I posted this review in the appropriate section but it bothered me enough to want to discuss it with others here.
Before I entered the Inner Room on a Friday afternoon, I stopped at my local bank ATM to get $100 cash (five $20 bills) to avoid the ripoff ATM fees charged at non-customer ATMs, especially in clubs. When I checked my wallet, I had that plus at least another $20 bill in the "high" side of my two-sided wallet with a few dollars in small bills on the "low" side. I am writing this review as a warning to others of possible pickpockets at the Inner Room.
I have not visited the Inner Room in quite a while. Tessa, an old favorite from back in the day, is still there. Tessa greeted me warmly before leaving me for break.
I was wearing dark gym shorts and a dark polo shirt with short white athletic socks and white jogging shoes. I stopped at the bar and ordered a $3.25 Diet Pepsi toward the two drink minimum, breaking a $10 bill from the "low" side of my wallet. I left three quarters as a bar tip and pocketed the remaining $5 and $1 bills in the "low" side of my wallet. I did not check but I am sure at the time that my supply of $20 bills I had withdrawn earlier remained still in the "high" side of my wallet.
Tessa returned from break and took me to the back bench for some dances. As I have done many times, I removed my wallet and my keys from my pockets for comfort and placed them on the adjacent table in my own plain sight. Tessa expressed worry about leaving them on the table and placed them on the bench next to us with her removed dress. Dances at the Inner Room are still $10 and I had promised to purchase four dances. She did a fine job as usual. Upon completion, we noticed that the wallet had fallen behind the bench. When I opened it, the entire "high" side of my wallet was empty! In fact, even the "low" side only had the $6 in change I had earlier placed there. I swear I recall having other $1 bills on that side as well at the bar.
Tessa freaked as much as I did. Whether she was the culprit or not remains a mystery. She swears she had nothing to do with it. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, withdrew cash from the ripoff ATM, paid her the $40 owed, and left.
In my many years of strip clubbing, I have never, ever had anything like this happen to me. I am not a happy camper right now. My unhappiness explains why I rated this club a "1" in terms of monetary value, i.e. "Broke before you sit down." I still cannot determine exactly when and where the money vanished. But I guess that is why they call them "pickpockets."
That's a bum deal man. I always keep my wallet in my back pocket when getting a dance but I do put keys, cell phones and the like on a table for added "frontal" comfort.
I'd say it's likely the lady was involved. She was the one that had you move your wallet to a location of her suggestion.
Kinda reminds me of a story from my home club, one of the dancers has told me that she has had her money stolen by a customer while dancing on the stage. It's always the same. The money disappears while she is at the other end of the dance runway, there is nothing on the camera film and the guy who was sitting next to her purse runs out of the club when the commotion starts.
She's told me the exact same story the last three times I've been in the place only varying the dollar amount; ranging from $300 to $1300. Then comes the worry about not being able to make rent or buy food, then comes the request for some private dances. Either she is the most careless girl with her money or this is just one of the stories in her repertoire of SS.