Verbal and Physical Abuse

[apodomistis]

What Legal action may one take against a security personnel (the common bar and/or club bouncer) should he experience verbal and physical abuse?

I am at a club with friends, all of a sudden we realize that one of our friends is being dragged through a fire exit.

we requested an explanation , but in vein, they refused to give any answer, they started swearing, name-calling, kicking, spitting on us, and violently pushing us out in the street.

In case you wonder, No we were Not intoxicated!

Upon request to the manager to file an official complain against his employees, he gave us a really bad attitude, mocked us, and declined to provide the paperwork for an official complain saying that he was not interested in our case.

We imediatelly called the police! They didn't do anything!

All the above happened at the centre of London, Leicester Square. For God's sake we live in London in year 2008, we don't live in the middle ages!!!

Why rude people like most "bouncers", with absolutely no manners, can get away with after having commited such serious offences against customers?

Why the police doesn't do anything about it?

In the past I 've witnessed bouncers to beat people until they faint (same area, Leicester square) and when the police arrived and several other witnesses reported the incident. A police officer's response was "it's not your business, you now go home." (???)

Why police never takes action against those "animals" (I shouldn't be calling them animals because I am not fair to real animals, monsters would be more suitable) that pretend to guard a bar and/or club??

What steps should one follow to take them on court??

Is it worth pursuing a lawsuit over such an incident?

[sara3]

spotted

[gelda]

?????

[Postdog]

Go out shopping and buy a life for crissakes!!

[Stormrush]

A few years ago, I was pushed down the stairs by a bouncer, ( not out of malice but due to the fact he was rushing to a fight(, but none the less , I was in agony and the doormen refused to call me an Ambulance due to the fact it would attract the media etc, so could I wait outside.
Iwas screaming and crying in agony and begged them to carry me outside, they refused said that they were not insured to touch me etc, ( and they are allowed to whack ya??), so me and my friend struggled to go outside, got a taxi to take us to the nearest hospital to find out I broke my ankle.
I oersued a solicitors appointment to be told in not the exact words but basically to let it go. I wont win and unless I want enemies etc to just walk away but they sent the club a letter asking for apology at least to make me feel better I think to be told I am now barred???? for life???

I get pushed down stairs ( accidentally I know).

I get told by a solicitor to let it go?.

and now I am barred for life??.

No wonder people are taking matters into their own hands or worse, losing all confidence and hidign away in fear of this poor ran world.
#
My sympathys go out to you and shall I advise you to leave well alone.. ? YES, but not because I'm concerned for your safety but because they wont do fek all. EVER !!

I now go to the club regularly after dying my hair, losing weight and every now and then I wil talk to the occasional bouncer because I am not going to let a few bad people destroy my faith in others.!!!!

[Stormrush]

Please excuse the spelling, I just reread and am not convinced the coffee has set in yet....:-)

[saxy_jag]

Complain to the club. In the very likely event that the club management will take his side, you could try complaining to the SIA, which has a strict code of practice. However, I believe membership/qualification is only mandatory for door personnel working for private, contracted security companies, and not for in-house security (ie those employed directly by the club).

You're unlikely to get much success either way, though, I'm sorry to say. Clearly, if he's employed by the club, they're going to take his side. And whilst the SIA is great in theory, few complaints against security staff are successful for the complainant. They're a bit like police, in that they just seem to justify any violent action by saying that the complainant was causing trouble and of course he's going to say he was doing nothing wrong.

It's never been any different. I can remember my brother-in-law bragging about such treatment of clubbers when he was a bouncer in the late 1970s - only then, nobody seemed to complain, probably because there was no-one to complain to back then.

It's one of the reasons I've never been drawn to clubs. You can have a far more pleasant evening in a good pub with a decent live band - try it.

[apodomistis]

Reply to the postdog's smart ass comments:

I am a decent Person with a decent and purposefull life. I am a postgraduate student and I am fairly new to London. However, in this short time I 've been here I have cometo realize how poorly this country runs in matters like the one I described in my initial posting. I 've lived, in Athens, New York, Amsterdam and no single incident has ever happened to me. However, here in London things seem to be a little different. In other civilized countries customers are respected and when the police is notified for incidents like that I described the bouncers and the owner of such a place is in big trouble!

By the way, "crissakes" is not a proper word and you may need to revise your spelling skills!

Thanks

[apodomistis]

Reply to saxy_jag

I am reposting from the initial post.

Upon request to the manager to file an official complain against his employees, he gave us a really bad attitude, mocked us, and declined to provide the paperwork for an official complain saying that he was not interested in our case.

[Postdog]

Yeah but I have a life and don't whinge over something I can get over.

Oh, and nothing wrong with my spelling - I was dumbing down to your mental level.

[birdie1971]

Postdog � I�m pretty sure that if a bouncer punched you in the face with no good reason you wouldn�t have such a supercilious attitude.

As a former police officer, I can honestly say that most cops consider bouncers to be violent thugs. They are also often drug dealers or they allow drug dealing to go on for a cut of the profits. Not all of them fall into this category but a great many do.

The problem is that because there are often quite a few of them working in the same place, they stick together like glue when accusations of assault are raised. This makes the possibility of a successful prosecution unlikely. Unless there is CCTV evidence that shows an unprovoked assault, it�s very unusual that bouncers are arrested and charged.

Apodomistis � You have my sympathy. But I�d let it go if I were you because it�s unlikely you�ll get anywhere. Sad but true.

[thugulike]

Bouncers and other security guards need a Blue Badge in order to be able to work legally. There may be a way to complain through the people who authorise the Badges.

[apodomistis]

I thought of it! T formally complain to the authority that certifies the bouncers but the club's management refused to provide their names on the grounds that they were not interested in my case.

I appreciate everybody's feedback and comments.

I am not here to whine like somebody said and I can well get over it. It is just that I would like to raise some public awareness because this will keep happening over and over again. Tomorrow one of you maybe in my shoes, your brother, even your son! How would you then feel?

I would also like to know if there is a way to complain formally somewhere about the officer's attitude that mocked us! Is this among their duties in this country, mocking the public and then blinking the eye to the bouncer?

Is the system in this country so corrupt or am I too naive to believe that there may be a way to bet it?

[Dave123x]

they are only to use reasonable force to remove anyone from the property. if you have been asulted then you have the right for the police to look into it. they would have to see the cctv tapes and investigate as to whether they were proportional to the use they used. If you have seen this happen in the past the only thing you can do is step up as a witness to what you saw. with phones that can film you would be best to use it. first they can only ask you to stop filming in there property and ask you to leave. they have all the rights to ask anyone to leave even without giving a reason but they must also do it right.. they cant take your phone or any other property from you. outside you can film in any public place. also you have the right to make a complaint about the police not doing their job of protecting the queens peace. but you must be calm. the police dont like being told how to do their jobs. but you can insist (calmly) that they investigate your compaint. if not, get their fin (shoulder number) and tell them you will report it in a station and that he/she did not act at the time of your compaint.