Behind the velvet rope: Nightclub security jobs require cool smarts
Some guys might envy Dave Lyon's job: He gets paid to take people's money and flirt with girls.
As the door man at Belltown hotspot Club Medusa, Lyon is the person everyone wants to befriend on a Saturday night: men with cash and women with cleavage.
"I think it's a job people think that they want to do, and then they do it and it's not as fun as they think it's going to be," said Lyon, 30. "It's not standing around all night flirting with girls. You have to work."
Pay attention, boys: There's a lot more required of an effective bouncer than being a ladies' man. More important, those in the industry say, are size and smarts.
"I like smart guys with a level head," said Eddie Dale, who supervises a staff of 10 as head of security at Club Medusa.
Ditto for the landmark J&M Tavern in Pioneer Square, which has been around for 111 years.
"I look for guys with an easygoing attitude," said Hugh Boyd, security manager. "In the past, people have looked for the big guys from the gym. I tend to find those guys cause more problems than they help."
The importance of smarts in security was underscored in last month's deadly nightclub stampede in Chicago, which police say started when a bouncer tried to quell a fight by using pepper spray.
"To me, it sounded like it was a mistake by the security," said Matt Sedillo, 24, who is among the few bouncers at Seattle-based Titan Security who carry pepper spray. "You never want to use it indoors. People maybe didn't see it sprayed, but all of a sudden they were coughing and that would make them panic."
As concerns about crime, vandalism and terrorism continue to increase, so will the need and desire for security. In addition, turnover can be high, leading to more opportunities.
While the work covers a wide expanse — including banks, hospitals and jewelry stores — the favorable forecast extends to nightclub and bar security as well, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Security guards of all kinds held more than 1.1 million jobs in 2000; more than half of those jobs were in security firms and guard agencies, according to the national Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some nightclubs have an in-house security staff, while others hire security firms.
According to the bureau, opportunities are expected to grow faster than average through 2010 for people looking for full-time work as well as for those seeking part-time or second jobs.
There are no certifications or licensing requirements specifically for bouncers, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Licensing. However, bars and nightclubs have the option of hiring licensed security guards, who, among other things, must pass an examination and carry insurance for bodily injury and property damage.
The average bouncer gig in Seattle pays about $10 to $15 an hour, with some exceptions, according to various local clubs. The median annual income for security guards at eating and drinking places in 2000 was $15,870, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The job has its non-monetary perks.
"You get to go out every weekend and meet new people and not spend money," Sedillo said. "You have the nightlife without waking up with a hangover."
|
Lyon, of Club Medusa, likes having his days free to go snowboarding, boating or play golf. Then again, "I haven't had a weekend off since the middle of June," he said.
Niko Jones, a former bouncer, started Titan Security several years ago, which serves clients including Tia Lou's in Belltown, R Place in Capitol Hill and Bohemian Café in Pioneer Square.
"I look for people who take this seriously. This is a business," said Jones, who employs 20 to 30 people, including two women. "This is not just a weekend job where you get to see lots of beautiful women and get your mack on."
So much for that stereotype of bouncer-as-meathead. Depending on where you go, bouncers — or "security," as some prefer — may be trained and college-educated. And at certain upscale clubs, they look more like patrons — in their black suits and Kenneth Cole shoes — than beefy bouncers.
"Generally, the approach we like to have with security is to have them play the role of host," said Quentin Ertel, general manager of Capitol Hill nightclub Chop Suey. "They're not the stereotypical huge, menacing bouncer. All of our security guys are really nice guys, but they can also take care of business."
At Chop Suey, bouncers roam the club and might pick up a used glass here, or empty an ashtray there, to try to cultivate a friendly, accessible image, Ertel said.
"It sets a tone for how people want to act when they're inside," he said.
Because there are no formal training requirements and the job offers flexible hours, nightclubs attract many people looking to pick up extra cash at night or on weekends.
Nightclub security staff generally are responsible for keeping minors out, collecting cover charges, maintaining order and directing traffic to keep walkways and exits clear.
And contrary to popular belief, bouncers are there to stop trouble before it starts. They consistently downplay stereotypes: that they are slow, that they are players, that they want to beat you up.
"People automatically assume you have to be 7 feet tall, 300 pounds and be able to throw them through a wall," said Sedillo, lead bouncer at Tia Lou's. "That's not the case."
Sedillo, who is about 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, said his first security job was two years ago at "kind of shady" joint in Kent. A roommate had a friend who knew a guy who needed a guy. The only requirement: "You had to be big."
Jones, who's now Sedillo's boss at Titan, said he requires his staff to undergo three training courses in self-defense and ways to defuse volatile situations, 80 percent of which he says can be talked out without having to resort to physical conflicts.
Not all bouncers are big guys. Jones, who is 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, likes to have a variety of sizes and abilities on staff. One of his female bouncers, for instance, can spot a fake ID like no other, Jones said.
Club Medusa had a female bouncer about six months ago, said Dale, the head of security there, and he would hire another if the right woman came along.
"If there's a female incident, you have to handle them with care," he said. "Girls in the clubs are a lot more disrespectful to security. They'll go home just as quick as a guy, you just have to handle it delicately."
A female security guard can be an asset in that case, he added.
And speaking of women: Guys who work in clubs that women flock to every weekend say they can be both a perk and a liability.
Dale, for instance, won't hire someone who's too good-looking.
"We hire these guys to do security, not to have a social hour," he said. "If he's too good-looking, he's going to get a lot of attention from patrons, and it's going to be distracting."
Such are the occupational hazards of living the nightlife.
"Really, it's just part of my job," Lyon said. "If I remember girls' names, then it makes them feel special, and they'll come back and bring their girlfriends. ... If women come in, guys will come in and spend money."
Pam Sitt: 206-464-2291 or psitt@seattletimes.com
 |
