Australian nightclub bans staring at strangers without verbal consent

28 comments
  1. I get the impression that this is a bit like pubs having a “no runners” dress code. Just an easily-broken rule to kick people out who are ruining the vibe for others.

  2. It sounds rather ridiculous, but I suspect it’s just going to be used as a default excuse to toss people out that the club doesn’t want there for some reason but who aren’t actually violating any other rules.

  3. I’m fucked. Don’t know how many times I just stare into space absentmindedly without realising and then suddenly discover I’ve been looking at the same person this whole time. When they just happen to occupy the general space I was looking.

  4. Intrusive staring. Jesus. They start with a sane concept – don’t harrass people. Then churn out some stupid rules that make them look like morons.

  5. I was joking with a friend a while back that checking someone out as you’re walking down the street will be considered assault in a few years time. I guess this is the first step towards that

  6. I stare off into space when I’m drunk thinking of the most random things. I’d definitely be kicked out.

  7. Hasn’t it always been the rule that if you are getting a bit weird the bouncers give you a physical warning – haven’t been in a night club since I was 17 or so.

  8. Isn’t briefly gazing at a potential partner how humans have been hooking up since the very beginning? So in this kip mentioned some fat neck in a high viz is going to tap you on the shoulder and point at your eyes!? This is f**kin bizarre.

  9. Looking at people is unavoidable in a crowded nightclub. There are people everywhere. Where are people supposed to fucking look. The ceiling? Don’t be daft

  10. I remember walking through Temple Bar at like 6pm years ago and some scumbag looks right into the eyes of some poor cunt who was passing through and goes, “are you lookin’ at my burd?”

    Fella stops walking in surprise and stammers back, “n-n-no, I wasn’t”

    Scumbag then goes, “are youse sayin’ my burd’s ugly?”

    Ah, the face of that poor fella. Never give those cunts a reason!

  11. > As a social venue, the club’s owners said they encourage interaction between strangers, but all and any engagement “must begin with verbal consent”.

    > If the attention you are giving someone is unwanted, that is considered harassment,” they said.

    And so continues mens double bind. You can’t know if the person wishes to engage with you until you first engage with them but if you engage with them and they don’t want to engage with you that is harassment. What a pitifully low definition of harassment.

    For an engagement to begin first you must ask for consent. Before you ask for consent you must ask for consent to ask for consent. Fractal on forever. With this rule in place there is no way anyone can be sure they aren’t “harassing” somebody simply by saying hello.

  12. This might be weird to post here but I twice had girls grab me and start shifting me before I even realized what was happening while in night clubs. I mean it wasn’t traumatic or anything but it did feel weird to just be grabbed and used like that without giving any kind of consent. I think I actually got sexually assaulted, if the genders were swapped it definitely would be

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