away from the club and learn what you can from a bad situation.
 
Let's see here...bad bouncer/door man, bad mangement, bad cops...you should consider yourself lucky to not have ended up beat up and in the pokey! Glad you got your knife back, but you got out of this easy, IMO.
 
MORIMOTOM hit it for me.

I had a similar situation involving a bounce-orilla, the manager/owner and law enforcement years ago. (Amazingly I was wearing a Buck 110, but that was NOT a problem back then. Let's just say I may have been wearing a polyester shirt...) After discussing my concerns in "a talk with the owner in a calm, respectfull way", I left but needed to get the rest of my party to leave also. I was rudely denied re-entry to do so. Long story involving me being 'in the right',ME calling the cops, the cop returning to the club with me to get their side of the story.
We walk up to the door.
Cop asks 'Evening, Bob. What's the problem?'
Owner Bob replies 'That guy won't take 'no' for an answer.'
Cop shoves me into the wall, searches, cuffs and calls the hootchvagen.
No charges were filed. Knife was returned with all my pocket stuff when I returned to civil society the next morning.
 
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