Following on from my last article (Nightlife Burning Out) nine months have gone by. But nothing seems to have changed for the better concerning the nightlife industry with still ever more bars and nightclubs going out of business. Historically this industry has always had the image of being on the edge of legit and ethical and little seems to have changed to the present.
Ironically there is one small meaningless law that is still enforced by the book with no ifs or buts. Yes you’ve guessed it, that nanny state smoking ban! While it is claimed by our politicians, councillors and many that this is part of a new progressive and fairer society, nothing exposes this lie more than your average nightclub. Yes it is true that getting roughed up in the nightclub back alley, courtesy of the ex-con bouncers, is “generally” a thing of the past in this country, due to the now mandatory security licensing. Other than that little else is enforced for the benefit of the customer.
The biggest issue going now is on the door discrimination, which is rife. Although there has been the introduction of the Equality Act 2010, which makes it illegal for any business to deny service to a customer on grounds of prejudice, the nightlife industry seems to have immunity from this law while it is being disproportionately abused on small businesses. Despite this law, it only covers a few minorities status, meaning it is still perfectly legal to deny entry and discriminate for anything else including your weight, wealth, social status etc, or even just down to whatever mood the security and management are in. So are local authorities, police, politicians doing anything about this? In fact no, they are actually encouraging it by adding further conditions and restrictions to enter a nightlife establishment including fingerprinting, breathalysing, and more thorough body searches, which fits in line with the so called progressives.
Freedom2Choose has always exposed the hypocrisy of those behind the smoking ban who claimed it was part of bringing in a better and more caring society. This has been more about degrading the individual, as well as to evolve a fascist health agenda on the masses which would lead to anti-drinking, anti-sugar, anti-fat along with many other sides to it. So what is to blame for the mass closure of nightclubs? While the smoking ban may now be playing a small part, it was still the catalyst, but if that was not enough, nearly all clubs and bars have gone even further to ban vaping indoors. Even though local authorities are as well to blame for playing their part, a lot of the nightlife industry, though not all, is putting their personal ego first, before making money, let alone company ethics, by using what freedom they have left on its own customers seeing them as little more than cattle.
To conclude, progressiveness means change, but it does not always mean change for the better.
BBC Newsbeat Article: UK Nightclubs Closing at ‘Alarming Rate’, Industry Figures Suggest
The Telegraph Article: Why the British Nightclub is Dying (By a Nightclub Owner)
Your Local Guardian Article: Human Rights Groups Slam New Fingerprint and ID Scanning Scheme
BBC Newsbeat Article: Birmingham Pubs and Clubs Will be Breathalysing People on Entry