21 February 2008

Duty of No Care!

| AussieGal83
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As most of you are aware this week is O Week in our fair city, and all the uni students swarm on Civic for a wave of parties, special events and cheap drinks. One of the highlights of O Week for the last couple of years has been Academy’s famed Foam Party boasting the title of biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Last night myself and a couple of mates decided that we would go along as it had been a few years since we’d been to one, and surely who can resist a night of getting wet and soapy with a bunch of strangers? There’s also the allure of lots of cute boys running around shirtless, but digress, that is a story for another time…

Anyway, my friend and I rocked up early at 9pm, and there was already a line starting to build outside the club. We waiting patiently in line just like on any other regular night out in the city. After about 45 minutes of waiting, news was travelling down the line that they wouldn’t be letting people in until after 10pm, fair enough. So we continued to wait. As we waited more and more people showed up. People in front of us started letting their friends in line. This is fine, we’ve all done it at some point, but it started to get rediculous when you start letting 15+ friends (not exageration) in. More waiting and the line behind us was getting longer and longer, to the point where it was getting close to turning around the corner onto Mort Street.

10pm clocked over and there was no progress being made in the line and still more and more people lining up, now on the sides of the original line. Around 1045 when no people had still been let into the club people started getting restless and rowdy. The bouncers were no where to be seen and quite honestly, were not walking up and down the line to ensure that things were running smoothly.

Soon after things started to get way out of control. There was a lot of pushing going on – then it started to escalate. In the section of the line which I was in a large crowd crush started to happen. It was like being inside the D Barricade at the Big Day Out – and this was just a line outside a night club! Now you may think I am exagerating, how could there possibly be a crowd crush in a nightclub line? This is Canberra after all. But as I slowly started to get more and more crushed along with the 50 or 60 people who were in the same ‘segment’ of the line as me, I started to get more and more concerned. This wasn’t right.

I kept thinking to myself, where are the bouncers? A) Why arent they stopping the people from pushing in? B) Why arent they stopping the people who are creating this crowd crush? and C) Why is no one getting let into the club, thusly alleviating this mess?

At around 11 I had had enough, I literally couldn’t move and I was getting pushed to the point where myself and those around me couldn’t breath properly. I can hold my own in a mosh pit, I’m used to the crushing and the crowd surges, but the girls around me were not – they were quite short and I suspected that it wouldnt be long before someone got hurt. At that point I basically said stuff this, and attempted to get out of the crowd crush, it took a good ten mintues of pushing to get free. When myself and my mates were finally out I walked up to the front of the line to see what the hell was going on. The bouncers were standing around, completely unconcerned about what was going on. I raised my voice to them informing them that they had a large crowd crush going on in the middle of the line and people were getting hurt. They couldn’t have cared less, just staring at me blankly. I lost my temper and yelled, “Where the hell is your duty of care huh?” To which they told me to “Shut Up and Fuck Off”.

Shame Academy! Shame!

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Well I am busy next Friday – but maybe the Friday after that we should have a few RA beers at ABN ?

Anyone else keen ?

Maybe ill set up a thread ?

el ......TECortina 250 Deathtrap12:20 pm 23 Feb 08

Just look for the group of V8 Berlinas of various different vintages.

My computer was buggered yesterday so I didn’t know about the RUC, or I’d have been there for sure. We need a better way of ID-ing Riotact people though. Maybe wearing a paperclip on your collar or something…

Yeah i missed that bit – saw it when I get home.

Maybe next time eh

I’m off to Wil Anderson

I saw you there – now that I’ve seen your picture. You didn’t look for the nolan helmet that was sticking out like staffy’s cockles.

I had a beer, then decided I had better things to do, like go home and drink Tui.

So where was everyone ?

I had 2 pints which is more than enough considering I had the work car….

Apparently realityskin knew what looked like (as can anyone who clicks on my linked name) but did not front.

My friend claims he saw mael but once again no dice….

By the way, AussieGal83, stop complaining. There are worse things to worry about in Canberra like – being overcharged $5 for pizza, not being able to find a place to get your doggy a coffee, or finding out that you really can’t buy a case of wine for $15!

“Just make sure you use protection.”

No need to worry about safe sex for manlove anymore: the Police have removed Scott/Jason/Adam/whatever-his-name-is from the Canberra streets!

Also, You haven’t experienced LINE CRUSH unless you attended Daft Punk Alive in Sydney.

I came too late to the Academy Foam Party so instead I went to the Academy Line Party.

The amount of line-cutting was pretty amazing but was expected in such a long wait.

My only gripe with the organization was the flyers didn’t mention that UC Students or something got their own, shorter VIP Line which made the normal line wait even longer.

In the end I just went home and had my own little foam party.

Danman looks even better through beer goggles.

Just make sure you use protection.

stop it, you’re turning me on

I do not have that groucho marks look anymore.

Im more faux gay/metro look now

Don’t worry, i know what you look like…

What u look like big boy 😛

Yes, tables at the front of the Rubgy Union Club in barton … mmm …sun.. beer…

I understand. I’ll be there.

Just bored on the last day of another crap job, not likely to be a regular thing.

AussieGal83 – I hear you. I’m your age and I would have been annoyed too that 1. the bouncers and staff did nothing and 2. their response was “shut up and fuck off”.

Bouncers don’t know what to say or do if a girl isn’t cracking on to them to get free entry or drinks, so that’s their usual response.

If it still bothers you – next time your at academy and notice someone that works there who isn’t a door bitch or bouncer, politely tell them you were annoyed about the situation and it ruined what would have been an awesome night for you and your friends – they’ll probably give you free drinks or entry passes and an apology. I’ve worked at a few clubs and the owners usually want to keep the female patrons happy (unless they’re dumb skanks, then who cares) – without girls going to the club there’d be no club!

frontrow, I am quite tempted… I can meet you there at 1630 if ya want – for a quick one.. D.O. this week so can not get MacGoo’d but can have a debrief. You know what my work car looks like.

Rugby Union Club…

Finally started posting Steve ?

The RUC is in Barton opposite AGS, Danman. You’ve been there before.

To think this thread started with a foam party.

In all honesty – I think an ABN night is due soon… get everyone out of the woodwork to meet each other again….Last one was around JB leaving for the coast time…Crazy Chester – you listening ? We were all waiting for you last time :P~~

Cryptic.

Ya’ll can KMA 🙂

Im gunna get cryptic on you all now 🙂

1645 at GRC near GMP ill be waring the SSG and 3/4C’s look for the DD’s and up 5 degrees.

Your hint will be Gunghalin

Hey Danman, I’m finishing another crappy contract today. I’m up for a beer if you are going. I’ll even buy my own.

What makes you think that other dude is flexing his right bicep? That could be the hand he types with. I think he’s an elf, but he could be a gnome.

I’m in JGB, so I’ll be at the RUC at about 4:31 if I leave at 4:30. Happy to be the congregation point, look for the black and tan Nolan motorbike helmet.

RUC ?
I finish @ 4 – its do-able 🙂

I can make the RUC at 4:30

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:29 pm 22 Feb 08

So where are we meeting?

2nd round offer, the RUC , 4:30 😀 more beer

mmm beer

Holding the offer of a free beer out on a string like that, your a teaser. Suddenly pulling out when I got close enough.

frugal and unpopular….. 😛

Hollow, no, frugal, yes 🙂

But you would be extremely popular. Not suggesting your the hollow type though.

Mael, such a tempting offer, Ill have to refuse…

My offer was not across the board, but more directed at an individual.

I would be silly and very broke if I offered every beer guzzling person on RA a coldie of their choice.

I also am up for free beer. 4.30 – name the location danman and I’ll have a pint of anything not vb.

Oh I should have said not during business hours…

Come on guys have a think about the effect your bickering is having on “working families”. PS I’m always up for free beer.

Filthys in 20 minutes

This is an open forum – if its written here its everyones business….

BTW you threats just reinforce my statement.
Anyone can be tough behind a computer screen.

If you wanna call me a tubby geek, I challenge you to do it ot my face.
hell Ill even buy you a beer for it.

Get out from behind your safety net

Anytime, any place that sells beer……no threat, just an offer for a free beer, one that you will more than likely decline.

Anyone who knows me knows i am a gentle giant.

Danman – listen here you tubby geek, firstly wtf is a MMORPG ? secondly, mind your own business.

oh sorry Danman, i forgot you were a closet homo…

Flex those right arm biceps behind your firewall… Your are invincible…. Your MMORPG character could kick my arse.

btw: the pics of the ‘foam’ party look like shite … a few specks of foam here and there, i would have imagined the whole floor to chest would have been filled with foam.

oh sorry Danman, i forgot you were a closet homo… 🙂

hey realityskin, the obvious brains that schmerica displayed by turning up early, and not having to wait in line indicates to me that she would have worn appropriate clothing knowing full well it was a foam party.

Get your hand and mind off it.

I am probably as old as an entire attendance at Academy, bubble party or none.

But it’s good to read that someone has noticed that manners have collapsed. With the slightest hint of an invitation, I will go into full Grumpy Old Person mode. The rant would be directed at smokers, fit people who use handicapped carparks, litterers, window washers, telemarketers, chuggers, people whose driving says that they trust your instinct for self-preservation more than their own sense and skill, people who lose the ability to count before lining up at an express checkout, people who yell at waiters, bank staff, officials etc. Oh, and the dopes who block the view at football games by (a) bringing and using an umbrella and (b) making a dozen visits to the bar, toilet and fat purveyor.

That enough?

schmerica_ is hardcore, watch out.

Did you wear a white tank top, sans bra ?

There’s never a queue at the Tradies! 🙂

It’s just light bulbed me. This IS a serious matter, just think about it. O week meaning uni students; the future of this nation, the brightest and the best this country has to offer and their going to fucking Academy and not only that but their queing for hours for the privilage. I hold great fears for Australia as a developed nation. Forget terrorists the real danger is as always from within.

barking toad8:58 am 22 Feb 08

Well there’s a few minutes of my life I won’t get back after browsing this enthralling thread.

Does anyone seriously give a flying?

Queue jumpers should be ‘stooled’.

Queue jumpers are among us. Witness any single lane road with a roundabout that has 2 lanes. In they jump. I’m more important than you! I shall push in! Oh, you won’t let me in? You are Bad! I got the jump on you, I used the right lane to get Ahead and now people won’t let me in. How Bad! Let me in!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:30 pm 21 Feb 08

If you know it’s going to be a big night, why not get there a bit earlier?

Queue jumpers should be SHOT. No trial. No mercy. Queue jumping is the most basic disrespect for other members of society.

/rant

Sounds to me like you need a dose of ‘harden the fvck up’. Someone pushed you? Oh dear… Better get my medical kit out for you. You want in on the club? Deal with the line and getting in.

So your complaining that you didn’t get into the club. That sucks, I admit. But if you HAD been let in you would have whined due to the fact that it was so full and you probably would have been pushed MORE in on the dance floor/foam pit than you were outside. The club was completely full by about 9:30pm which can only be expected on a night such as the Foam Party. Just so you know, people push in lines at most nightclubs… ie. Mooseheads and (no idea why you would even line up for it…) Shooters. Its a fact of clubbing life in Canberra. I have witnessed the bouncers at Academy denying access to people who have pushed in line, same as Mooseheads.

Maybe go have a bubble bath to make yourself feel better.

ps. The foam was awesome and I had a fantastic night.

For christ sakes, some guy was going to smash a stool over someone’s head!

Wrong nightclub, that happens at Cube.

el ......TECortina 250 Deathtrap6:38 pm 21 Feb 08

Isn’t that called a brown shower DMD?

el ......TECortina 250 Deathtrap6:37 pm 21 Feb 08

Darwinism at work.

Deadmandrinking6:23 pm 21 Feb 08

For christ sakes, some guy was going to smash a stool over someone’s head!

That make f-king sense?

#

this whole ‘duty of care’ bullshit has gone far enough i think. people need to start using their heads and learning how to handle life without blaming people for everything that goes a bitt sour for them.

Comment by luke79 — 21 February, 2008 @ 4:24 pm

Agreed.

I was merely highlighting the lack of care by the people who were putting on the event. I was happy to wait that long, as at some stage you know you will be let in (that is my choice entirely) – my issue has never been with waiting. My issue is with the safety of those there and the responsibility of the venue to ensure that their patrons are in a safe environment. Yes, the line is outside the venue, but I dont think that absolves the venue of responsibility.

West_Kambah_4eva5:26 pm 21 Feb 08

Look, V8s or nightclubs I think we can all agree that at best Christmas is a mixed blessing.

OpenYourMind25:06 pm 21 Feb 08

You don’t have to like nightclubs. Nobody was asking you to. Anyone I know that has been to a foam party has had a great time. That’s why there was such a queue for this one. You may think waiting in a line for such an event is stupid, but obviously lots of people disagree.

Yeah, that and instead of the ‘mosh pit crowd crush’, all of the gentlemen should have lain their capes at her feet as she soared past through the crowd.

Product of the times, take all of it. Want change ? go join your student union or something, whatever.

this whole ‘duty of care’ bullshit has gone far enough i think. people need to start using their heads and learning how to handle life without blaming people for everything that goes a bitt sour for them.

could have gotten very very nasty with a stool.

The mind boggles……

Rule #1 in moosheads – never say “Can you push my stool in” to the guy next to you.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:46 pm 21 Feb 08

“Nah, sorry, stupid people are defined by having V8 cars. Didn’t you get the memo?”

This is a web site where sooks get laughed at. Didn’t you get the memo.

And don’t be sorry – that was last week’s gig.

damnintellectuals2:34 pm 21 Feb 08

Let me get this straight. You are the one who put yourself in a horrible position. Then you persisted in staying in a horrible position for two hours. And now, you are angry at someone else for your actions. Priceless!

Stools can be very nasty especially if your caught short.

Deadmandrinking1:56 pm 21 Feb 08

I think in Melbourne or something, they introduced or were introducing a law that stated bouncers have a duty of care over the footpath directly outside the venue. Perhaps something along those lines should be considered here.

I’d like to say also that I actually have some respect for the bouncers inside Mooseheads (only been to Academy once that I can remember – which means several times). Every fight I’ve seen break out they’ve dealt with quick-smart, including one in the wee hours post australia day where it could have gotten very very nasty with a stool.

Only implied Jazz.

As soon as they roughhouse somebody off premises, they are in a world of libel. As far as breaking up a fight goes, they are simply assailant C as far as the court is concerned.

not responsible maelinar, but they still do have a duty of care to those attempting to gain access to their club.

Police? What are they?

There’s a business opportunity going begging there. Where there’s likely to be lines like this, you could turn up with a hot-dog barrow and a porta-loo on wheels, and clean up big time. A mobile sly-grogger could do well, too. Someone renting chairs by the hour…. That bloke who read poems in public could have a captive audiency, just think of the possibilities.

Bouncers aren’t usually responsible for off-premises altercations, lets remember the purpose of a bouncer is to evict patrons from INSIDE the premises, not outside.

It is a police matter.

Perhaps some people thought that waiting was worth it for a night of fun? Just cause you don’t agree with it doesnt make anyone stupid.

Except academy. Nice way to bollocks an event guys.

I was thinking about going but in the end didn’t thanks to laziness. Seems I made the right decision. Personally I would have been seriously considering doing something after 45 minutes, but if you were expecting it to open at 10 then of cousrse you’re gonna hang around till at least then.

Most bouncers I’ve come across are pretty much just criminals anyway, so I really don’t expect them to give a stuff about anything except having an excuse to hit someone. There are good ones around, but sadly not the norm.

I’d consider making a formal complaint to the management but I really can’t see what it would accomplish.

West_Kambah_4eva1:18 pm 21 Feb 08

Nah, sorry, stupid people are defined by having V8 cars. Didn’t you get the memo?

VYBerlinaV8 the_one_they_all_copy1:06 pm 21 Feb 08

Anyone silly enough to spend two hours of their allotted time on this earth waiting in line to get into a nightclub gets what they deserve. Like all stupid people.

West_Kambah_4eva12:47 pm 21 Feb 08

…and Duty of No Care is the best line ever! Academy, more like STINKademy!! OWNED

West_Kambah_4eva12:45 pm 21 Feb 08

All those people who pre-emptively took their pills would have had it coming on too early! They’d be all like “Mmm che mmm che doof doof doof” in the line, man! They would have totally been like “Woooaaahh!” and I would have been like “Waaaaagh!! and the bouncer were all like “Hurrrr”.

It took you two hours to decide you had enough of standing in a line outside a club? Seriously you need to rethink your priorities.

Reminds me of the line ride at the fair in South Park 🙂

Yeah. Again, what did you expect. It’s Academy. And 99% of bouncers are morons who have a severe mental disability. As for the AFP involvement. They are too busy with their MDT’s and Intergalactic Comm’s Systems…

Ingeegoodbee12:21 pm 21 Feb 08

A queue out the front of anywhere should be a warning to avoid that place.

Why would anyone line up for hours to get into a fircken nightclub in the first place? People are strange. A good band….sure, but just a club? No thanks.

tl;dr

what did you expect?

go to the phoenix.

I think as far as they’re concerned, if it’s outside the doors of their club they won’t do anything about it. Which is ridiculous, really, as it’s right outside Academy where a lot of fights seem to happen.

I’m surprised the cops didn’t step in and do a bit of crowd control there, actually.

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