For the first while in a long time I've taken myself a weekend off. I'm hanging up my long coat and clip on tie for a whole two busy nights off. I'm enjoying the delights of sane if not sober company.
I'll be heading out to enjoy the wonders of only drinking on rare occasions. 4 pints and I'll be merry, 8 and I'll be asleep.
There are problems with this seemingly simple plan. I don't fancy heading to a different town for a few so I have to contend with being recognised. I've been doing the 'go away you drunken twat' long enough in this town to be easily identified. I have to carefully select the venues I go to. No loud music or vertical drinking, no discount drinks and happy hours, no dimly lit hovels and no inexperienced bar-staff, all these kind of limit my choices. Luckily with a few years around town I know a select few pubs where I'll almost be the youngest there. The beer will be full price but well kept and I'll hopefully not have to prick up my ears to any bother.
When I'm out I can't switch off. I still keep my eyes open and tend to keep a line of sight to the door. I'll be checking out each merry punter as they bimble in and order their thirst quenching ales. If voices are raised or the language is inappropriate I'll sit up and listen. I think the years of working have tuned my adrenaline response to a very well used fast response. It can crank up my heart rate and focus my mind in less than seconds. Useful when working, a right git when out relaxing as a smashed glass or loud bang gets me out of my seat and ready to rock.
This said, by pint 7 I'll be very slowly rolling out of my seat and by 8 I'll be fast asleep in it, dreaming of loose women, machismo and takeaway food.
Occasional postings from a toe-to-toe customer services physical interface operative.
The ramblings and collected tales from a jobbing licensed doorman. Tales of drunken woe, machismo, loose women, loose fists and 99% boredom. Hopefully updated as thoughts worthy of an audience hit my mind.
'Over a decade at it and not winning any beauty contests'
3 comments:
I have to say, it is very hard to switch off. Even if the doorstaff work for a different company at the venue i am drinking in, i still look around and find myself having a word about potential idiots. Luckily so far all i have had is people asking if they are still barred from my venue. Usually i tell them its nothing personal and to bring their drink over and join me. I would rather ahve the barred idiots drinking at the side of me than staring over at me pointing to his mates.
Not a bad strategy, not sure I'd like to be seen drinking with some of the scum I deal with but if it works don't knock it. I'd keep a bloody close eye on my drink if I were doing it though. Could imagine a roofie or something making for a very bad night off.
Same for us too; just when you least expect it drunken morons stumble up to me in a bar (not even typical Squaddie bars) and slur, "are you that monkey twat that nicked my mate?" Best just to drink up and leave when that happens; better that than a bottle across the back of the head.
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