tuscl

Strip club charges women more, woman sues

Thursday, May 5, 2011 7:22 PM
A Maryland woman is so upset that she had to pay more to get into a strip club than her husband...that she is suing the establishment. Ericka Wiggs says she and her husband went to the Mile High Club in Clinton, Maryland back in February to "wind down". She was shocked when she was asked to pay $20 to get in when her husband was only asked to pay $10. She paid the cover charge on her credit card...but eventually got so mad about the difference in the admission price that after one drink she left and went home...but not before snapping a cell phone picture of a sign at the front door that reads "Gentlemen $10, Ladies $20". Her attorney, Jimmy Bell, told the Washington Examiner she was so upset by the incident that "She couldn't do anything else that night." Wiggs is seeking $200,000 in damages and is also asking a judge to immediately end the strip club's practice of charging women more than men. Bell told the Examiner "We can't wait for them to try to explain their policy at the injunction hearing," adding "There is no possible way that a judge will rule in their favor based on these facts and under the laws of Maryland and Prince George's County." Before we judge...know that the lawsuit cites two cases in Maryland that may apply. Attorney Jimmy Bell says that In 1995, Tully's restaurant in Baltimore was ordered to end its ladies' night promotion that charged men full prices for drinks and women half price. And, In 1986, a Prince George's County delicatessen changed its ladies' night after a customer complained, and responded with a "Skirt and Gown Night" in which customers who wore dresses or skirts were given half off on meals. A court of special appeals ruled that "Skirt and Gown Night" was discriminatory. [view link]

17 comments

  • SuperDude
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    13 years ago
    The club is wrong. You just can't do that under the law.
  • lopaw
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    13 years ago
    As a female customer, you would think that I would agree with the woman filing the lawsuit. But I don't, and here's why: I have had to endure alot of bad press from the stupid antics of female customers over the years. Many dancers have been left with a bad taste in their mouths regarding women customers because of this, and people like me pay the price. Sadly most female customers don't have any business being in a SC, for many reasons probably well known to anyone who reads forums on SC's. I think that charging women more will help to weed out the women/girls most likely to cause grief, and it will ensure that any woman willing to pay more will REALLY want to be in the club. Besides - any woman who were to become a well-spending regular at this club would probably wind up getting in for free, as many comped regulars do after awhile.
  • sharkhunter
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    13 years ago
    I think they should charge the same price but I would rule out any settlement. I hear about local clubs offering ladies night all the time every week where females get discounts. If a club wanted to charge females more, that would be as fair as offering a ladies night every week. I don't get any discounts unless I arrive early at a club or get some special membership or free pass.
  • SuperDude
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    13 years ago
    Lowpaw--Should Black customers be charged a higher cover in order to weed out potentially undesirable patrons "who don't have any business being in a SC" or who are "most likely to cause grief." How can you tell? This topic is covered in most law school courses in Constitutional Law.
  • lopaw
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    13 years ago
    superdude- I didn't say it was legal or would stand up in court - I just said I disagreed with it.
  • Luckymann
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    13 years ago
    I took my wife to lunch at a local "SC". I commented but only laughed when she got in free, but I had to pay the cover. In a perfect world, all would pay the same fees. Too bad it will never be a perfect world. Mrs. Wiggs should put her big girl panties on and get over it.
  • DannyNH
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    13 years ago
    This is a tough case and is likely going to set a new precedent. Since the cases cited were not based on PG County code, it may stand up in court. Many states have ruled that charging different prices for admission is legal, but charging different prices for drinks is illegal. If you're interested in these cases, you should check out the NYC lawyer Roy Den Hollender, he has been in the news a lot for fighting against ladies night promotions. And it's an entertaining site :) [view link]
  • Clubber
    •
    13 years ago
    JESUS!!!! There are differences (Thanks God!), in men and women. Every f*****g thing doesn't have to be, nor should it be "equal"! Some people...
  • Dudester
    •
    13 years ago
    I'd love to see the testimony in this case. "Aggressive female customers make dancers feel uncomfortable." "Females entering the club might be prostitutes." "It's a sexually oriented business. I hire heterosexual dancers interested in men. I can't change the sexual orientation of my employees and require them to be homosexual." As a lawyer, I'd lean hard into that last one, drawing analogies to gay men being required to do things they are uncomfortable with-then going on, asking the jury if they were comfortable if their grown children would be comfortable being required to act in opposition to their sexual orientation.
  • Prim0
    •
    13 years ago
    They should just change their policy to $20 cover and make every day a "Gentlemen's Day"! Like shark says, I've never heard anyone bitch about "Ladies get in free" at a bar or nightclub! She also could have chosen not to patronize the establishment as well. I'm sure there were other places she could have gone and paid the same cover as her husband.
  • georgmicrodong
    •
    13 years ago
    Prim0: But that's not the American Way! *Force* these damn profiteering club owners to *give* us what we want, regardless of what *they* want they want to provide. *That's* the American Way.
  • shadowcat
    •
    13 years ago
    Women should pay more. They can get away with more shit than us guys when it comes to tipping dancers on stage.
  • Prim0
    •
    13 years ago
    Another solution....she should become a dancer then she can get in "free" and maybe earn a few extra bucks on the side. But from the article, I'm betting she'd just be another ROB.
  • samsung1
    •
    13 years ago
    LMFAO! I like the way you think Prim0
  • brobrah
    •
    13 years ago
    I'm not surprised a Marylander was so irate about $10. It was just in the news that in one county they're all up in arms about a 10 cent increase in the price of school lunches.
  • brobrah
    •
    13 years ago
    Also, those who are familiar with the state really shouldn't be surprised by her reaction and decision to claim so much in damages. And that's all I'll say.
  • motorhead
    •
    13 years ago
    I know some clubs, including the Flight Club near Detroit, has a policy of not allowing unescorted females into the club. When I first learned of this, I couldn't understand why until a dancer to explained to me the managers are concerned that unaccompanied female customer are prostitutes. I guess I'm stupid, because I never thought of that.
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