(REVISED) Annoying Strip Club Practices ... Part 2: "Wanna Dance (When You're S
Club_Goer_Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Sorry folks. On my original submission, I accidentally hit the “Post It†button before I was finished with my editing:
The first twelve years or so, of my strip club-going was in L.A. (There are over 100 in the metropolitan area. Perhaps I saw half of them in my years there: 1992-2006). Every single club I went to had a tip rail. It seemed to be a common courtesy that dancers not solicit dances at the tip rail. (In one club, I was told it was rule.) The idea is for the dancer on stage to keep the customers' attention so that she will be able to interest them in dances when she leaves the stage.
In 2004 I began making trips to Seattle, to where I later moved in 2006. I noticed just the opposite here. First, none of the clubs, in 2004, had a tip rail. But there was always a front row of seating. It seemed to be about six feet from the stage. Most clubs were designed like this, perhaps in accordance with state law. (One exception to this design are the Déjà Vu Clubs. The DV clubs have steps leading down from the stage all around it which entices the dancer on stage to come down to the floor level and “mingle†with the customers in the front row. This design encourages the customers to tip the dancers on stage because of this. Another exception is one club that opened last year does have a tip rail, but it's well protected and distanced from the stage)
Once I started going to Seattle clubs, I noticed that neither the clubs, nor the dancers have this code of ethics, or courtesy. Dancers will approach customers sitting in the front row/tip rail and ask them for dances. I find this very annoying. If I'm sitting in the front row, it's because I want to watch the dancer on stage at the time, and not be interrupted by another dancer who wants to ask me for a dance. I even go so far as to make sure my body language shouts, “I'm watching the dancer on stage now!†They still don't get it and bug me for dances when I'm sitting in the front row.
Is this a concern for you at the clubs you attend?
The first twelve years or so, of my strip club-going was in L.A. (There are over 100 in the metropolitan area. Perhaps I saw half of them in my years there: 1992-2006). Every single club I went to had a tip rail. It seemed to be a common courtesy that dancers not solicit dances at the tip rail. (In one club, I was told it was rule.) The idea is for the dancer on stage to keep the customers' attention so that she will be able to interest them in dances when she leaves the stage.
In 2004 I began making trips to Seattle, to where I later moved in 2006. I noticed just the opposite here. First, none of the clubs, in 2004, had a tip rail. But there was always a front row of seating. It seemed to be about six feet from the stage. Most clubs were designed like this, perhaps in accordance with state law. (One exception to this design are the Déjà Vu Clubs. The DV clubs have steps leading down from the stage all around it which entices the dancer on stage to come down to the floor level and “mingle†with the customers in the front row. This design encourages the customers to tip the dancers on stage because of this. Another exception is one club that opened last year does have a tip rail, but it's well protected and distanced from the stage)
Once I started going to Seattle clubs, I noticed that neither the clubs, nor the dancers have this code of ethics, or courtesy. Dancers will approach customers sitting in the front row/tip rail and ask them for dances. I find this very annoying. If I'm sitting in the front row, it's because I want to watch the dancer on stage at the time, and not be interrupted by another dancer who wants to ask me for a dance. I even go so far as to make sure my body language shouts, “I'm watching the dancer on stage now!†They still don't get it and bug me for dances when I'm sitting in the front row.
Is this a concern for you at the clubs you attend?
20 comments
On the other hand, I HATE being asked for an unsolicited dance when I'm at the rail, especially when they sit down and try to engage you in conversation when you are intent on getting a little action from a stage tip.
The smarter and more outgoing ones recognize this and plop right into your lap, then do their best to steal your attention away from the girl on stage.
I've had dancers and hostesses completely block a customer's view of me by standing in front of him, sitting in his lap with her face up to his, or bending down in front of him. I think that's a bit much.
As long as a dancer doesn't get clingy and doesn't ask me more than once per hour, she's OK in my book.
Seemed OK to me. I remember there was no tipping rail, though there were lounge chairs around the stage which were perfect for floor dances.
Here in Portland, tipping rails are common/norm. So I sit at the rail and watch. Nobody asked me for dances while I was sitting there, yet. So it could be regional culture.