Worst clip joint you've ever been in?
chandler
Blue Ridge Foothills
...or if you've never been in a true clip joint, what's the closest thing?
In case you don't know, a clip joint is a bar that promises some kind of sexual entertainment but never delivers, then sticks you with an exhorbitant bill of bogus charges. They're typically located in tourist areas, since repeat business is out of the question. I don't know if any exist in the US anymore.
In case you don't know, a clip joint is a bar that promises some kind of sexual entertainment but never delivers, then sticks you with an exhorbitant bill of bogus charges. They're typically located in tourist areas, since repeat business is out of the question. I don't know if any exist in the US anymore.
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Sorry about skipping over a lot of the thread. I just read the last part about being charged phony charges.
The second time, Tampa, about 6-7 years ago, ended up spending $90 for a "handshake."
Strip clubs a much better bang for the $
When I lived in Tampa 4 years ago and more, there were plenty of places that did not provide disappointing experiences, and were much more along the lines of "giving you what you think you're paying for." Depends on the city and the decade ...
AN, I agree, I wouldn't call Archibald's a clip joint either, in fact I used to go there fairly regularly. It's not a bad place to grab a beer and I knew a girl who worked there, I wouldn't be surprised if she's still there.
In fact, the current modus operandi at the Brass Rail on Yonge Street in Toronto is to modulate between suckering and clipping depending on the susceptibility of the customer. The girl sits with you implying that her attentions are "free," but then later the waitress bills you for her time. If you complain weakly and meekly, they send over the bouncer and demand the money. If you complain vociferouslyl, they "let" you get away with "only" paying the mandatory price FROM THEN ON OUT. Obviously, as the girl sits there unhappily, many a customer will feel that he should "owe" her a dance or two. Even if he resists getting CLIPPED, he still gets SUCKERED.
I heard recently that London prosecutors are finally getting around to shutting them down. In the US, I've heard that this type of clip joint was common in many cities during Prohibition. The last of them were in New Orleans and a couple other places. However, similar scams like Club Risque are bound to pop up. People call any business that misleads customers or charges high prices a clip joint, but really that's hyperbole.
FONDL, your point about them "all" being clip joints is interesting. I think the thing that I dislike the most, is simply being misled. When Christie's took my cover charge and THEN ('psych! surprise!') informed me that there would be a minimum number of drinks I would have to buy BEFORE entering the club, I felt misled. (In fact, so much so that I sneakily offered to take my cover-charge of six $1 bills back so that I could offer a $20, ostensibly so that I would be able to break it, save the $1s, and still have enough for the first drink out of the $20; but then when I got the cover back I just left the foyer in a huff!)
Proper way for a club to behave:
Patron: wassup.
Door girl: there's a $5 cover charge and a one-drink minimum. You have to get your first drink from her over there (point).
Patron: OK.
Improper way:
Patron: wassup.
Door girl: $5 cover. Gimme a tip.
Patron: here. (He walks into club.)
THEN
Door girl: oh, you have to buy three drinks at $6.50 each now outside before going in. And a t-shirt. Oh, and you have to tip me or I won't unlock the door. ROSCOE! He's being mean! He refuses to buy the minimum drink.
etc. etc.
It's the MISLEADING that I don't want. I am probably willing to spend $10 per drink if I think it's worth it. But not if they advertise that the drink cost is $2 and then charge me $10. Same with cover, drink minimums, lap dance charges, anything. I went into one club and found out, after sitting around for about thirty minutes, that there was supposedly a "DJ charge" and that for every song that I had heard I owed him a buck. Fuggoffff ....
I remember one little place near Albany NY years ago where I asked a girl how much for a private dance, she said $20, I handed her the money and we went into the LD room, where she immediately said I had to give her a tip up front if I wanted her to take anything off or have any contact, and "the bigger the tip the better the dance." I declined and got a fully clothed air dance. But later that same evenng in the same club I met another girl at the bar who gave me several wonderful dances without ever asking for a tip. Seems to me that nearly every club has a few girls who will try to clip you and others who won't.
The closest thing to a clip joint I've been aware of are Champagne Rooms I've read about with continuous upsell. However, they only fit the "nothing deliered" part of a clip joint.
It's an old truck stop turned into a diner with non-contact dances available in back. There are a hundred little "tricks" by which they get extra money -- all the usual suspects -- not telling you about the two drink minimum (even if you ask) until after you've paid for cover entry; high-priced sodas; charging you for icewater without telling you; charging you for napkins without telling you; charging you for "free" refills you didn't ask for; charging you for restroom use; running up odd indeciperhables on your bill; and ... this ought to be the kicker ...
LOCKING YOU IN UNTIL YOU PAY.
They have a "buzz in buzz out" metal grate at the doorway. Makes 'em look like really classy businessmen, no?
My first visit, I "went to the restroom" and then bolted out the emergency exit, setting off the alarm. Nobody chased me.
The women aren't all that bad, here. And the food was diner normal. The "private" dances are a non-contact set up. They don't tell you that, either. They call it a "lap dance" but the dancer stays at least five feet away, and your hands have to stay in the straps on a "restraining bar." She air-dances, spins for you, nowhere near your lap, but they call it "lap dance." "Wanna lap dance, sweetie?" "Will you sit in my lap?" "Yes." By which she means, "No."
Its not a fair or even decent exchange of money-for-product or money-for-service in any way. More important, it's not the exchange of money-for-anything THAT YOU WERE TOLD YOU WOULD GET.
In the TUSCL reviews section, there are a lot of shill posts about this place, very positive reviews from people who otherwise haven't said a peep about anything elsewhere. I've been inside Cafe Risque three times, the latter two merely to confirm my suspicions for benefit of the TUSCL community, and well-armed with no cash and only a credit card so they couldn't over-charge me. I'll stake my TUSCL reputation on this one. DO NOT GO. THEY WILL STEAL FROM YOU.
The layout of the place, and the "set up," makes it pretty clear that it's run by something like the "local posse" of state troopers, or the county sherriff, or something, and that any form of pressure from the town (which is, largely, a poor African American community and / or the unpopulated lands of the interstate corridor) would have no effect.
Blight on strip clubbing in America, Cafe Risque in Micanopy Florida. Close it down. SHILLS AND CLIPS. Period. End of story.
First, you have to "ring in" to get into the place, which was very seedy looking and hidden in an industrial park. I was greeted by the "hostess" who was a matronly and not very attractive woman of about 50. I was told the cost, which I believe was $70/30 min, $120/hr. and was given the rules, which was basically that you went to a private room and could get as "comfortable" as you wanted with the dancer of your choice, the dancer would be nude and you could "negotiate" touching, etc. To ME that sounded good, and I thought I was in for a real good time.
I asked how I chose the girl, and was told that they would parade the girls in front of me, and I would be able to pick ANY girl that I liked. She pointed to the wall around the corner from where she'd seated me, that contained about 30 pictures of the girls. Yowza, there were some hotties, the worst one was probably a 7, so I was sold with the concept.
The clincher was, you have to pay up front, including any tip that you plan to give. WHAT?! She stated that the more you tip, the better the "service" will be. The proverbial little head became very vocal during the quick internal debate that went on, and thinking back on the pics - especially the sssmokin' brunette whose pic was burned into my memory - I plopped down $110.00. I "cleaverly" came up with that amount by remembering how much was in my wallet, subtracting out some money for the "negotiations" that I was told would happen in the back with my girl. Thankfully, I didn't have a big wad (err, poor choice of words) in my wallet.
The parade of girls amounted to three girls, all of which were 6s, at best. I asked the "hostess" what happened to the girls on the wall, and she told me that these were the only girls available at the moment. She said that I COULD wait around for another girl to be available, but it could take a while. She claimed that the other girls working that night were all on the wall. I asked if I could get my money back, and was told no, so I opted to wait. Forty-five minutes passed, and I inquired about the status of the hotties and was told that they were all doing multiple sessions in a row and it could "be awhile".
It was getting late, so I chose Miss Six, and hoped for the best. The first 10 minutes of my 30min session were spent waiting on the girl to enter the room. I was told to get comfortable and enjoy the porn that was playing on the TV, in the meantime. She FINALLY arrived, and it took another 5 minutes for her to strip on the small stage clear on the other side of the room. She finally made it to the couch, naked, and started dancing about 3 feet away from me.
"can't you dance closer?" - "you have to tip more for that". So I plunked down another $20. She then stood on the couch and straddled me, giving me a good view of the kitty and all. "can I touch?" - "no" - "I'll give you another $20!" - to which she laughed. "$40? $60?" - "no no". She then tells me that all of their clients finish off with some self-service action and she'd be more than happy to watch. I wasn't really into doing that - and looking at the timer that was running, I just had about 4 minutes left, so I asked her to play with herself. "no"
At that point, I stood up and told her that I'd had enough "fun", got dressed (yeah, I had gotten "comfortable") and left.
I think I was more pissed at myself than Lec.