Phone cameras in clubs

[Sir Lancehernot]

Recently, I showed up in the background of a Snapchat taken at a local club. It was screenshotted and sent to me by someone other than the person who took it. I could identify myself based on where I was in the club, my attire, and my silhouette. Someone who knew me and saw it might say, if prompted with my name, "Yeah, it might be him,", but I doubt I would have been recognizable to anyone else. And I doubt I have many friends who both have Snapchat and are friends with the picture taker. Still, it was a picture of me in a strip club.

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine was taking two dancers off to the corner. The general area was populated by some guys having a good time and taking cellphone videos. My friend is exceedingly cautious about being recognized in SC or hobby environs. I don't know all the details, but he brought this to the attention of a manager, who said he would address the situation and then didn't. My friend left, depriving himself of a good time, two dancers of some money, and me some valuable intel on one I'm curious about.

My friend may be being overly cautious. But, as do escorts, he gets to set his own levels of risk tolerance. However, it does strike me that allowing cameras in strip clubs certainly has the potential for something bad to happen, either accidentally or maliciously, for both patrons and employees.

[TomCollins]

I’ve seen multiple times where someone was taking pictures, selfies or otherwise, in bdd and management never did anything. Hell one of them WAS a manager (a young kid that didn’t last long).

There is a Chinese guy that walks around carrying his phone very awkwardly that I’m convinced has video recording while he walks through.

They should have a very strict no cameras policy and at least try to enforce it.

[CG2014]

In today's time, you can't make someone leave their cell phones outside of a club or restaurant or business.

Cell phones are as much a part of a person's attire as much as a shirt and shoes and pants and belt and wallet.

Some people go to strip clubs and while they are there, they are making business calls, checking emails, responding to texts.

[Sir Lancehernot]

Maybe not. But you can institute a no-photos policy and throw out people who violate it. Or set up designated areas where photography is or is not allowed. Or you can post a sign prominently advising patrons that photography is permitted within, so that they are ware they might show up on someone's IG feed.

As an owner, would you want to risk the result of having some guy who finds out via an online video that his girlfriend isn't really a waitress show up, pissed off and armed, at your club?

[txexetoo]

I have seen managers approach people at BDD who appear to be taking pictures. I am pretty sure thats a no no.

[Inquiring1]

In this era if you really want to "guarantee" you won't see you image somewhere...don't be there.

[billw1032]

I'm pretty sure clubs have a rule against taking photos, but I don't see any way to enforce it. In this day and age everyone carries their phone. If clubs really tried to enforce it they would need managers snooping around so much that you wouldn't want to go to the club anymore.

[SmokeMonster]

This is an interesting topic. I have been to clubs in other areas of the country that have really strict cell phone rules. Can bring them in, but either can't have them out or have to have it flat on a table/bar top. I hate this personally as I will be checking biz emails etc especially during the day.

None of the clubs in the DFW area have policies like this. From what I know, they all either don't allow customers to take pics or discourage it. This is mainly of the girls though. They aren't trying to protect you married guys, but their girls that maybe damn close to naked. The exception however is that I have never seen a club stop a girl from taking selfies or pics with customers, and pics by customers with a girl's permission are generally A-OK.

Hell I know several dancers that will grab my phone and start taking pics and vids and posting them to my snapchat. I'm single. I don't care. I get the married guys not wanting to show up in a random pic in the background, but it is kind of just the times we are in. In fact I really like snapchat as a communication tool with the dancers. Better than getting numbers etc. If you are single or married and can have a secret snap account, I highly recommend it. Banning phones from clubs is something that will encourage customers to go down the road to the phone friendly clubs. Having a no phone policy just encourages customers to spend less time at the clubs, and in all honesty is the only way a no photo policy could be truly enforced.

[Sir Lancehernot]

I wouldn't suggest banning phones from clubs. But a reasonable policy addressing the taking, or not taking, of pictures in the club is possible. Ever been to a live performance where the announcer says beforehand that photography and recording are prohibited? Most people respect that. Yes, it's possible to photograph surreptitiously. But most of the time, you can tell the difference between a photo being taken and email being checked. Why let the perfect be the enemy of the good, or the better?

Notably, in the second incident I described, the manager didn't say, "Sorry, we allow photography in here. That's a risk you take." He said he would do something about it and didn't.

[billw1032]

Originally Posted by Sir Lancehernot

But most of the time, you can tell the difference between a photo being taken and email being checked.

If a manager is close enough to distinguish that while I'm with a girl, he's too close for my comfort. What I want managers (and waitresses too) to do is to stay far, far away.

[CG2014]

Any manager trying to take a phone out of anyone's hands without the phone's owner permission can be charged with assault ( the act of inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and therefore, may result in either criminal and/or civil liability. -WIKI) and robbery (the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by putting the victim in fear. -WIKI)

[TomCollins]

But the managers sure have the right to make someone leave and ban them from ever returning if they don’t hand over the phone.

[SmokeMonster]

Yeah a manager can not simply take your phone, but they have other things they can do. Ask you to leave, ban you, maybe drug you if it is Ricks FW haha. But in all honesty it is too hard to police what someone is doing on their phone, and managers feel they have more important things to do. Now if a dancer complains about a guy videoing girls on stage, etc that is one thing. A customer worried about being in the background of a pic is another. The only way to enforce no photos is no phones, or again perhaps phones must be flat on the table. But that means the girls too, and how many 18-25 year old dancers are gonna like that rule? Believe me if your concern is showing up in a background, understand that girls are taking way more pics in the clubs than customers do. If you are worried about showing up on someone's snap, insta, FB feed that much then you probably should be going to see indys and not be at the strip club.

[Shep3.0]

I see dancers do this all the time. Posting live video stories on IG and snap. It really depends these who you are using the phone camera