I’ve had some good nights out in my time but I’ve also noticed some reoccurring unpleasant parts of many nights out, especially in popular venues in the city or Central London. Here are the five factors that can put a downer on your night out and should be avoided if possible;
Overcrowding
It’s Friday night, it’s payday and the weather is decent. You’ve got that Friday feeling and can’t wait to meet up with your friends and let your hair down. You go through the effort to get dressed up (usually my favourite part of a night out) whilst feeling excited anticipation for the night ahead, only to arrive to a packed out venue with barely enough space to scratch your nose. The queue for the bar is 12 people deep and after waiting 20 minutes and still not even close to getting served your enthusiasm is beginning to wear off. That annoyingly catchy chart song is blasting through the speakers so you and your friends are forced to shout in eachother’s ears in order to be heard whilst overly drunk, ignorant people with no concept for personal space elbow or bash into you every 5 minutes. By the time you get your drink you’re so on edge that you’d rather down it and leave than spend another minute in what feels like a packed tube during rush hour, with the added bonus of people spilling drinks down your new dress and soaking you through to your underwear.
How much?!
You withdraw £50 for your night out thinking that it should be enough but by the time you’ve left the first bar and are moving on to the second one or a club, you’re down to £7 and have to find a working cash point just in case you need to get a cab home. Sometimes I keep a certain amount aside for cabs and club entry then pay for drinks by card but this can be dangerous as you lose track of what you’re spending, especially if you buy drinks for friends. Even happy hour can work out expensive as I find that you drink more than you usually would as it seems cheaper.
Power tripping bouncers
For some reason I haven’t always had the best relations with bouncers. Maybe I have one of those faces? I’ve had a couple of words in the past with one who lost our belongings in the cloak room and had a bad, arrogant attitude and another who refused to believe that my I.D was actually me and was pretty rude when I tried to protest. I’ve met other bouncers who have been really friendly so I won’t tar all with the same brush but some just take an instant dislike to me and want to exert some power or status to make them feel important.
Drunk people
Maybe it’s my age (28) but the older I get the more drunk people irritate me! Some people can handle their drink well and are a riot when they’ve had a few so they just make me laugh rather than annoy me but sadly this isn’t the case for everyone. I had my drunken days about 6 years ago but that level of alcohol hasnt agreed with me for some time so I can’t actually remember the last time I was properly drunk. The medication I’m on at the moment limits me to about three light alcoholic drinks so nothing too concentrated like wine or shots. Much to my annoyance this restraint doesn’t apply to most other strangers around me and too many of them can’t handle their drink or whatever else they’ve taken so stumble about, bash into me and my friends, push in at the bar, spill drinks, want to start fights with other revellers and talk a load of drunken rubbish which you don’t have the time or desire to listen to.
Getting home
There have been times when a good night has been tainted by the palava of getting home. Sometimes you have to walk for what feels like miles in inappropriate shoes and rain or wait on a street corner for ages in the early hours for a cab to turn up. Also, as a young woman I often don’t feel safe getting into cabs alone. Even if I share with friends more often than not I’m the last to be dropped off due to where I live in relation to everyone else. Nowadays, I often leave early and get a train home but that’s not always without its problems and I need a family member to meet me at the other end as I don’t feel safe walking home on my own.
I’m aware that this post has made me sound like a miserable, old git but despite the rubbish year I’ve had I can still let my hair down and enjoy myself occassionally. On Saturday I went to a local pub with good friends, watching people sing on the karaoke, singing and dancing along. If the conditions are right I can really enjoy myself but as I get older I find that this happens more often in intimate venues or birthday parties with the right group of people (e.g. close friends and family) rather than in the usual bars and clubs.
Chelsey Prentice 