1 /5 Tayla Thomas: All of the bar staff are great, however the security on the door were unnecessarily rude and intimidating, particularly towards women. One doorman in particular was very unpleasant to me and my friend when we simply wanted to make sure our friend got into her lift home safely. When asked for his name, he refused to give his real name, which felt unprofessional and added to how uncomfortable the interaction was.
When we asked if it would be okay to walk our friend to her car and then come back inside, we were met with passive-aggressive responses and told that if we crossed a certain line we would not be allowed back in. We followed his instructions without any argument. However, when we briefly looked around the corner to check on our friend, he accused us of “disrespecting his job.”
All we wanted to do was ensure our friend’s safety. When I asked him if he could keep an eye out since we had been told we couldn’t, he laughed and told me not to worry and that he knew how to do his job. Given the reality that young women are often targeted after nights out, I would expect door staff at a late-night venue to understand why friends would want to look out for one another. Instead, we were met with rude and dismissive behaviour.
I attempted to explain this calmly, but he repeatedly spoke over me and even said, “Are you going to keep talking or are you going to let me say what I want to say?” I was sober, calm, and respectful throughout the interaction, yet the response I received was completely disproportionate, as if I had been aggressive or abusive, which I was not.
My dad is a doorman, so I understand the job and the challenges that come with it. However, working a night shift—especially on Christmas Eve—is not an excuse to be rude or passive-aggressive towards two young women who were simply concerned for a friend’s safety.
The usual door staff at O’Neill’s are generally great and work very hard, which makes this experience even more disappointing. It’s a shame that one individual has left me with such a negative impression.